The words of John 15:2 should be sobering for every sincere child of God. In it we are told that the Father Himself does the cutting off of unfaithful branches from the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the True Vine! In other words, it is a mistake to think that the devil is responsible for cutting people off from the Body of Christ. It is important to note that these branches being cut off are already in Jesus Christ, meaning they are believers and part of Him. As part of the Church, they are right there within the Master’s sanctuary, causing havoc within the household of God and occupying positions without doing anything with them, apart from preventing others who want to serve the Lord from doing so.

It is terrifying to know that right from the time the Lord was here on earth, betrayers have always been found among those close to Him. This might be the reason why the Father cuts many of them off before their time. My Father in the Lord, the founder of The Redeemed Christian Church of God, cut off some people from the fold before he finally left to be with the Lord. Some of us did not know why he was doing what he did back then, but people like me now know better. Jesus Christ tolerated Judas Iscariot for three and half years, giving him ample opportunity and time to repent of his stealing habit that would eventually lead him to betray his Master for money. However, very close to the time appointed for Him to go to the Cross, Jesus realised that Judas Iscariot had chosen to fulfil the prophecy of Psalm 41:9, which says:
“Yea, mine own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, which did eat of my bread, hath lifted up his heel against me.”
It was at this point that Jesus detached Judas Iscariot from Himself as the True Vine. Describing what happened after that, John 13:27 says:
“And after the sop Satan entered into him. Then said Jesus unto him, That thou doest, do quickly.”
What can be more terrible than Satan himself possessing a person’s body! Noticeably, it was after Judas Iscariot had been torn away from the True Vine and left to carry out his destructive mission that Jesus began to reveal to His real disciples some deeper things about His mission. Beloved, the consequences of being cut off from the Lord’s Body are too dire to be contemplated. I therefore pray that the Master will not tear you away from Himself in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.