[b]God's pruning knife[/b](Thomas Watson, "The Spiritual Vine")"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. Every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes so that it will be even more fruitful." John 15:1-2God's love to the elect branches, appears in His pruning them. He prunes them by affliction. We are apt to think that when God afflicts us, that He does not love us. Affliction is God's pruning knife. He prunes us to make us bring forth the peaceable fruit of righteousness, Hebrews 12:11. God would rather have the branches bleedthan be barren. All this is done in love. It is God's love, that He will rather lop and prune the branchesthan let them grow wild.God's love to the elect branches, also appears in His transplanting them to heaven. The branches of Christ will thrive best when they are transplanted; because then they will grow in a better soil. Christ desires to have all His elect branches, which are scattered up and down in the worldto be with Him. "Father, I desire those You have given Me to be with Me where I am." John 17:24. The elect will never be happyuntil they are transplanted to the heavenly garden. In heaven, there will be no bramble to tear the vine branches; none of the red dragon's brood. Then all the branches will be sweetly united in love. Then they shall grow in the sunshine of God's countenance. In this life, the elect branches partake of God's grace; hereafter, they shall partake of His glory!
_________________SI Moderator - Greg Gordon