What is “Grafted In” and When Does it Happen?

by Stephanie A. Mayberry

¹ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
² 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.
³ Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
⁴ Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
⁵ I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
⁶ If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.

John 15:1-6

Are you my brother or sister in the Lord?

Maybe.

Not everyone is. Even when they proclaim with their mouth, their hearts may tell a different story. Scripture even tells us that we are not to be unequally yoked with unbelievers. We are not to be in intimate or have close relationships with people who don’t believe, who don’t abide in Yeshua.

That tells us right there that we shouldn’t claim everyone as our brothers or sisters.

So, how do we know?

Scripture gives us several ways to tell.

How do we know who our brothers and sisters in the Lord are?

The most significant one is choosing to come out of the world, leave those things of the world behind, and abide in Yeshua.

It happens when we are grafted in to Him and when we are grafted into Israel.

When we are abiding in Yeshua, when we are grafted into that vine, that is when we become part of the BODY of Yeshua.

That is when we become that family, those brothers and sisters in Yeshua.

Because then we are all part of the same vine.

But what about in the interim? What happens in that time when the graft first begins and when it becomes part of the rooted vine?

I believe that we can call them family while that graft is taking. If they are coming out of the world, pursuing God, and seeking to be holy as He is holy. If they are hungry for Him, then I believe that we can call them brothers and sisters.

Can they flip and go south? Of course they can.

But they can flip and go south after they are grafted in too.

And scripture tells us when that happens God will break off that branch and graft a new branch in its place (Romans 11:11-24).

Those who are willfully in the world with no desire to be obedient to Yehovah and aren’t interested in abiding in Him because they choose to remain in the world, those are the ones who are NOT our family.

That doesn’t mean we aren’t to pray for them and minister to them, try to bring them to Yeshua, but we don’t get too close either, not until we see the grafting beginning to take place.

The Grafting Process in Horticulture

As with many things that are of the spirit, we can take cues from the physical world to see what exactly is going on. So, let’s take a look at the grafting of a plant to get a better picture of how and why we’re grafted in.

In horticulture, grafting is a pretty normal process. Two pieces of two separate living plants are connected in such a way that they begin to grow as one.

This creates what is called a chimera, meaning that one plant has two different plant genotypes growing together. In other words, the genetic constitution of one plant combines with the genetic constitution of the other.

There are several reasons why someone would want to graft a plant.

• To create a unique and beautiful plant
• Because certain plants are not able to root themselves easily or at all.
• To bear more fruit or better fruit.
• To repair damaged plants

So why are there some grafts that don’t take?

There are several reasons that a graft might not take.

• The plant is not a good candidate for grafting due to certain traits that prevent the graft from taking.
• The scion might seem compatible with the rootstock, but it is not.
• The season just isn’t right.
• The environment the plant is in while the graft is healing is not conducive to it thriving.
• The grafting technique was not correct.

How can We Apply This to People?

Now, let’s take a look again at John 15:1-6 and Romans 11:11-24.

When Yeshua begins to pull you to Him and you pull yourself away from the world, you are preparing to make the graft. The closer you get to Him, the more you are cut and prepared for the graft to take place. It is uncomfortable and sometimes painful because it is removing you from the root system you are accustomed to, that you’ve always been attached to.

Once it begins, it is like a marriage and you become one with Yeshua, your rootstock. As you abide in Him, He abides in you – the chimera. You take on His traits, His ways, His nature – you become like Him and that is how you reflect Him, His nature to others.

Why do we even want to be grafted in? Why is it so important?

People who aren’t interested in being grafted into Israel often don’t understand the importance of it. Perhaps they haven’t read about it or don’t understand what they have read. They may not have studied it out so it doesn’t mean anything to them. But it is absolutely vital if you want to abide in Yeshua.

Now, let’s look at the reasons to graft.

• To create a unique and beautiful plant – When you are grafted in to Him, into Israel, you become new. You are unique, beautiful, a new creature.
• Because certain plants are not able to root themselves easily or at all – The world is not a place to set down roots. And we are born in sin so our own roots aren’t stable or strong. We need the strong roots of Yeshua to ground us and allow us to grow in Him.
• To bear more fruit or better fruit – The fruit of the world is corrupt and unholy (Galatians 5:19-21) but the fruit of the Holy Spirit is good and holy (Galatians 5:22-25). It comes from belonging to Yeshua. That means before are grafted into Him, we do not belong to Him – and we are not going to bear good fruit. And yes, everything counts so if your graft is just beginning, you do belong to Him and you are part of the body. Just make sure that you keep moving forward.
• To repair damaged plants – Everyone is damaged and corrupt from the beginning. We are the product of sin and a corrupt, evil world. We desperately need to be repaired! When we are grafted into Yeshua, into that vine, He begins to heal us, to repair us. And when we go down in those baptismal waters, He wipes away all the things of the world that we’ve been carrying – all sin is forgiven and the slate is wiped clean.

As we abide in Him, we will inevitably minister to others whose graft will not take. Let’s look at reasons why that might happen.

• The plant is not a good candidate for grafting due to certain traits that prevent the graft from taking – Some people simply love the world and the things of the world more than they love the things that are holy. They love the world more than they love Yeshua. Some people just aren’t hungry.
• The scion might seem compatible with the rootstock, but it is not – Some people may come to Yeshua and like what they’re feeling. But the deeper the water gets, the more they come to understand, the more they start hesitating. They don’t want to lay the things down that Yeshua has called them to lay down. They want the scripture to fit their lives. They don’t want to make the changes necessary to fit what the scripture tells us to do, the holiness, the obedience. They may have looked like they were compatible at first, but when you got beyond the surface, the graft wasn’t viable.
• The season just isn’t right – Sometimes people encounter Yeshua but the season isn’t right for them. Maybe they aren’t ready to put away the world – that’s often the case. But these often return when the season is right.
• The environment the plant is in while the graft is healing is not conducive to it thriving – A new babe in Yeshua is fragile. They require a nurturing, supportive environment where they can grow and thrive but be as protected as possible from the dangers of the world, the wolves that are lurking. All too often, you see someone give a person a bible study, they get baptized, are filled with the Holy Spirit, and then the person backs off or stops ministering. This time when they are new to the vine is a very vulnerable time for them. They should be protected, supported, and nurtured from the VERY FIRST bible study and after, even after they are filled with the spirit. I believe that when you lead someone to Yeshua you are bound to them spiritually. You may not always have contact, but you should be praying for them regularly and always.
• The grafting technique was not correct – Maybe it was rushed or too much was put on the person at once. Maybe the changes they made were to please a parent or even you but it really didn’t come from a love for Yeshua. That isn’t to say they can’t find that love and through that love obedience, but that is their responsibility. And the graft begins again.

So, When are You Grafted In?

The point where the graft begins is different for everyone. For some, it’s the first Bible study. For others, it’s when they make the decision to follow Yeshua and feel it is necessary to “seal” it with baptism.

Yes, baptism is part of the New Birth, and it is necessary for salvation, but some people make the decision to follow Yeshua before they feel ready to be baptized. The two are not always simultaneous. But if they are truly hungry for a relationship with Him, they will eventually seek baptism in His name.

When they show a hunger for Yeshua, for the word, that is your first clue. Yehovah wants the hungry and so do you. It has to be their choice.

Everything from Bible studies to baptism to infilling of the Holy Ghost are all part of the grafting process. Sometimes it’s the first Bible study, sometimes it’s the fifth, and sometimes they walk away then come back and dive in with their whole hearts. But let the spirit lead you and you will know the beginning of the grafting in.

Once that graft begins, they are family.

---