6 December 2001 Editorial:
The Vine, pt. 1

Larry Kirkpatrick

Everyone should know something about what it is, yet many seem not to comprehend what it is. Salvation is a topic above all other topics that must be understood. With the richness of all the Bible and the Spirit of Prophecy writings at our disposal, we ought to be in good shape on this topic. But it doesn't seem that we are.

Consider how incongruent it is that at the end of time, when our understanding should be most precisely honed, we submit to our indoctrination in weird ideas about salvation. John 15:1-2 introduces some helps on what salvation is. It uses the figure of the vineyard.

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." These thoughts immediately orient us to concepts of growth, work, and cooperation. A vineyard is a growing entity. A husbandman is one who maintains and cooperates with the processes of nature and shapes the growth of the vineyard. Jesus portrays Himself as the True vine to which other vines must maintain attachment in order to grow. "Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit."

Branches refusing to bear are removed wholesale; branches that do bear are pruned with trained eye so as to bear more. Did you notice that He said "every branch in Me" that refuses to bear fruit, is "taken away"? Now a question: if you are "taken away," cut off completely of the true vine, are you still "in Christ"?

It doesn't seem so. The vine-section (the person) that refused to receive life from the main-rooted vine (Jesus) was cut away, but only after being connected to the true vine -- only after being "in Me" (in Christ). Some hold that being (supposedly) "in Christ" is a guarantee of salvation. What that would mean for our understanding of what salvation is would be to reduce it to a status entirely apart from cooperation or growth. it would be reduced to legal status only. How different from the language of Jesus! And how wonderful the truth of our Lord's language, that says we can connect with the Vine. Here is an insight on what salvation is.

Next week, perhaps a follow-through continuing at the third verse.

Pastor Larry Kirkpatrick is an ordained minister of the gospel. Since 1994 he has served in the American Southwest as pastor to several churches. He received his BA in Religion from Southern Adventist University in 1994 and a Master of Divinity from Andrews University in 1999 with a specialization in Adventist Studies. While in Michigan he was employed by the General Conference at the White Estate Berrien Springs branch office. More important than his scholastic preparation has been his immersion in the biblical and Spirit of Prophecy materials. He is author of the 2003 book Real Grace for Real People. Presently he serves as Pastor of the Mentone Church of Seventh-day Adventists, located near Loma Linda, California. Larry is married to Pamela. The couple presently live in Highland, California along with their two children, Etienne and Melinda.