THE BRANCHES II
Series on John 15 pt. 3
John 15:2
12/24/06
Today was are continuing our look in John 15. Last week we began to focus on verse 2 of John 15. Let’s go right to our passage for this morning.
We will be reading verse 1-6, but our focus will be one verse 2; “"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. "I am the vine, you [are] the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
As we pointed out two weeks ago we can see there is one main truth that He is declaring in these verses, and that ABIDE IN CHRIST. We must abide in Christ, the true vine, in order that we might produce fruit.
We also can see that our Lord Jesus Christ also presents us with two main groups within this passage. First branches that bear fruit, and branches that do not bear fruit.
We also see the results of this fruit bearing or lack there of. Fruit bearing branches are pruned. Fruitless branches are cast out of the vine, gathered up and burned.
This brings us to the question that we began to answer last week, “Who are these fruitless branches?”
We pointed out that there are three main views of who these branches are;
The first was what I referred to as the Arminian view. Basically this view stated that these are genuine Christians who lose there salvation. We saw however how this view contradicts what the Scripture states regarding the believer’s security in Christ. Note John 10:28-29.
The second view of who these fruitless branches are come in two variations. The first states that these are genuine Christians, but because of their fruitlessness the are divinely disciplined. This discipline coming in the form of God taking them home through death.
The second variation of this line of thought is that these are genuine Christians but that the words “He takes away” in verse should be translated, “lifts up” and not “takes away” or “cut off”. In other words God “lifts them up” in trying to get them to bear fruit.
Last week we made note how these two variations of this second view cannot withstand the scrutiny of examining the context of John 15 or the terminology that Jesus uses here and in other Scriptures.
The third view we made note of, is the one which I believe best fits the context here in John 15, and the testimony of the rest of Scriptures. That is to say that the branches mentioned in verse 2 are not in fact genuine Christians. These folks have not experienced a genuine union with Christ, but one that is external and artificial. While they may claim to believe and fellow Christ, their fruitlessness reveals their true hearts. They are counterfeit Christians.
As stated two weeks ago I believe that there are eight reasons why we ought to hold to the that view that Jesus here is not speaking of genuine Christians in verse 2. We looked at two of them two weeks ago, today we will try to get through the next six.
These final six reason will be supportive of why hold that view, as opposed to seeing why the other views are no viable.
The third reason why I believe we are to support the third view, (we are getting too many numbers here), is that the gospel of John, as well as the Scripture in general, supports the concept of “unsaved believers”.
With in Scripture we have people who are said to believe in Christ, yet they are unregenerate. They do not have a saving faith, but a shallow, self-serving belief in Christ. Let us look at some passages.
Note John 2:23-25; “Now when He was in Jerusalem at the Passover, during the feast, many believed in His name when they saw the signs which He did. But Jesus did not commit Himself to them, because He knew all men, and had no need that anyone should testify of man, for He knew what was in man.”
Jesus, because He is God, knows the hearts of men. He knows that these who believe in Him, believe in Him not for the forgiveness of sins, not because He is the Son of God, theirs is a superficial believe.
Another passage to look at, John 8. Look what is stated there; verse 31; “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”
Nine verses later, Jesus still speaking to these “who believed Him”, in verse 40; “"But now you seek to kill Me, a Man who has told you the truth which I heard from God…. Verses 45-46; “"But because I tell the truth, you do not believe Me. "Which of you convicts Me of sin? And if I tell the truth, why do you not believe Me?”
This whole conversation culminates in verse 59; “Then they took up stones to throw at Him; but Jesus hid Himself and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by.”
You may ask what’s going on here? First we are told that they believe Jesus, then they seek to kill him and are told that they do not believe Him. You see there are those who believe and those who believe, there are those who have faith, and those who have faith.
There are those who go through the motions, there are those who say they believe, yet they are not born again of the Spirit of God.
D.A. Carson puts it this way. Speaking of John 8 he states that a true Christian is “…someone who has savingly trusted Jesus and sworn allegiance to him, given by the Father to the Son, drawn by the Father and born again by the Spirit. Jesus will make it clear in due course that only those who continue in his word are truly his ‘disciples’.”
Jesus clearly recognizes the difference between shallow unsaving faith and that faith by which are saved. In fact as we will see that His one of the main points He is making in John 15.
Listen to another passage of Scripture from Matthew 7:20-23; “"Therefore by their fruits you will know them. "Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
We will be looking back at this passage a little later in our series but the point I want to make here is this. These people who are saying “Lord, Lord…” they are claiming to believe, they are claiming to be disciples, they are claiming faith. But what does Jesus, “I never knew you…”. The point is that while they may claim to know Jesus, Jesus does not know them!
There are those branches that claim to be Christians, there are those branches that even say, “Lord, Lord.” Yet there is no true saving faith. Because in the end, they will not abide in Christ, they will not bear true fruit, and they will as John 15:6 states be; “…cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.”
I believe an example of this would be Judas. Keep in mind that as the Lord speaks these words in John 15, Judas has just left to betray Him. When one looks to the Bible we see the Judas is called a disciple, and is even given power over unclean spirits, power to heal.
Matt 10:1 “And when He had called His twelve disciples to Him, He gave them power over unclean spirits, to cast them out, and to heal all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease.”
Yet in John 6:7 we read; “Jesus answered them, "Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?" Here is a man called a disciple of Christ, given power to heal, to cast out demons, yet Jesus calls Him a devil.
Again I quote to you Matt 7 "Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ "And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’”
Sound like somebody we have just spoken of?
My friends there can be no doubt the gospel of John, as well as the Scriptures in general, supports the concept of “unsaved believers”. “Unsaved disciples”. The fact is that they are not true believers, they are not true disciples.
Let us move to the forth reason, which is not so much a reason but a comment. Some may point to the phrase “in me” in verse 2; “"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”
So may say does that not refer to those who are indeed sincerely saved. Are they not “in Christ”? How can one be “in Christ” and not saved? The answer is you cannot be “in Christ” and not saved. We must understand that this phrase is translated from the Greek language. And it is very possible that the phrase “in me” modifies “bears fruit” rather than “every branch”.
In other words instead of interpreting the verse “every branch in Me that does not bear fruit . . .” it could be rendered “every branch not bearing fruit in Me . . .” There in a good argument for doing this found within the context of John 15.
As Dr. Sam Storms states; “The phrase “in Me” occurs five other times in 15:1-7 and in each instance it modifies the verb. Thus, it may well be that the phrase “in Me” emphasizes “not the place of the branch but the process of fruit-bearing”.
What we see then is that the argument that because the branches are said to be “in Christ”, therefore they must be true believers is an argument based on interpretational preferences not necessarily on the Greek text itself. And with what we have seen from other Scriptures, it would be an argument that goes against what God’s word says elsewhere.
The fifth reason as to why I believe these are counterfeit Christians spoken of in John 15 is that the contrast that we see between verse 2 and 3 support this view.
Let me read to those two verses once more; “"Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. "You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”
We will be speaking more on verse 3 in the future, but I just want to point out to you today the contrast we see here. I believe that our Lord Jesus want His disciples to understand that when He is speaking of casting out fruitless branches, as he does in verse 2, he is not speaking of them. He tells them that they are already clean through word of God. They have sincerely responded to the Gospel, they have savingly responded to the person and teaching of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Listen to the Lord’s words spoken of back in chapter 13:10-11, keeping in mind that these words are spoken probably not more then an hour or so ago from what Jesus states in John 15. “Jesus said to him (Peter), "He who is bathed needs only to wash his feet, but is completely clean; and you are clean, but not all of you." For He knew who would betray Him; therefore He said, "You are not all clean."”
I believe there is clear parallel to what Jesus is saying here and what He states in John 15. In John 13 he speaks of 11 of the 12 being clean. 11 of the 12 being true disciples, true believers. 11 of the 12 being “clean”. Forgiven of their sin.
In John 15 he speaks of the same thing. We have those branches that are true branches, fruit producing branches, clean branches. And those branches that produce no fruit, they are not true branches, they are not clean branches. The contrast that exists in John 13 exists in John 15.
So as our Lord teaches His disciples in John 15 He is not speaking of their spiritual situation, (they are clean), but He is speaking of those whom they would encounter as they went out into the world to minister. Those who would say they are followers of Christ, yet were fruitless and unclean.
It is interesting to note that John in his ministry does indeed meet up with some of these people; In 1 John 2:19 “They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us.”
Here he speaks of a some folks who claimed to be fellow Christians, yet they did not continue with them, they were fruitless, and their unbelieving status was made manifest, and they were seen to be unbelievers.
We are going to have to end here. Next week we will look at the last three reasons why the view that Jesus is speaking of non-believers in John 15 is the best and only Biblical view to take.
It has taken me a little longer then I had anticipated to get through these eight reason, but I pray that you are seeing why it is important for us to have this understanding. As I stated a couple weeks ago, these reason, these teachings are not only applicable to our understanding of John15, but also of our walk with Christ in general.
These are teachings by which we must examine our own lives, our own walk with the Lord. These are teaching that have eternal value, and importance. I pray you would understand that.
One of the questions that someone may have in looking over these teachings is how do I know I am a genuine Christian? You may be thinking, how can I be sure or CAN I be sure?
The answer is yes you can be sure. How do you know that you are genuine Christian? Just ask yourself this question, am I abiding In Christ?
Listen to John 8:31 “Then Jesus said to those Jews who believed Him, "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.” Do you abide in the Word of Christ? Then you are His disciple.
Look at our passage John 15:6; "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw into the fire, and they are burned.”
I will be speaking on this more next week but the point is if you are abiding in Christ you will not be cast out.
Also as verse 5 states; "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.”
So how do you know that you are abiding in Christ? You bear fruit in your live.
If you abiding in Christ your live with be fruitful. In the near future we are going to define what the Scripture states abiding in Christ entails, and we will also be examining what bearing fruit means.
But to the question, how do I know I am a genuine Christian? CAN I be sure? Yes you can. I know you can, not because I say so, but because Jesus says so, He says "If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed.”
In closing may I just say abiding in Christ means believing in Christ. It means sincerely believing in His gospel. That He died for your sins, that He was buried and that He rose again on the third day. In means acknowledging that you are a sinner, and that the Lord Jesus Christ is the only Saviour and living your live in submission to Him as Lord.
I pray that every person here this morning truly abides in Christ.
LET US PRAY
