The Christian's Three-Fold Relationship

THE CHRISTIAN’S THREEFOLD RELATIONSHIP

TEXT: St. John 15

Introduction: This chapter is filled with instructions for the believer, and can be divided into

three parts. Each part shows a distinct relationship of the believer.

I. OUR RELATIONSHIP TO CHRIST.

Our relationship to Christ is one of --

A. LIFE-(V.5).

1. John 15:5 - (NIV) “I am the vine; you are the branches.”

2. Each branch is made a partaker of the Life that is in the Vine.

3. I John 5:11 - (ICB) “This is what God told us: God has given us eternal life, and this life is in his Son.”

4. 2 Peter 1:1-4 - (KJV) “Simon Peter, a servant and an apostle of Jesus Christ, to them that have obtained like precious faith with us through the righteousness of God and our Saviour Jesus Christ: 2 Grace and peace be multiplied unto you through the knowledge of God, and of Jesus our Lord, 3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that [pertain] unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust.”

5. John 1:4 - “In him was life; and the life was the light of men.”

6. There is no life outside of Christ.

B. ENTIRE DEPENDENCE (V.4).

John 15:4 - “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.”

1. The chief purpose of the Branch is not merely to draw as much Life from the Vine as needed to maintain its own existence, but to bring forth fruit.

2. John 15:2 - “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. John 15:8 - “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.”

4. Phil. 1:11 - “Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”

5. 2 Cor. 3:5 - “Not that we are sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of

ourselves; but our sufficiency [is] of God;”

(ICB) -“I do not mean that we are able to say that we can do this work ourselves. It is God who makes us able to do all that we do.

C. CO-OPERATION

1. John 15:5 - (ICB) "I am the vine, and you are the branches. If a person remains in me and I remain in him, then he produces much fruit. But

without me he can do nothing.”

2. The Vine and the Branches labor together in fruit bearing.

3. Phil. 2:13 - “For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of [his] good pleasure.”

(ICB) - “Yes, God is working in you to help you want to do what pleases him. Then he gives you the power to do it.”

4. I Cor. 3:9 - “For we are labourers together with God: ye are God’s husbandry, [ye are] God’s building.”

5. 2 Cor. 6:1 - “We are workers together with God. So we beg you: Do not let the grace that you received from God be for nothing.”

6. A barren branch dishonors the Vine.

D. GREAT POSSIBILITIES.

1. John 15:7 -(NIV) “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you.”

2. Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

3. See Thompson Chain #3803.

4. Mark 16:17-20 - “And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 18 They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 19 So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God. 20 And they went forth, and preached everywhere, the Lord working with [them], and confirming the word with signs following. Amen.”

II. OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER (VV. 12-17)

As believers, we are closely related to one another, and there is a --

A. ONENESS OF LIFE

1. Each branch is possessed by the same Life Source (The Holy Spirit), and dependent on the same Source.

2. Jesus prayed- “That they all may be one; as Thou, Father, art in me, and I in Thee, that they also may be one in us.”