The Vine and the branches1"I, I AM the true Vine and My Father tends this Vine.2He cuts out every branch in Me that does not produce fruit. Even the fruitful branches He carefully prunes so that in future they will bear even more fruit.3"You have already been pruned through the words I have spoken to you.4Stay living in Me and I will continue to live in you. It is impossible for any branch to be fruitful if it is separated from the Vine. It has to continue to live in the Vine. In the same way, it would be impossible for you to bear fruit if you were not to remain living in Me.5"I AM the Vine and you are the branches in the Vine. Anyone who continues to live in Me and I in him will be abundantly fruitful. But outside of Me you can do absolutely nothing.6For anyone who does not continue to live at one with Me is like a branch that is thrown away and so withers. All such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned.Remain in His love7"By contrast, if you continue to live at one with Me and My words continue to live in you, you can ask for anything you want and it will be given you.8My Father will be glorified and honoured in your lives because you will bear much fruit and so demonstrate that you are truly My disciples.9"I have loved you in exactly the same way that My Father loves Me. So continue to live in My love.10You will remain in My love if you obey what I have commanded you, in the same way that I have remained in My Father's love by obeying what He commanded Me.11"I have told you this because I want you to have within you the same joy that is in Me. I want you to be absolutely full of My joy.Friends of Jesus12"The command I give you to obey is simply this: love one another in the same way that I have loved you.13No greater love than this exists, and it is expressed in your willingness to lay down your life for your friends.14If you obey what I command you, then you will be My friends.15I no longer refer to you only as servants, because it is not a servant's place to know about his master's business. No, I have called you My friends because I have relayed to you whatever the Father has revealed to Me.16"You did not choose Me. No, it was I who chose you. But I not only choose you to belong to Me; I also commission you to go and bear fruit that will be of eternal significance. As you go to do that, the Father will give you whatever you ask in My name, those things that you know to be consistent with My will.17"So this is My command: love each other!
Scripture quoted by permission. The passage above is taken from THE TRUTH VERSION. Copyright © 2009 by Colin Urquhart. All rights reserved worldwide. (The Truth New Testament)