Abiding in Christ Jesus.
Part
one from
verse 1-2
Joh
15:1 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.
Let us expose the scripture in the light of his word in context. We will cover only two scriptures today; we will continue the balance next week Lord willing.
Verse 1.
15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
This is a beautiful metaphor, not to be taken literal but figurative. Christ is comparing himself to the true vine. This metaphor is found in the Old Testament as Christ Jesus compares his church to a vine. Christ is the root and the true believers are the branches of the vine.
Jer 2:21 Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?
Christ is the true vine but the children of Israel turned to other gods strange vines instead of the true vine.
Vine is a tender plant, needs cutting and pruning. This shows the humility of Christ his low state not exalting himself as God but becoming a man in low nature, born in a low condition, his life, suffering and death.
Isa 53:2 For he shall grow up before him as a tender plant, and as a root out of a dry ground: he hath no form nor comeliness; and when we shall see him, there is no beauty that we should desire him.
Christ did not say he is an oak tree or a pine tree but the vine.
The vine is a spreading plant, and Christ will be known as salvation to the ends of the earth.
Ac 13:47 For so hath the Lord commanded us, saying, I have set thee to be a light of the Gentiles, that thou shouldest be for salvation unto the ends of the earth.
The Father is the husbandman or the vinedresser. The husbandman is the farmer.
Ge 9:20 And Noah began to be a husbandman, and he planted a vineyard.
The Father planted the vine of his human nature. There was a covenant between the Father and the Son before the foundation of the world for salvation.
Ps 89:3 I have made a covenant with my chosen, I have sworn unto David my servant,
4 Thy seed will I establish forever, and build up thy throne to all generations.
Christ came to do the will of the Father. He was the vine planted by the Father. He is the Word that became flesh and dwelled upon the earth.
Christ tells us that he is the true vine. Not a counterfeit. Not a wild vine but the true vine. He is the truth and not a truth. Jesus said, he is the way the truth and life, which means he is not a way of many ways or not the truth of many truths, but the only truth and the way to the Father. In short he is saying all the other religious leaders are false. (Read previous study- Are all the religions the same?) The true Messiah came from the tribe of Judah.
He is that true vine typified by Judah's vine, which he was blessed with the blood of the grapes.
Ge 49:10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering of the people be.
11 Binding his foal unto the vine, and his ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes.
He did not wash his clothes in water but in wine, oh! See when we compare scripture by scripture the full meaning. Referring to Christ Jesus here as it is applied to Christ, to the garment of his human nature, which, through his sufferings and death, was like a garment dipped in blood for the church as our sins are washed not with water but with the blood of Christ, his blood cleansed as white as snow.
Re 1:5 And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first begotten of the dead, and the prince of the kings of the earth. Unto him that loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood.
Verse 2.
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.
Christ is the Vine and who are the branches here? See verse five. You are the branches. So every branch that is not bearing fruit is cut, taken away only the branches that are bearing fruits is kept and they are cleansed so they will produce even more fruits.
Now the question is if why some are cut off as they too is from the same root of Christ? Looks like they too are Christians. No, they are not true Christians as they do not produced fruit so they are cut off. The ones that are cut off are not true Christians but they call them Christians, they are Christians externally not in their heart.
Let us see the bigger picture. There are only two classes of branches here, one that produce fruit and the other that does not produce fruit. One is that who profess to believe in Christ Jesus and the others are the true Christians. The word abide in me is repeated four times! Only the ones that are abiding in Christ are true Christians. Verse six says:
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch. The ones who say they are Christians but not really in Christ not abiding in Christ are cut off or cast off. They are not grafted in Christ, as these branches claiming to be in Christ but not. A good example is the Jews who professed to be God’s children as they were the children of Abraham. This is how John the Baptist greeted them.
Lu 3:7 Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
These are the false Christians; there are many who are claiming to be Christians. Jehovah’s Witnesses, who says Jesus is a created being, the Mormons who says Jesus is the brother of Lucifer, the Roman Catholics who says they believes in Jesus but honors Mary and the saints. There are many protestant Christians who says I am a Christian as I believe in the historical faith yet have no fruits in them, fruit is the result of salvation. It is a change of lifestyle through regeneration and becoming a new man in Christ Jesus.
There are many churches today claiming to be the true to Christ Jesus. Christ will not look to denominations and say, it is this denomination that is right and the other denominations are false. Christ looks individually not at the church buildings, he knows his sheep. Just because you have the right doctrine, it does not mean all in that particular church is saved.
Mt 13:30 Let both grow together until the harvest: and in the time of harvest I will say to the reapers, Gather ye together first the tares, and bind them in bundles to burn them: but gather the wheat into my barn.
The church is mixed with the chaff and the wheat, they both grow together. Chaff looks just like the wheat externally, there is no difference, only when you fan the chaff will be blown away and the wheat remains.
Lu 3:17 Whose
fan is in his hand, and he will
thoroughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner;
but the
chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable.
Salvation is a gift not a reward that you earned, a gift is given free without any strings attached, and it is not earned but simply a gift. This is the grace of God. Many believe that Salvation is by grace alone not of works and cling to it but the result of salvation is works, if someone is truly born again you will see the fruits. Many know Ephesians 2:8-9 but forget to read verse 10 as it follows verse 8 and 9.
Eph 2:8 For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:
9 Not of works, lest any man should boast.
10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.
Then every branch that bears fruit, he purges then so it will bear more fruit. Purging and pruning is not very comfortable to the flesh, it hurts but will bear more fruits, and this purging and pruning comes to the true Christian mostly by trials.
Some may see I have no hardship or trials we are been blessed by the Lord. This is a strange teaching to the word of God. May be you are not living according to the will of God.
2Ti 3:12 Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
If you live according to the will of God not as per the will of your flesh, which wants to escape trials, the will of God is opposite to the will of the world and flesh. The will of the Lord is to love God more than anybody else or anything. Do you love yourself more than God? How much time you spend for yourself and how much time and devotion you spend for God? The will of the Lord is to love your neighbor as your self. Do you treat your neighbor equally as your self? The will of God is revealed in his word, living according to his word is to have a godly life. Your flesh will not like the will of the Lord. We need to crucify the fleshly appetites daily and it is painful to the flesh yet rewarding at the end.
God brings trials and temptations on our way so that we will become bore fruitful. Joseph’s brothers persecuted him; we went through temptations of Potiphar’s wife who tried to seduce him. He was thrown in Jail, yes, it was God’s decree that it should happen this way for his glory, Joseph did not see it at the beginning when he was going through his trials, but wanted to do the will of God by faith he trusted in God. But at the end he saw it was all God’s plan as God was glorified. It is God who purge and when we produce fruits it brings glory to God and not for ourselves.
1Pe 1:7 That the trial of your faith, being much more precious than of gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire, might be found unto praise and honor and glory at the appearing of Jesus Christ.
Ro 8:28 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
When God sees a part of the branch that is not good, he purges them. As Christians we are never perfect as we still live in this flesh. We do fall into sin of temptations yet God give us mercy as we can cry out to God like David.
Ps 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
The more a man learns and grows of Christ the more he sees of his sinfulness and the more he repents in his prayers.
Ps 79:8 O remember not against us former iniquities: let thy tender mercies speedily prevent us: for we are brought very low.
9 Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for thy name's sake.
Once God purges it hurts our flesh but it is for our own good as it will bring more fruit and glorify God.
2Ti 2:19 Nevertheless the foundation of God standeth sure, having this seal, The Lord knoweth them that are his. And, Let every one that nameth the name of Christ depart from iniquity.
20 But in a great house there are not only vessels of gold and of silver, but also of wood and of earth; and some to honor, and some to dishonor.
21 If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto honor, sanctified, and meet for the master's use, and prepared unto every good work.
To be continued…