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The Gospel of John, The Period of Conference, Conference With the Disciples, Part XXXIV, John 15:5,6 - Lesson 142
Read Verses John 15:4 for review: 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.
John 15:5 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.
This statement from the lips of Jesus Christ puts all effort of man in perspective.
Without Jesus Christ you can do nothing.
Jesus Christ says that all that is done without him is vain and he counts it as nothing.
Effort done in yourself is as a branch that is severed from the vine and of no value except to cast into a fire and receive some heat from its burning.
A branch severed from the vine is incapable of producing fruit for the husbandman.
It must abide in the vine if fruit is to result.
This shows once and for all the complete dependence of the believer upon Christ for all fruit bearing.
No fruit comes apart from the vine.
There are no resources in the branch by which to bear fruit that pleases the husbandman.
The branch simply bears the fruit that the vine produces.
Religion has a fruit that it displays and most think it is the fruit of the vine but as far as Christ is concerned it is nothing.
He says: for without me ye can do nothing.
For apart from me or severed from fellowship you can do nothing. \
No fruit bearing apart from the vine.
That is not a difficult concept.
This talks about abiding in Christ.
This talks about abiding in the vine.
This talks about fellowship with Christ and dependency upon Christ unbroken by sin.
A Christian may purpose to love, may purpose to have joy, may purpose to have peace, may purpose to be longsuffering, may purpose to be gentle, may purpose to show goodness, may purpose to have faith, may purpose to be meek and may purpose to be temperate.
But a Christian is to wait on the vine to produce this fruit.
A branch cannot produce this fruit.
Whatever comes from branch produced fruit is not the fruit of the Spirit.
It is false fruit, it is pretend fruit, it is not real fruit.
The message of this verse is to wait on the vine, abide in the vine and let the vine produce fruit in you.
Only then is the husbandman satisfied with the fruit.
He is not satisfied with fruit made by the branch.
He is only satisfied with the fruit that comes from the branch abiding in the vine.
This is what Paul meant when he said: Christ liveth in me.
Abide means to let Christ live in me and do his work.
For me to live is Christ. Let Christ produce fruit in me by me abiding in him.
I am to abide in his word, I am to be connected to his word.
I am to let the nutrients of his word flow through me so that the Spirit of Christ can produce fruit in me.
I am to be a channel and a channel simply abides so flow can take place.
The channel is simply there to allow water to flow.
It abides and does not hinder the flow by its actions.
Channels Only
How I praise Thee, precious Savior, That Thy love laid hold of me; Thou hast saved and cleansed and filled me That I might Thy channel be.
Channels only, blessed Master- But with all thy wondrous power, Flowing thru us, Thou canst use us Every day and every hour
Emptied that Thou shouldest fill me, A clean vessel in Thy hand, With no power but as Thou givest Graciously with each comand,
Channels only, blessed Master- But with all thy wondrous power, Flowing thru us, Thou canst use us Every day and every hour.
The message then is for the believer to be a branch that does not put self in the way of the work of the vine.
For self hinders the work of the vine and fruit bearing is decreased or non-existent when the self fills the channel.
John 15:6 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.
The Lord continues to talk about his own.
This is about believers who continue out of fellowship with the Lord.
He is talking about the salt that has lost its savor,
He is talking about the servant that hid his talent under a tree.
He is talking about the one in Luke 8:18 who had not and from him was taken even that which he seemeth to have.
He is talking about our pilgrimage here in this world and the purpose that God has for us to bring forth fruit.
The man not in fellowship, not abiding, not allowing the word of God to do its work will be withered and will not bear fruit.
He fails to avail himself of the living word of God which brings forth fruit.
But without that necessary abiding in the vine he simply produces wood, hay and stubble in his unabiding life.
That wood, hay and stubble is gathered (the word man is not in the greek) at the proper day and fire will test its eternality, its staying power.
But of course wood, hay and stubble has no eternality so this believer's self made fruit is burned. |