In reference to the previous post, some of the characteristics of a mature grape were described, but one more is worth noting which is how easily the cluster pulls off the vine when it is being harvested. This analogy gives a good description of a transition that must take place in our walk with Christ if we are ever going to reach maturity and what will be the outcome when we do.

As a young and immature believer, my thoughts were occupied with the hope that if I pursued Christ, all my problems would disappear and I would reach a state of perfect happiness and peace and then I would go about sharing how much fun it was to live for Jesus. Ignorance was bliss in those days and I can well remember wonderful mountain top experiences at Christian retreats, like Tennessee/Georgia Christian camp or the days at University when my band of brothers in Christ and I would spend the weekend at a mountain chalet just to worship God and seek His will and direction for our lives. Many in our group were talented musicians and others were gifted teachers of the scripture which made it all the more wonderful. I still treasure those experiences, but as much a blessing as those mountain top experiences were,  I now look back over those years with a much more sobering perspective.  The real growth of my Christian life took place in the slow, unrelenting, fiery crucible of trials that life seems to have in great abundance.

Just as the grape cluster has a greater purpose beyond more than just looking beautiful on the vine or smelling fragrant so it is with our lives, as we participate with Christ towards becoming or rather being transformed by His Spirit into someone fit for the Master's use. The real hindrance to what God wants to do with our lives is our own self-willed identity (how we see ourselves) and whether or not we are willing to relinquish ownership of that over to Christ. The apostle Paul signed over all rights of his life to Christ when he said, "I have been crucified with Christ, and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God who loved me and gave Himself for me." Gal.2:20

For the sake of the illustration, the cluster reveals itself as being fully mature not only when its flavor is right, but as the master gently tugs it is easily drawn from the vine, just so, is our Heavenly Father  able to separate us from our own self-centered wills and we entrust ourselves into His capable hands for His special purpose. Jesus said, "If any man will come after me he must deny(disown) himself take up his cross and follow me" Within this list there is no evidence of anything to sustain the life of self, but the believer who follows Christ in this way is promised throughout scripture to have life and life abundantly and all the fruitfulness that is in every good work of God.