Being Grafted to God

UV 3674/10000 Being Grafted to God Then join them together into one stick, so that they may become one in your hand. Ezekiel 37 v 17 The prophet Ezekiel is speaking in this vision of the rod of Judah, the children of Israel being joined to another stick, that of Joseph, also of the house of Israel. It is symbolic of believers in Jesus who belonged to the house or tribe of Judah of the twelve tribes of Israel, the sons of Jacob. Jacob had done a deal or covenant with God, Jehovah who revealed Himself to Him. When we deal or covenant with God, we get transformed. Likewise, when we enter into a commitment or covenanted relationship with Jesus, giving our hearts to Him, He enters our lives and we become grafted onto Him. In union with Him, we become not dry, lifeless twigs or branches but we become like Joseph, a fruitful bough or branch of Christ. He is the One who overcame sin and death and therefore, becomes our ‘good root’. This vision reminds us of another biblical vision- that of an almond branch being connected to a wild almond branch and the latter begins to come to life with fruiting into almond. The Holy Spirit like the sap of God begins to flow in us and transforms our wild tongue, thoughts, tastes into Christ-like gentleness and humility. The dead and wild parts of our nature are shed like dead leaves in autumn and we are full of the Spirit of God and thereby, the fruit of the spirit. In order to find fulfilment or fruition in this life, we need to be first filled with God and be emptied of ourselves. Then, we become fruitful branches of the living God. Our joining with Christ, our bonding with Him, our grafting onto Him if it is genuine and complete, the signs of the new life and new fruitfulness should come into evidence. Our DNA should become the DNA of Christ and the DNA or divine nature of Christ should be ours. Hence, Jesus said, “ You can bear fruit only in union with Me for I am the True Vine and you are the branches.” Like the branches of a vine are pruned for greater and greater fruitfulness. Greater faithfulness leads to greater fruitfulness. We need to avoid the graft of this world and be grafted onto God through His Son Jesus.