Pruned by the Father
John 15 opens with one of Jesus’ “I am” statements, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it, that it may bear more fruit (John 15:1–2).”
There are those who appear to be Christians, but they are not (Jn 10:26). They are loosely identified with the church. They may have been born to believing parents. They may have been baptized as an infant or later as a child. They went to Sunday school and maybe catechism classes. In other words, they may have been partakers of the Holy Spirit and tasted the good word of God (Heb 6), but they are none of His.
Their judgment is to be cut off, like branches on a tree that have no substance. They have not grown, nor is there any sign of life, nor fruit. They are turned over to their reprobate mind to do that which is sinful (Rom 1:28). In the end, these branches are gathered together and thrown into the fire (Mt 3:10; 7:19).
In contrast, there is a branch filled with the life of the vine, which holds it and grows it, and so is the discipline of the Father (Heb 12:6). The branch is pruned back, sometimes severely, but this only causes it to burgeon in the next growing season.
The discipline of our heavenly Father is proof of His love for us. We must be fit for His royal family, and we are adopted as rascals who must be tamed. Sanctification is the process involved with the Christian life (Rom 15:16; 1 Thess 4:3, 7; 5:23; 2 Thess 2:13; 1 Pet 1:2). It is God’s work, as the Father trains and nurtures His children via the Spirit and the Word (Jn 17:17).
Dads are vital to the spiritual life and health of their children. Discipline, where it is needed, must be applied in due season. This is not a heavy-handed abuse; rather, it is the continual exposing of his children to the realities of Christ. A dad who fears God, and demonstrates that by showing the priority of Christ, in his own life, will draw out the fear of God in his children.
This drawing out is done in familiar ways: regular spurts of prayer throughout the day, quoting Scripture to support or deny behavior, regular church attendance, serving by example as a labor of love. These are basic, and there is no cookie cutter mold to what works in various family arrangements. Things do go awry. God’s grace is sufficient, despite a life of trouble in this world. Pray for your children without ceasing and teach them Christ.
Dads draw out the life of Christ in their children; and in love, at critical times, pare them back, as led by the Spirit and the Word.
Sometimes children depart for a season. The love and discipline they have known at home, however, is far more powerful than the allure of cheap love in the world. Some need to learn this the hard way. These are some of the most difficult times in fatherhood, but in these times, by God’s grace, hope is retained for the prodigal child to return to a better place.
David Norczyk
Spokane Valley, Washington
February 18, 2022
