Jesus is the Vine, We are the Branches

Transcript

GRM 526
4/20/97
Vine and the Branches
John 15:1-8
Gil Rugh

We are going to be in John’s gospel and the 15th chapter this morning, John’s gospel and the 15th chapter. It continues to be concern and burden of mine the deterioration that is taking place within what is called the Evangelical Church. It seems there is a continual weakening, what seems to be common today to be called dummying down of the church. As there becomes less and less of an emphasis on sound theology, on the teaching of the pure milk of the Word of God. There is at the same time an infiltrating influence to lure us and lead us away from the sound biblical base which is essential for the Church that will honor and exalt Jesus Christ. I think one of the things that is happening that we talk about much, because it comes up much in scripture, is the infiltration that has taken place within the Church by those who really do not belong to Jesus. Everyone who attends a church, even a Bible believing church, not everyone who is even involved in one way or another has truly entered into the life giving salvation that Jesus Christ provided in His death and resurrection.

With the passing of time, particularly in our day is what I am thinking of, the emphasis has moved from sound theology to large numbers. The church has seen an influx of people and praise God. Many of those have been those who have been saved by the grace of God and added to the church. But I fear with that group there have been many who have just come to identify themselves with the church. With the weakening of the emphasis on the Scripture. a softening of the truth of God to make it more palatable and acceptable to uninterested people. It becomes easier for people who have no real-life relationship with Christ to feel comfortable in the church that professes to be inseparably joined to Him who is the life of the church. What happens is people who attend over a period of time become comfortable with us and us with them. The theology is weak enough and the word of God is soft enough that we go on working together. That just accelerates the decline where we give less and less emphasis to the Word of God because there would be more and more people who would be uncomfortable with too hard an emphasis.


We always say we want to be a loving church, so we want to be careful about the hardness of doctrine. I don’t want to be any more careful about the hardness of doctrine than God is. I don’t want to be any less loving than God is. We want to be careful that we don’t try to help God out. He shouldn’t have said it quite so harshly. He shouldn’t have said it quite so clearly. To me that is what John 15 is all about. The church has not come into existence yet but Jesus is warning the disciples of something that was already true in the days that He ministered. That was the people of God had been joined by those who externally identified themselves with the message and ministry of the Messiah but who had never been joined to Him in a saving relationship.

John 15 we are in the midst of Jesus’ last evening with His disciples. Chapter 13, 14, 15, 16 and 17 of John records events that took place on that last night that Christ had with His disciples before His betrayal and crucifixion. It is a time of intimacy when He gives final words to them before the crucifixion. in John chapter 15 He addresses them and gives them an analogy of the vine, the vine dresser and the branches of the vine. It is interesting the different views that have been taken on a passage like this. One view of this passage is a favorite for Arminians. Arminians are those, not Armenians, Armenians are the people. Arminians are those in the theological realm that we are talking about, followers of Jacob, Jacob Arminius. They do not believe that you are secure in Christ, or they believe you can lose your salvation. In John 15 they take it as a passage that would teach that, that you can trust Christ, be born into His family but because of sin and rebellion you can be cast out of the family, lose your salvation and ultimately end up in an eternal hell. They find this passage supports that which we do not. I do not address that with you very much detail because the scripture is overwhelmingly clear. Jesus has already addressed this in John chapter 10. That His sheep are secure in His care and that is why we are assured of a salvation that is eternal.

Within the Calvinistic camp, if I can call it that, there are two basic groups. There are those who teach that there are two kinds of Christians in view in John 15. There are those Christians who are abiding in Christ and producing fruit, and there are those Christians who are not abiding and not producing fruit. That is one view, and the other view, which is the view that we hold here, is that there are two groups of people in view. Those who are Christians, they are the ones who are abiding in Christ and producing fruit. Those who are not Christians, to use the term and back it up to this time, who are not truly saved. They are not abiding; they are not producing fruit. Very important passage that warns us and encourages us and helps us understand what is taking place even in our day.

Let’s work through this passage, beginning in verse 1. Jesus launches in with an analogy, “I am the true vine. My Father is the vine dresser.” It might strike us as a little bit jarring. Where did this come out of John? And some say well, Jesus is walking with His disciples through the Kidron Valley and He sees the great vineyards and that causes Him to address the subject. Whereas the first century historian Jocephus tells us that it was the emblem of the vine, the entrance to the temple, and Jesus saw that and drew attention to that. Any of those things might be true. We don’t know what they were looking at, where they were standing exactly when it took place. But the real background for what He is saying and what every Jew and these disciples would pick up quickly is that the vine is the picture and analogy for Israel in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament Israel is the vine of Jehovah. Furthermore, every time the analogy of the vine is used for Israel in the Old Testament, it is a degenerate vine, a vine that is to experience the judgement of God. When Jesus says here I am the true vine, He is indicating that Israel’s relationship to God is inseparably linked to its relationship with Jesus as the Christ or Messiah of Israel.


Look back to a couple of pages in the Old Testament. The book of Psalms, the 80th Psalm. Psalm 80 verse one starts out talking about a relationship between Israel and God as the Shepherd and the sheep. But then you come down to verse 8 and you see Israel identified as vine. “You removed a vine from Egypt.” That refers to the Exodus when God brought Israel up out of Egypt. They were the vine He brought out of Egypt. “You drove out the nations and planted it, You cleared the ground before it. It took deep roots in the land.” God brought Israel into the land of Palestine. He drove the nations out before them. He planted this vine, Israel in the land He had promised them. Come down to verse 12. You note the situation. “Why have You broken down it’s hedges?” You see judgement has come on the vine. “You have broken down it’s hedges. All who pass that way pick its fruit. A boar from the forest eats it away. Whatever moves in the field feeds on it.” This vine has been left without protection. The walls that would protect it have been broken down. The animals of the field can come and trample it and feed on it. Israel is a vine under the judgement of God.

Come over to Isaiah the prophet, chapter 5. Psalms, Proverbs, a little bit of the wisdom literature and into the book of Isaiah and chapter 5. Perhaps the most familiar portion that deals with Israel as a vine. “Let Me sing now for My well-beloved, a song of My Beloved concerning His vineyard. My well-beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it all around, removed its stones, planted in it with the choicest vine, built a tower in the middle of it, hewed out a wine vat in it,” expected it to produce good grapes. I mean He showered His care on it. But it only produced worthless grapes at the end of verse 2. “Now inhabitants of Jerusalem, men of Judah, judge between Me and My vineyard. What more was their to do for My vineyard that I have not done in it? Why when I expected it to produce good grapes did it produce worthless ones?” You see for all that God had done for caring and providing and protecting Israel, it did not produce fruit for the glory of God. We will see when we study further into John 15, that fruit being the development of the character of God Himself in the lives of His people and in the life of that nation. “So let Me tell you,” verse 5, “what I am going to do to my vineyard.” Judgment. Verse 7, “For the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel, the men of Judah His delightful plant. He looked for justice but behold bloodshed, righteousness but behold a cry of distress.”

Jeremiah chapter 2 verse 1. You don’t need to turn there; we don’t have time. Ezekiel chapter 15, Hosea chapter 10 verse 1, all passages that focus the attention of Israel as the vine of Jehovah, a degenerate vine, a vine either under or destined to experience the judgement of God. And you come over to John 15, Jesus says “I am the true vine,” the genuine vine. These Jewish disciples would immediately pick up on the picture from the Old Testament. That which is genuine in Israel focuses in the person of the Messiah. Those people in Israel who have a true relationship with God are joined to Christ the Savior and Messiah. He is the true vine. So the true believing Israelite will be found in Him.


The vine dresser is the Father carrying over the picture from the Old Testament. God who had cared for the vineyard. Then we will have the branches. So those are the three groups of people: Jesus Christ the vine; God the Father, the vine dresser; and the branches being the people. Good branches and bad branches, fruit bearing branches and non-fruit bearing branches, abiding branches and non-abiding branches. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away, and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” So you see we come to talk about the branches, branches that bear fruit, branches that do not bear fruit.

Those who hold that these are two kinds of saved people. We will use the word Christians even though we don’t have Christians yet until after the death of Christ and the establishing of the church. I will probably use that word just because it comes naturally. There are two groups of people here, those who believe that they are a division among the saved say well these branches are in Christ. “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit,” but they are carnal. They are not bearing fruit. He takes it away. That verb to take away can mean to lift up. In fact the Ryrie Study Bible which I am using holds out this is a possible alternative. He may pick up or lift up the vine to encourage it and make it easier for the fruitless to believe, hoping they will respond and bear fruit. The problem is the context indicates the vine is lifted up or removed not to help it bear fruit but to prepare it for judgement verse 6. “If anyone does not abide in me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up.” They gather them, cast them into the fire and they are burned. The branch is lifted up or removed. They are not being propped up to bear more fruit. They are being literally removed. In fact from what I have been able to read on those who have tried to find the background on this, there is no evidence that it was ever the practice in Palestine to prop up the lower branches to keep them from lying on the ground. In fact, the opposite may be true that they allowed the branches to find their own course generally. Some of the branches were allowed down on the ground and the warmth from the ground produced those grapes. They got riper quicker and so there was a variety in the timing. I am not into horticulture. If that’s what you call it. I have no idea. But the fact is that they try to build a case here on the use of a word. And that is only one use of the word to “lift up,” it does mean to remove, to take away. That’s the more normal use of the word and the context seems to indicate that is what He is talking about.

What about “in Me”? “Every branch in Me.” If you are in Christ aren’t you saved? Well, a couple of possibilities here. Number one: we need to be careful about reading into this Paul’s later explanation of what it means to be “in Christ.” It is true when Paul would write about being in Christ, he would write about genuine believers. But I think in the context of Jesus speaking here before the establishing of the church and the later development of revelation and the flow of the gospel of John as we will see as we are in some other passages, there were those who maintained a superficial relationship with Christ. They were believers in a general sense but not in a saving sense. They were disciples in a general sense but not in a saved sense, so their relationship to Him was external.


I have some large trees in the front of my house. They are in the process of dying. Every few years they come out and trim a few more dead branches away. I noticed this year there are a couple more branches that are dead. How do I know they are dead? Well, the other branches are getting leaves. There is no life in this limb. The bark is even falling off. Periodically some of those branches fall down if I don’t get them trimmed. That’s the picture. There is no life. They are dead. They are on the tree but the life of the tree is not in them is the point. So I would say that we ought not to give a technical expression here, “every branch in Me,” we are dealing with those who merely profess a relationship with Christ.

Keep in mind we have just come from Judas. He was there earlier in the evening in John 13. He is now not present with the disciples any longer. But there was a man who maintained an external relationship with Christ. Traveled with Him for three years, was the treasurer of the group and looked enough like he was genuine that none of the other eleven ever expected that he was the son of perdition. In fact even when Jesus told them one of you will betray me, the indication is they said “who is it.” “Is it me Lord?” You don’t find them saying, I bet it’s Judas! I’ll bet it’s Judas! No! So, you know, he looked like he belonged, but he didn’t. So he was in Christ, “in Me” in one sense, but not in a saving sense.

Some others prefer the optional translation which is grammatically possible as well. “Every branch that does not bear fruit in me.” In other words, the connection of “in me” is bearing fruit. Every branch that does not bear fruit in Me. And the emphasis in on the fact that when you’re in me you bear fruit and if you’re not in Me you’re just a branch with no life connection. I personal tend toward the first view but either one explains the passage. Both are true, which is the emphasis of this passage. You can take your choice.

Well, I would see two kinds of branches here, and we’ll support this as we move through. The unfruitful, not abiding branches picture unsaved people who look like they are part of the vine but are not. So we’re really talking about professing believers here. Not like in our day a Muslim or a Hindu, although I realize that’s even getting blurred with our ecumenism, but they don’t profess to be Christians and we’re talking about professing believers.

Alright, what about “every branch that bears fruit”? The branch that doesn’t bear fruit, it’s removed. It’s going to be piled up and then they’ll burn them. “Every branch in Me that bears fruit” He lets it alone. No He doesn’t. Here’s what He does to get more fruit. He prunes it, He trims it, He cuts it back. He removes what is going to hinder growth and fruit production. That’s the process, the pruning process. So that’s what he does is to develop more fruit in the lives of His people. He prunes them. But where there is no fruit, there is no life. That has to be removed.


So now it’s Spring. Some of you work outside and your out pruning around, clipping off the dead wood, trimming back some of the other branches, but there’s no sense in fussing around, pruning around the dead limb. Some of you would come over and see me doing that you’d say, Ah, Gil? You need some help? You’d probably say, Gil, you do need some help! It doesn’t do you any good to prune around that dead branch, it won’t produce anything. Get a saw we’ll cut it off. That’s what you do with the dead wood. We use that analogy don’t we. Oh, their just dead wood. What do we mean? We just get rid of them. So here you prune a branch that is fruit-producing so that it will do better. I few years ago the city told me that I had to cut down a bush that I had on the corner because it was blocking traffic that would come up to the corner. Well, you know, great gardener that I am, I went in and got an axe and cut it off. You know what? Next year that thing came back like it had never grown before. Look at that thing! It never had so many flowers. I should have given it the axe earlier. I guess you would say I did a form of pruning on that bush. Just call me! I still have the axe. He prunes it. The pruning is the discipline process.

Turn over to Hebrew chapter 12, Hebrews chapter 12. This is in the context in verse 5, quoted from the Old Testament, the writer to the Hebrews has said, “My son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor faint when you are being reproved by Him.” I think this would all fit in the pruning process. “For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines and scourges every son whom He receives.” Verse 8, “If you are without discipline of which all have become partakers, then you are illegitimate children, not sons.” It is just part of in the analogy here the child training process. In the analogy of John 15 the pruning process. To remove that which would hinder growth, which would be unhealthy. Verse 11, “All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful. Yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” You see what happens. Righteousness is produced. The peace of God in righteousness as a result of the pruning process, the development of the child in the analogy here. In verse 10, “They disciplined us” (our human fathers) “for a short time as seemed best to them, but He disciplines us for our good that we may share His holiness.” You see fruit, the development really of His character in His people is really what is going on. That’s the focus for the fruit that we are talking about. So the disciplining process, the pruning process is part of that. God works to remove from my life those things which would keep me from producing the beauty of His character as fully as I should. Sometimes that process is unpleasant. Sometimes it seems a set back. You got this branch and it is taking this long to grow this far and you say I am not going to cut that back. Someone says well you are going to have to cut that back or you never are going to get any decent fruit off of it. So it seems sometimes like, Lord this is really unpleasant. This hurts.

Turn over to 2 Corinthians 12. I mean if discipline was pleasant, it wouldn’t be discipline, would it? Good reminder for us as parents. II Corinthians chapter 12. The pruning includes the disciplining of the Lord for sin to remove things that shouldn’t be in my life. But the pruning process also involves what takes place as Paul gives himself an example in II Corinthians 12 to prevent certain things from happening. Paul here talking about the revelations he had been given from God. God had reveled new truth to Paul. We have it as part of our New Testament today. There was the danger that Paul would get proud and arrogant for what he had received from God. And others had to learn the word of God through him because God only gave it to him in certain situations in certain contexts. Look at verse 7. “Because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, for this reason to keep me from exalting myself” [underline that] “to keep me from exalting myself, there was given me a thorn in my flesh, a messenger of Satan to torment me to keep me from exalting myself.” Now whatever Paul’s thorn in the flesh was, whatever his affliction at the hands of Satan, the purpose is clear, so that Paul wouldn’t get proud. It doesn’t say God was disciplining him for pride in his life. But God was pruning him and disciplining him to keep pride from developing in his life.


So we understand that the pruning and disciplining process not only is because of sin in my life. You know I experience the discipline of God and I begin to examine myself. Is their sin in my life? Is this the pressure from God if you will to remove the sin. But you know some people will say, I have examined my life. I just don’t know why God is doing this. Well maybe it is not for anything you have done. Maybe it is the loving God who is your heavenly Father keeping you in the center of His will because He knows what we are. He knows what we need. He knew that Paul would be susceptible to pride. But the thorn in the flesh kept reminding him of his weakness, of his vulnerability, that he was just a human instrument. And that made him more usable and so Paul said I praise God for my weakness. This is a pruning process. Why does God do it? Because He loves us, because He wants us to produce more fruit.

Come back to John 15. “So every branch that bears fruit,” we are never bearing fruit in the fullest, greatest possible way, it is an ongoing process, “He prunes it that it may bear more fruit.” Now lest there is any misunderstanding, where do the disciples fit in this? Verse 2 has brought in two kinds of branches. He is going to talk about the destiny of the removed branches, but He wants to give assurance to these 11 disciples. You are fruit producing branches. So out of the two I have mentioned, Paul uses a different analogy but the same point. “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.” So, the point is not to cause doubt in their minds. When it becomes clear that Judas betrayed Him and the crucifixion occurs, the point of this is not to make them wonder am I a true branch, or is Peter a true branch, or is John a true branch or is Matthew. No. Jesus tells them you are clean.

In fact, back up to John 13. He has already told them this in the context of the foot washing service. Peter said you are not going to wash my feet. Jesus said “if I don’t wash your feet you don’t have any part of Me.” Again, the ongoing cleansing that needs to take place from daily defilement. But you know Peter swings it the other extreme, well them if it is good for you to wash my feet, do the whole thing. I will take a bath. Well, Jesus said no Peter you don’t need a bath. You know we always want to help God out. Don’t we? Tell Him what He doesn’t need to do or tell Him what He needs to do. No, Peter. I want to wash your feet. No, not my feet. Yes, Peter. If I don’t wash your feet then you don’t have any part of Me. Well, then do the whole body. No, Peter, just your feet. Just shut up. What does He say to him in verse 10, “He who has bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean and you are clean.” What’s He talking about? They have experienced His salvation. There is the daily defilement that needs the ongoing cleansing. “But you are clean. Now, not every one of you is clean.” The next verse says He knew about Jesus who hadn’t left yet. Judas never did have a relationship with Him. He never had been cleansed. He had never had the bath of salvation in the picture here. But the rest of them were clean. They had experienced salvation.


So back in chapter 15 verse 3, “You are already clean.” He identifies them where they belong in the two groups. You are fruit producing branches. Change the analogy. You are clean. Through the word which I have spoken to you. Salvation cleansing comes through the word of God. “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.” We are born again by the living and abiding word of God. Turn over to Ephesians chapter 5 verse 26, Ephesians 5:26. Here we are told Christ “gave Himself up for the church so that He might sanctify her having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word.” There is a salvation cleansing. Washed with the water of the word. Some people every time they read water they think it is a baptism, water baptism. Well, He tells us here, “cleansed her by the washing of water with the word,” it is an analogy. It was the word of God that washed the church clean. That’s what He is talking about in John. “You are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.” You cannot be saved without hearing and believing the word of God. The amazing thing is when you do believe the amazing truth of the gospel, you are washed clean, washed clean. You are brought into a vital, living relationship with the Vine to use this analogy in context. His life is your life. You are now in Him and He is in you in an inseparable relationship.

So, we go on in verse 4 of John 15, “Abide in Me and I in you.” That is the relationship that they are to have, that they are to maintain. It begins at saving faith. But it is ongoing, a relationship of abiding, given as a command, “abide in Me,” but it is in the context “and I in you,” expressing a relationship that takes place. A vital relationship that is to be ongoing and in those who are truly saved, it is ongoing. “Abide in Me and I in you” is the picture. “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me.”

Abide. You know it is amazing to me how scriptural concepts, words get changed by interpreters in their meanings. There is the teaching I have referred to. It is in the footnote of the Bible that I am using in it is further developed in other places in this particular reference Bible. I am just picking on that because it is the one I use, and it is the one I recommend but it is not totally correct in the footnote. The text of this Bible is totally correct. The footnotes are only correct so far as they agree with me. There are those who teach that in abiding, there are two kinds of Christians. Abiding Christians and non-abiding Christians. I understand the Bible teaches there is only one kind of Christian, an abiding Christian. The one who is a Christian abides in Christ and one who abides in Christ is a believer. Those who don’t abide are unsaved people. You will note here, “abide in Me and I in you.”

One of the things that evidence this is the abiding is mutual. This is a key theme of John. Forty-two times in the gospel of John the Greek word for abide is used. In the little first epistle of John, five chapters, 23 times John uses the word abide. He uses it two more times in 2 John, one time in Revelation. So, a total of 69 times John uses the word abide in his writing, far more than any other New Testament writer. I mean he focuses on this emphasis on abiding. And you will note that what we are talking about is established by the fact that it is a mutual abiding. “You abide in Me and I in you.” Turn back to John chapter 6 verse 56. We are not going to look at all the references obviously.


There is a different analogy in John chapter 6. In John chapter 6 He is using the analogy of food. “Jesus said, “My body is food; My blood is drink. You have to eat My flesh and drink My blood.”” Now He is not talking about literally eating the flesh and drinking the blood. He is saying these words are spiritual truths. You have to partake of Him. Verse 63 says, “The flesh doesn’t profit anything.” We are talking about a spiritual relationship here. Look at verse 56 of John 6. “He who eats My flesh and drinks My blood” [note this] “abides in Me and I in Him.” What does it mean to eat the flesh and drink the blood of Christ? It means you have entered into a relationship with Him. You have partaken of Him spiritually. That means you now abide in Him and He abides in you. You note it is mutual. If you don’t abide in Christ, Christ doesn’t abide in you. Romans chapter 8 tells us “if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Him.” So it is not so difficult. If you don’t abide in Christ, you don’t have Christ in you. You don’t belong to him.

This idea that we can cut abiding in half, and you get a one-way street. Oh, I am a Christian but I am not abiding in Him so I am not producing any fruit so I am carnal but I am going to heaven. That is one of the means the devil is using to corrupt the church of Jesus Christ because it leaves you with the idea you can live anyway you want as long as you make a decision somewhere along the line. Maybe when you were four, maybe when you were six, maybe when you were 12, maybe when you were 20 but your life hasn’t changed. The character of God is not seen in you. But oh, I made a decision. I am just not abiding. I am just carnal. You are wrong. You are just not saved. You made a decision, but you weren’t saved. Because when you are truly saved, born again, then God Himself moves into you and you are brought into Him so His life and power pervades the life. The pictures are so clear. I don’t know why we get so confused.

You know you can go to wax museum or go to the mall and see a mannequin. Some mannequins can really be lifelike. And now you know they get people to watch and you first see them, and you say is that real or not. And you watch. And you watch. And you could get a chair and watch because you know one thing. If they are truly human it is going to become clear. But if it is just a mannequin you can watch them for six months, because there is no life in the mannequin. If they are truly human, it will become evident. Life is in them. That’s what we are talking about with the people of God. You have the life of God in you, the power of God in you, the person of God Himself dwells in you and you tell me it is not making any difference in your life. You want to believe that? But that is being propagated today. A popular man who is a seminary professor has written a book. If you made a decision when you were six, you are saved. You may be a blasphemer today living in gross sin, blaspheming the name of God but you are saved. You made a decision when you were young. I think it is serious. It has nothing to do with scripture. No you can tell. A believer manifests the character of God. So here “he who eats My flesh, drinks My blood abides in me and I in him.”

Incidentally while you are here, look at verse 66 of John 6. “As a result of this many of His disciples withdrew and were not walking with Him anymore.” Remember I talked about the superficial disciples, the general disciples that weren’t savingly related to Him. You know what happened. They liked the miracles. They liked the food, but they didn’t like the truth. I mean if they are truly saved, this is salvation truth. Teach me more Lord. No, this is unacceptable to me. I am leaving. They were branches but only in the superficial sense, disciples but only in the superficial sense. The truth ferreted them out and separated them.


Look over to 1 John, 1 John chapter 3. Look at verse 23, 1 John 3:23. “And this is His commandment.” Incidentally, tonight we will be talking about the commandments as we proceed through further in 1 John. I mean we are confused on the Law and the Commandments. We will talk about that tonight as we pursue this subject. “This is His commandment that we believe in the name of His Son Jesus Christ and love one another just as He commanded us. The one who keeps His commandments abides in Him and He in him. We know by this that He abides in us, by the Spirit whom He has given us.” You note, if you keep His commandments you abide in Him and He in him. You note it is mutual abiding again. And obedience to Christ is an evidence of that mutual abiding. And it is an evidence of the Spirit’s work in your life which shows you do abide in Him and He abides in you. So, I don’t see that there ought to be any confusion over the biblical concept to abiding.

I was reading some well-known Bible teachers this week in preparation for this study and I was reminded again how broad this concept is that you can be a non-abiding Christian. It is not a biblical use of abide. That abiding is mutual. I abide in Him and He abides in me. And if I don’t abide in Him, He doesn’t abide in Me; and if He doesn’t abide in me, I am not saved. Look at chapter 4 of 1 John verse 13. “By this we know that we abide in Him and He is us.” See that repeated emphasis. “By this we know we abide in Him and He in us by the Spirit He has given us.” He has given us of His Spirit. The indwelling Spirit, a manifestation of His presence through the fruit that He produces.

Verse 15, “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him and he abides in God.” Again, it is mutual. You have to agree with God about Jesus Christ. John tells us you also have to confess sin, agree with God about sin. You have to agree with God about your sin and you have to agree with God about Jesus Christ and His person and work if you are to experience God’s salvation. When you do, you are brought into an abiding relationship with Him. He abides in you; you abide in Him. His life, His power now pulsates in your very being.

Come back to John 15. When you get back to John 15, keep on going back to Matthew. I was going to skip these. They were for an earlier time but we have to take them in. This concept of fruit and bearing fruit is taken consistently as an evidence of salvation and true spiritual life. In Matthew chapter 3 verse 8 John the Baptist used it. The Pharisees and Sadducees came out to John and wanted to be baptized by John the Baptist. Can you imagine? You see they wanted a superficial connection with what was popular. John would have none of it. Today we are happy to fill churches with warm bodies. We are concerned to be popular. In our day we would have called these Pharisees and Sadducees seekers. John called them sinners. But there is a price for that. You realize John lost his head before this was all done as well. What did he say to them in verse 8. “Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” I don’t believe you are saved because there is no fruit. And the fruit I see in your life is not salvation fruit.


Look over in Matthew chapter 7. Keep in mind this is the end of Jesus’ life in verse 15. The disciples have experienced this teaching. This concept of bearing fruit is not new to them. John 15 verse 13 and following where it says you’ve got to be careful to enter the narrow gate because the way to life is narrow. The road to life is narrow. There is a broad gate. Most people go in the broad gate, travel the broad way but the end of the broad gate and the broad way is destruction. Verse 15, “Watch out for the false prophets! They come to you in sheep’s clothing.” You see again that superficial, you look at them and they look like that’s a sheep. No, it a well disguised wolf. “Inwardly they are ravenous wolves.” You will know them by their testimony. Not what my Bible says, “You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles are they?” Think. Think, where do you get grapes? Ah, give me a hint, give me another clue. I mean, we don’t have to do that do we? “Every good tree bears good fruit. The bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Now why should we get to John 15 and have trouble with the analogy he draws? I mean a non-fruit producing branch, a non-fruit producing tree, same thing, no life. Fiery destruction. “You will know them by their fruits” verse 20. You know we want to constantly undo this. And now we got it under the guise of grace. Oh, you are doing away with grace. You have a works salvation. No, I have a biblical salvation which always included works. Biblical salvation is never brought about by works but it always results in works. You know why we don’t like “by their fruits you shall know them,” because you can know them by their fruits. It is really complicated. It puts it in the tangible realm. You can’t see by heart; you can’t judge me. No, I can’t see your heart. I can’t judge you. But I can see fruit. I can’t tell in every case because the wheat and the tares. Sometimes it is confusing to me. God sees the heart. But that doesn’t mean I can’t tell anything.

You know I am not very much with gardening and so on. But you know I do, even me, know the difference between and rose bush and an Elm tree. I tried to pick something clear. You know certain things I do know. Some people think well if you don’t know about everyone, you don’t know about anyone. Well then Jesus just spoke nonsense. “By their fruits you shall know them.” True branches bear good fruit and this permeates scripture. We won’t run through the rest of scripture.

Come back to John 15. I take it the fruit we are talking about, (We will talk more about this in our study tonight) is like the fruit of the Spirit. And that’s going to come up in the context of John 15, love. We saw He disciplines us for His holiness to be produced in our life, His righteousness, peaceful righteousness, His peace. These are the things in view. Some take it to be soul winning and I don’t have any problem with that. I think John 4:26 is probably the only place in the New Testament where souls are called fruit in a clear passage, clear uncontested passage. But there is no problem with that but it is not limited to that. We are talking about the development of His character and the beauty of His person revealed through us.


You know some people like large churches like this because they can come and sort of get lost in the group. I realize some people are shy and some people are not. But some people just aren’t regenerate but they just want to hang on. I was talking to someone recently and in the conversation they indicated to me they were a Christian. I said, oh, where do you go to church? Oh, I don’t go. I haven’t gone for years. I said, wait a minute, wait a minute. I thought you said you were a Christian. Oh, I am. You know you don’t have to go to church to be a Christian. Okay, let’s walk this through. You are not saved by going to church. And you can be saved without going to church. Okay. Good, good. But when you were truly saved, you are brought into vital relationship with Jesus Christ, made a member of His body, the expression of which is the local church. I disagree. You claim you are a Christian, you just don’t go to church. I think you’re not going to church is an evidence you really have no life. So, you prefer not to be there.
But some people like to be there and as long as the truth doesn’t get too pointed they are comfortable being there. But the evidence is fruit. We have people who can be a vital active part of this church, (let’s get personal) be workers in the church but not truly have a vital life-saving relationship with Jesus Christ. That’s why we need to become sensitive and open. That doesn’t mean we are running around and hum I wonder if they are. I wonder if they aren’t. No, you develop relationships in the body. You work together. You serve together and we have all had the experience where you have worked with somebody, and you say you know there is something wrong here. They are busy maybe. They do certain things but there is something lacking in their life. As I really look for what is the character of Christ in them, the fruit of the Spirit, that seems to be woefully lacking. Well, I don’t think the first thing you do is run up and hit them in the face. You know I’ve come to the conclusion; you are not saved. Number one, I can’t ultimately make that determination. But you know if I really love them and am concerned for them and for their eternal destiny, I will start praying for them. And over time I probably will be praying Lord give me an opportunity to talk to them. Open their heart to be receptive to this conversation. I am concerned as a friend, something is wrong. In all honesty I have to say that it seems in your life that which ought to be there which evidences the real presence of Christ is not there. Do you ever think that maybe something is missing in your life?

You know it can become safe if I can come here and come long enough no one can question me. That is where we get sensitive about our kids isn’t it? I mean we raised them here, don’t you think I did a good job? Then why would you think they’re not saved? Well, why would you think they are? I parked my car on the grass the other day, it didn’t make it grass, it made it a car parked on grass. So these little sinners were raised in the church, great opportunity to hear the truth but that doesn’t make them Christians. You know we need to be very careful.


John 15 He goes on, lets wrap this up for now. ?Abide in me as I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abides in the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in me.? That is why the production of fruit is the evidence. You can’t bear it, not in the full, clear true sense without the power of Christ pulsating through your life. “I am the Vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in Him” [mutual abiding] “He bears much fruit.” You can’t get away from it. You abide in Christ, you bear fruit. Now, reading one man, (in fact well, I won’t go any further, reading one man) he says, “well everyone has a little bit at least.” That is not what Jesus says. “He who abides in Me and I in him, he bears” a little fruit. No, he bears much fruit. Then he’ll be pruned to bear more fruit. So we are only looking, how much can I skinny by with. You see a few shriveled grapes, I get by. If the Living God abides in you, you bear much fruit. I am not saying you are perfect, but you are bearing all you can. But there is much evidence. If we have to start sorting through the garbage can to see, we’ll think something is wrong here. I found a shriveled grape, oh, it fell from the limb above. No, it didn’t belong on there at all.

“Apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me he is thrown away as a branch, dries up, they gather them, cast them into the fire, they are burned.” There is the end result of the branch that doesn’t abide, destruction. Now my footnote in my study Bible says “burned, this refers to the works of the believer. The Christian who does not abide in Christ cannot do what pleases God. Therefore, his works will be burned up at the judgement seat of Christ, though he himself will be saved.” I say that is not what my Bible says. It says “if anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away as a branch, they gather them and cast them into the fire and burn.” It doesn’t say his grapes, his works, his fruits are gathered up and cast into the fire. He, the branch is gathered up and cast in. So we make a twist, why? We don’t want to be in a position to say all these professions may not be genuine, and the fruit is tangible.

“If you abide in Me and I in you ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.” The power is there, the resource are there, we will talk more about this. “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be My disciples.” Oh, I want to glorify God with my life. Well, bear much fruit. The ultimate end of man is the glory of God and we as believers are to glorify Him. Well, you bear much fruit; that is God’s plan. “By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.” So, I ought to be on an intense campaign and desire to produce more fruit.

That is why Christians who don’t desire to be in a Church, how are they going to grow in the Word? How are they going to be nurtured in the pure milk of the Word that they might grow in respect to their salvation? How are they going to benefit from the functioning of all of the parts of the body that enable the body to build itself up in love? They have no concern for the glory of God. They think salvation was a simple fire escape from hell. They are like the people who followed Jesus for the food they got, the miracles they saw. And yet I am supposed to say, oh yes, they said they were saved at this time. Well, the scripture says those who are saved have lives that glorify God and that manifolds the bearing of fruit. That is the evidence of being a disciple.


Jesus said in John 13, “By this shall all men know you’re my disciples if you have love for one another.” He is going to go on to talk about that. “The fruit of the Spirit is love” and so on, it is not so difficult. You know I am a fruit inspector. I do examine the fruit, the place to start is my own life. Paul told the Corinthians in 2 Corinthians, he concluded the letter, “examine yourself to see if you are in the faith.” Look at yourself honestly, is the beauty of the character of Christ seen in you? I am not talking about do you do some good things. His love, His joy, His peace, His kindness, His goodness, and not just here but when you are home. I mean is the beauty of that character what pervades you in your relationship with your wife or your husband or children, at work. I mean this is an eternal matter. There are branches that are going to be severed because they have no life relationship to the vine, cast into the fire to be burned. We are talking about serious matter here.

We play games and oh, I wouldn’t want to be so unkind, so uncouth to confront the person who doesn’t seem to have fruit because they would be embarrassed, and I would be embarrassed because then they would know that I don’t think they are saved. So what are you going to do let them go to hell so they feel good? I mean I have to scratch myself and say, where does the love of God abide in me that I would rather you go to hell than risk some embarrassment? Maybe we ought to love one another enough and pray for one another enough. But I say I have to talk to you about it. You know do I want to pretend my kids are Christians. My kids are all right and they’ll spend an eternity in hell, but I felt good because I never wanted to confront the reality that maybe they weren’t. Let’s stop and get real here. What really matters? Do I really understand the truth that Jesus is saying? This is serious stuff? Don’t be satisfied with an external link. It won’t make it. We deceive ourselves; we deceive others for a time. ” Be not deceived; God is not mocked. I, the Lord search the heart.” You’ll try to judge the motives, He knows us as we are.

I say, we examine ourselves, we have a commitment as a Church to present the truth which brings cleansing and forgiveness, which hold up the mirror of the Word of God to use different analogies for people to see themselves, which puts lives under the scrutiny of God’s light to see, is there fruit? Am I genuine? By God’s grace may He use us as a testimony for Himself. May we be a people individually and then as a body that bear much fruit, the beauty of His character, His holiness, His righteousness, manifest in us. It is part of what we are, that is why it is part of what we do. Let’s pray together.

Thank You Lord for a salvation that is so powerful and so transforming, made possible because Jesus Christ the Son of God died on the cross to pay the penalty for sin, was raised in victory. Lord it transcends our ability to comprehend in fullness when a person hears the message of the gospel of Christ and believes in Him that they are washed clean, that they are brought into a vital, living relationship with You, that Your power and Your life takes hold of them and their very being. There begins the production of the fruit of the character of their God, in its fullness and beauty as an evidence for themselves and an evidence for others. Lord may we not hesitate to examine our own lives. Lord may we be thankful for friends and family who are concerned, who are examining our lives. May the burden of our life be to bear much fruit to the glory of our God. We pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.