John
© copyright 2008 Darroll Evans, all rights reserved

 

Chapter 15

 

John 15:1-17
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.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
12 This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you.
13 Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.
14 Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.
15 Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
16 Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
17 These things I command you, that ye love one another.

Jesus said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.”

The Vine offers nourishment to the branches as Christ gives us spiritual nourishment!

We cannot effectively live or operate without proper nourishment!

He continued, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit is taken away!

“And, every branch that does bear fruit is pruned so that it may bring forth more fruit!”

Many times we complain when we are pruned, even though pruning is for our personal well-being!

The unspiritual cannot differentiate between pruning and punishment!

Then, Jesus said, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you!”

What did the Apostles do to become “clean?”

They just listened to the voice of Christ! That is the effect His grace has on each one called into His service!

Do you realize that as a saint you are pure, holy, and blameless before God?

Far too many Christians have never been told that they are new creations in Christ (2 Cor 5:17)!

Instead of being new creation, they run around claiming that they are just old sinners (saved by grace)!

In Christ, you are not an old anything! 

In Christ, you are a new creation!

I cannot understand the new clinging to the old!

Many who are saved by grace of the New Testament cling to the law of the Old!

Jesus told His followers, “Abide in Me, and I in you.”

Do you abide (Gr. menō-μένω) in Him as He abides in you?

He is in you by virtue of the Holy Spirit being in you!

Abiding indicates a steadfast and continual dwelling!

Do you live each and every moment of your life in Christ as he lives each and every moment of your life in you?

He has promise to never leave you, nor forsake you (Heb 13:5b)!  Have you done the same?

Jesus tells us, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except by the power found in the vine!

“You cannot find power unless you abide in Me!”

Many Christians today are searching for spiritual power!

That power is not found in looking here and there!

Such power is found within, in the Holy Spirit!

Many immature Christians look to Benny Hinn, or some other “faith healer!”

The healing power is in God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit!

Anyone who does not offer the way to salvation is not offering healing!

As Christ said, He is the Way, the Truth. And the Life!

Do you think that He is insufficient?

Christ told His disciples, “I am the vine, you all are the branches!

“He that abides in Me, and I in him brings forth much fruit!

“Without Me you all can do nothing!”

As Christ only did what the Father told Him to do (John 5:19), we are to do nothing on our own!

Christ continued, “If any person does not abide in Me that person is thrown out like a bad branch, and withers due to the casting away!

“Men gather those dried branches, and throw them into the fire, and they are burned!”

The fate of the lost is not one of joy!

Then, Christ offered good news, “If you all abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you all shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you! My Father glorified in that you bear much fruit, and so you shall be My disciples!”

God is glorified in your overcoming and bearing fruit!

So, how do you overcome and bear fruit?

It is a matter of faith!

If your faith is maintained, you shall bear fruit and overcome!

Romans 1:17b The just shall live by faith.

 

However, that is not a reference to our human faith!


We live by means of the faith that Christ imputes to us!

 

Gal 2:20 I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth 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.

Christ was explicit, “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you!”

Then Christ commanded His disciples, “Continue in my love!”

That is a command!

He told them, “If you keep My commandments, you shall abide in my love!

“I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love!”

Faith causes us to keep Christ’s words and to abide in His love!

Jesus told them, “I told you this so that my joy might remain in you, and as a consequence your joy may be full!”

If your joy is not full, it may be that you are insisting on Christ following you rather than you following Him!

At that, Christ was even more specific, “This is My commandment, love one another, as I have loved you.”

We are to love the brothers and sisters in the faith!  “Love on another!”

Christ explained the result of love, “Greater love has no man than that He lay down His life for His friends.”

Afterward, Christ laid down His life for us!

That was the classic example of love!

You may be arguing that he called for laying down a life for friends!

That is why Christ told them, “You all are My friends if you do whatever I command you!

Think about that!

Only those who follow Christ are His friends!

Do you love the brothers in the faith?

Have you continued in, or abided in, His love?

We have been commanded to do just that!

It is due to love and abiding that we are His friends!

That abiding is a totally dependent on love!

Why?

1 John 4:8b God is love.

Christ told them, “From now on,I will not call you servants, because a servant doesn’t know what his lord is doing.  Instead, I have called you friends! Because, I have made known to you all that I have heard from My Father!”

Today, the Bible contains everything you need to know about faith and salvation!

If you read your Bible and pray for understanding, you will not be deficient in spiritual knowledge.

 Then Christ told them something that many reject, “You all have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you!”

That simple comments flies in the face of human free will being the key to salvation!

We do not accept Him!

Christ accepts us!

Christ told them, I “ordained you, that you all should go and bring forth fruit, and the fruit you bear should remain, and that whatever you shall ask of the Father in My name, He may give it to you!”

Then, Christ returned to His thesis, “These things I command you so that you love one another.”

John 15:18-25
18
 If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.
19 If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.
20 Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.
21 But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.
22 If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin.
23 He that hateth me hateth my Father also.
24 If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.
25 But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

Christ Jesus warned us, “If the world hates you, it hated Me before it hated you!”

Further, he said, “If ye were of the world, the world would love his own! However, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you!”

Again, Christ referred to His choosing us!

Jesus reminded His disciples, “Remember the word that I said to you! The servant is not greater than his lord! If they have persecuted Me, they will also persecute you! If they keep My words, they will also keep yours!”

If our words are provided by the Holy Spirit, they will be the words of Christ!

Christ said, “But, all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me. If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no guilt, but now they cannot hide their guilt! He that hates Me, also hates My Father!

“If I had not shown them extra-ordinary works, they would not be guilty [of rejecting Me], but now have they seen and hated both Me and My Father!

“This has happened to fulfilled what is written in their law, ‘They hated me without a cause.’”

At that point, Jesus began to speak about the coming of the Holy Spirit!

John 15:26-27
26
 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me:
27 And ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

Christ Jesus told His disciples, “When the Comforter comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds out from the Father, He shall testify of Me!”

The main work of the Holy Spirit is not to have us speak with unknown tongues or prophesy, although those things are wonderful!

The main work of the Holy Spirit is to lead those who are called and chosen!

Then, Christ told them, “And you all shall bear witness [of me], because you have been with Me from the beginning [of My ministry]!

Chapter 16
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