I AM THE TRUE VINE (You are the branches) - John 15 v 1-11 THIS IS PART 2
Welcome to the last Part in this series of messages on the “I AMs” of John’s gospel. We are continuing the thoughts in “I am the Vine” that has much to do with bearing fruit and abiding or remaining.
Last time in PART 1 we looked at the vineyard, and the Father’s special care of it. We looked at the pruning that has to be done, and the discipline of the branches so they might produce more fruit. The passage is all about bearing fruit. We saw that the pruning has nothing to do with loss of salvation. In verse 2 it says “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away,” and in some places, there are people who try to teach that a Christian who falls into sin has been cut off from the Vine and has lost salvation. That is a wrong understanding of what the passage is about.
So much of this confusion about salvation is because of the Charismatic movement that thinks people can wander in and out of salvation. It thinks a person must keep himself and it does not realise the keeping is done by the Lord. The branches are kept by the Vine, not the other way around. Go back to the Good Shepherd “I AM”, where we learn the wayward sheep received the rod of discipline, not picked up by the scruff of the neck and thrown out of the sheepfold. The loss of salvation is a horrible doctrine, one falsehood from the Charismatic movement. The sheep are kept by the Shepherd, not the other way around. I want to be crystal clear about that. Eternal security is a biblical reality.
I will add one quote from Pastor in Rotorua (New Zealand) as he sums this up well I think -
[[The Bible clearly teaches that Christians are secure in their salvation in Jesus Christ, not because of their behaviour, but because of the person of Jesus. Ultimately they believe in a different Jesus - One who cannot keep them (I Peter 1:5), preserve them (Jude 1:1), protect them (John 10:28-29), or seal them “until the day of redemption” (Ephesians 4:30).]]
VERSE 3
{{John 15:3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.”}} This verse confirms the true nature of God’s word. The word cleanses. Two of the best known verses supporting this are, firstly, from the Psalms, – {{Psalm 119 v 9 “How can a young man keep his way pure? By keeping it according to Your word”}} (clean and pure); and this passage in Ephesians speaking of what Christ does for His Church – {{Ephesians 5 v 26 “that He might sanctify her, having cleansed her by the washing of water with the word, Eph 5:27 that He might present to Himself the church in all her glory, having no spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that she should be holy and blameless.”}} The glorious Church, the Body of Christ, is comprised of individuals, who, each one, needs cleansing by the word of God to be presented to Christ with His glory, having no spot or wrinkle. This is the work of the Father as He tends to the branches, and prunes what needs to be pruned. Let the bible do its work in your lives. Know the word of God!
VERSES 4 AND 5
{{John 15:4 “Abide in Me, and 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. John 15:5 I am the vine and you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, he bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing.”}}
These verses are all about dependency, abiding or remaining, closeness and connection. I want you to picture this – a grape vine has the branches attached, but the odd branch, is just not responding to its place in the vine, and it is not productive, not doing what it is supposed to be doing. Why might that be? Is there any restriction? Now I want to make that application to Christ and His people. If those branches in Him, the True Vine, are not producing fruit, it is because something in the branches is causing restriction of the goodness of the sap that is meant to flow through them. The branch actually resists the Vine. The lack of fruit is proof of that.
How many of you are resisting the Saviour because you are afraid of a deeper commitment. The Holy Spirit wants to lead His people into all truth, but some are reluctant to follow because they are afraid of deeper commitment. Remember this, it is the sheep that walks closest to the Shepherd along the path, who knows Him best. Be a branch that is willing to open the channels within it, to receive as much goodness from the Vine as you possibly can. You will know Him through the word of God. Allow the Father to prune the useless parts, the selfish, the sinful parts from your life so the work of the Holy Spirit can flow through you unrestricted.
Verse 4 is a lovely two way communion. I in Christ, and He in me. He asks that we abide in Him but what does it mean to abide? The Greek scholar F.B. Meyer says the Greek here is literally [[“hang on Me as the branches hang on the vine”]], and it means a continuous, faithful persistence in my living fellowship. Bishop Ellicott says, [[“The clauses are here connected as cause and effect. The second is the promise, which will not fail if the command of the first be observed.”]] Putting it together, it has the effect of “Hang on Me as the branches hang on the vine, and I will not separate myself from you, like the vine, which does not loosen itself from its branches.” Again, this is all about fruitfulness, NOT salvation.
These two verses speak of fruit, but what is the fruit? Can I say in general terms that it is what will bring glory to Christ and magnify His Name. We are all familiar with the section dealing with the fruit of the Holy Spirit, this one – {{Galatians 5 v 22 “but the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gal 5 v 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law.”}} That is the external fruit, that which can be observed by others. Yes, fruit-bearing is very applicable in this passage, but I believe there is more.
That extra, is the connection of fruit with works, as we have in this passage – {{1Corinthians 3 v 12 “Now if any man builds upon the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 1Cor 3 v 13 each man’s work will become evident, for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. 1Cor 3 v 14 If any man’s work which he has built upon it remains, he shall receive a reward. 1Cor 3 v 15 If any man’s work is burned up, he shall suffer loss, but he himself shall be saved, yet so as through fire.”}} Do you want to be a branch cut off from the Lord’s service because you proved to be unfruitful – saved, yes! but as through fire, with nothing to show except ashes for your fruit. The Lord cut you off from the Vine because the branch was no good in the Master’s service. Note, as we have been saying, cut off in regards to service, NOT salvation.
I still get concerned about being a faithful branch. I have not always been a pleasure for the Lord. What fruit am I producing? Let me speak frankly after years of trying to understand this. I believe it is FAITHFULNESS the Lord wants, not great displays and many trophies. I think with some people there is a tendency to put effort into what will be seen by many people, and into what will be noticed. Each time I speak at my home church I speak to about 12 to 16 people. I am very careful when I prepare for England, but the Lord enables me to put the same effort into a Sunday message for 10, as into this one today. He is not looking for the display of greatness. He wants faithfulness. O, to hear the Lord’s voice, {{Matthew 25 v 23 “His master said to him, ‘Well done, good and faithful slave. You were faithful with a few things so I will put you in charge of many things. Enter into the joy of your master.’}} Abide on/in the Vine - Be a clean vessel; be faithful; be a student of the word; wait on the Lord; hear the Master’s voice.
Verse 6
{{John 15:6 “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up, and they gather them and cast them into the fire and they are burned.”}}
Imagine the Lord is recruiting for service, and He goes along the ranks – Yes, Yes, No, Yes, No – recruiting for His special ministry, where He wants results. Those He selects are those producing fruit and He will train them to produce even more fruit. Those He rejects, are cast aside (as unsuitable) as if thrown into the fire as useless (for the Lord’s service). That is the sense of verse 6. It is all about service and fruitfulness.
Verses 7 and 9 and 10
{{John 15:7 “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. John 15:8 By this is My Father glorified that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. John 15:9 Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you. Abide in My love. John 15:10 If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.”}}
These verses can not be in isolation, for the teaching in them is closely linked in the whole passage. “My words abide in you” (v 7) is fundamental and I think this is the sap flowing into the branches. The restriction of that sap does not allow the word of God to abide in the life of a Christian. There are many impossibilities in the world, but it is most certain that high among those, is the fact that a Christian will never function successfully unless the word of God is directing and building him into a worthwhile man and woman of God. In verse 9, Jesus confirms His love for His own, and then He asks that they abide in His love. We might ask, “How can I abide or remain in Christ's love? What is the secret? I want to, but what is the way I must do it?”
Well, God is gracious in that He has not left us without the answer. The answer is in two parts, one in verse 7, and the other in verse 10. The first is that I must allow the word to abide in me. Read, listen to, and study the Bible. Others can not do that for you. Allow the bible to infuse you, so you become saturated with it. The second part is in verse 10 “If you keep my commandments”. That is, you must be obedient to the Bible, for its Author is the Lord, and the bible is His words. In fact the Lord emphasised this fact elsewhere in these parallel verses – {{John 14 v 15 “If you love Me, you will keep My commandments. John 14 v 21 He who has My commandments and keeps them, he it is who loves Me, and he who loves Me shall be loved by My Father, and I will love him and will disclose Myself to him.” 1John 3 v 24 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.”}}
CLOSING - TO TIE IT ALL TOGETHER:-
1. This teaching is all about fruit-bearing, not salvation.
2. It is the Father who tends to His branches in the Son.
3. Pruning is a necessary part of fruit increase.
4. It is absolutely imperative that we continue to abide/remain in the vine.
5. The word of God is fundamental to growth and productivity.
6. Bearing much fruit will glorify the Father and prove discipleship and commitment.
7. As well as abiding in the Vine, we must abide in Christ's love.
8. We abide in His love through feeding on His word and obeying His commandments.
9. Verse 11 – “These things I have spoken to you that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”
ONE LAST THING. Some branches act as if they are the Vine. That is the old nature wanting to rise up. It is the same spirit as Nimrod who was going to build up to heaven to God. There is no need for mutant growth in the Lord’s vine. Too often we see mavericks in the church who will “do their own thing” and their waywardness separates them from the Lord and they are both unprofitable and are troublemakers. Be not puffed up – EVER! Pride is the one thing that shuts the door to God, and the door to godly service.
To close, a poem of mine on the “I AMs of John’s Gospel”. This will complete the Series.
THE “I AMs” OF JOHN’S GOSPEL
“I am the Door,” the only access true.
By Me, My sheep redeemed, can all pass through.
His blessings He supplies, while thieves subdue.
The wholesome pasture, daily He’ll renew.
The Bread of Life He is for hungry souls.
Believing, thirsty ones, His grace enfolds.
His righteousness from off His table rolls
To satisfy the hungry with full bowls.
“I am the Way, the Truth, the Life for all.”
The Way to God for those His Name will call.
God’s Truth surrounds Him as a faithful shawl.
The life in which the righteous ones enthral.
Good Shepherd, Christ became for all His sheep.
Laid down His life; a harvest He still reaps.
Dark waters rolled across His head - so deep.
No man can pluck away the lambs He keeps.
“True Vine, I am,” to them, He that declared.
“My Father is the Vinedresser,” He shared.
To bear your fruit, remain in Me, the Head.
Apart from me, just nothing should be dared.
He is the Light in this dark world of sin,
Exposing man’s true, sinful state within.
Here, Christ fulfilled the Father’s works in Him,
Then comes the night when all turns cold and dim.
“I am the Resurrection and the Life.”
The throes of death belong to darkest night.
For those in Christ who share His glory bright,
The sting of death has lost its fearful might.
He is the “I am” of the elements:-
In storm-tossed seas when this life makes no sense.
When black of night descends with fears immense,
Then His “I am” is my secure defence.
“I am, before your father Abraham.”
Before the world’s foundations, as the Lamb.
Eternal Son who centres heaven’s plan.
The all-sufficient One; the Great I am.
(Ron Ferguson – Copyright, but may be used in Christian ministry with acknowledgement).
ronaldf@aapt.net.au
