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“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me” (John 15:4).
Have you ever cut a branch off a tree in summer, when it had leaves on it? How long did it take for the leaves to start withering and curling up? It does not take very long, and after a few hours you will see those leaves drooping, curling, and then, a day or two later, they will begin drying out. Then the wood in the branch itself begins to dry out, as the sap in it dries up.
It is the same for believers who do not walk with the Lord. We cannot lose our salvation, but without the Lord, we cannot do anything. Just as a branch cannot bear any fruit by itself, so you and I cannot do anything for the Lord without His help. We may try to do something with human energy, but it will not be pleasing to the Lord. To bear fruit for the Lord, we need His strength.
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