|
|
|
|
The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Disciples, Part XXXIII, John 15:4 - Lesson 141
Read Verses John 15:1-3, for review: I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 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. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
John 15:4 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.
Jesus Christ describes a union.
It is the union of the human and Divine natures.
Believers are branches of this Vine.
The root is unseen, as a believer's life is hid with Christ.
There are many branches but all meet in the vine.
The vine cannot bear fruit without a branch and the branch cannot bear fruit without the vine.
Both are necessary to fruit bearing.
Abide in me, and I abide in you.
This is a must for fruit bearing.
The branch is attached to the vine but there must be a continuous flow of nutrients from the vine to the branch.
The branch is totally dependant upon the vine for daily sustenance if the branch is to not only live, but to live and to bear fruit.
Jesus Christ said in John 6:56: He that eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him.
The vine takes in the water and nutrients from the soil and processes it and sends it to the branch.
The branch consumes the food and water it receives from the vine.
In essence it eats the vines flesh and drinks the vines blood and only by this process the branch lives and bears fruit.
This process the husbandman expects to occur between the vine and the branch.
The vine is ready to send the proper nutrients to the branch but the branch must abide in the vine for this to take place.
This fellowship of the branch with the vine is the only way the branch can bear fruit for the husbandman.
Any so called or pseudo fruit of the branch that comes apart from this fellowship is not accepted by the husbandman.
Christian! are you barren of fruit.
Beware of the barrenness of a busy life.
Beware of activity for Christ without communion with Christ.
Are you abiding in the vine?
Or are you too busy in ways that you chose to serve?
But we need to ask the question, too busy for whom?
For whom are we to bear fruit.
Does He want fruit in our lives or does he want activity.
What will bring his "Well Done", thou good and faithful servant?
Psa 92:13,14 Those that be planted in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing;
God plants his own in his house and he expects his own to flourish throughout life and to continually bring forth fruit.
The fruit of the Spirit is to never cease bearing for the husbandman. |