true branches of the True Vine

“There have always been a smaller number of God’s people who have sought to serve Him with their whole hearts, while the majority have been content with a very small measure of the knowledge of His grace and will. And what is the difference between this smaller inner circle and the many who do not seek admission to it?  We find it in the following: much fruit. With many Christians, the thought of personal safety, which at their first awakening was a legitimate one, remains the one aim of their religion to the end. The idea of service and fruit is always a secondary and very subordinate one. We see these two classes of disciples everywhere in God’s Word. Let our desire be nothing less than perfect cleansing, unbroken abiding, closest communion, abundant fruitfulness – true branches of the True Vine.” (taken from “God’s Power for Today” – Andrew Murray)