My disciples

 

The indispensability of Christ in our spiritual life.         The whole business of fruit bearing is the reproduction of the life of Christ in ours.  Thus we shall become fruitful, but only as we abide in Him.  A picture can speak a thousand words, and this one is graphic from nature, that it is only in close and constant contact with the vine we can produce fruit.  The word “abide”, which, as we have said, is repeated many times in the verses, is to dwell, to live beside, to tarry long in the company of.  It simply means Christ supplies the fruit-bearing characteristics.  It has been said that we Christians live with men and visit God; we must learn to live with God and visit men.  It is generally known that the longer we live with someone, the more like them we become, and this is true in the Christian life.  By remaining close to Christ we become more like Him, we reproduce His character within.

However the opposite is also true: He says, using the emphatic “not”, if a professing believer fails to maintain close ties with Him, as in nature, the vine will expel him, Christ will not persist with those who bear no fruit, and they will be ejected from the communion.  There are always “hangers-on” in spiritual life, as there are in natural growth.  Some examples of this are: Judas Iscariot who kept aloof from Christ, while attaching himself to Him and was rejected; the people who went “AWOL” from the church at Ephesus-1^st John 2v19, of these it was said “if they had been of us, no doubt they would have continued with us”.  How many today make a profession of faith, and do not continue?  The evidence of true faith is to continue, and forge close links with Christ in daily life. This verse is very solemn and emphatic in its language—cast forth, withered, gathered, cast into the fire, burned.  The meaning of this, is of false professors who were (and are) attached to the people of God-this is evident from the phrase “cast forth as a branch”, there was never any reality.  This is the worst possible scenario; there are those who are unprofitable to God, yet fraternise with His people. Such are described in Hebrews 6v4-8, who have received Divine enlightenment, but have turned away to destruction.  The wording here is akin to the contents of Ezekiel 15, when the Lord said of those posing as true people, that they were useless for anything.  It is solemn, salutary, language, but the warning must be heeded. 

In the matter of fruit bearing it is an imperative necessity to keep close to Christ for, as He said, “Without me (apart from me-detached from me) ye can do nothing.”  He says “If ye abide in me and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you.”  In the N/T epistles there are two thoughts developed-that of being “in Christ”, and the experience of “Christ in you”.  The one is positional and doctrinal, the other is practical and experiential.   Abiding in Him is defined as His words abiding in us in v7.  He will depart from them, shortly, and so to abide in Him is to absorb His words, His sayings, His wisdom, His instructions, His utterances, His judgments, written down for us in the Spirit-inspired word.  Living in the good of our position in Christ, we will experience the blessing of Christ living in us.  When that is the case, there is a two-way fellowship, resulting in gracious gifts given to men, and glory to God.  He says “Herein is my Father glorified that ye bear much fruit.  So shall ye be my disciples.” 

The gospel of John is replete with the thought of the glory of God, which is the chief aim of men, according to the Westminster confession.

1v14 the glory of God in the perfect life of Christ; 2v14 the glory of God in the miracle at Cana of Galilee; 11v4/5 the glory of God in the raising of Lazarus from the dead; 12v28 the glory of God in the devotion of Christ; 12v41 the pre-incarnate glory of God; 13v31 the glory of God at the expulsion of evil; 14v13 the glory of God in the prayers of the saints; 15v8 the glory of the Father in the fruit of the disciples; 17v1 the glory of God in the finished work of Christ; 17v5 the eternal glory of God; 21v9 the glory of God in the death of His saints. 

Glory is doxa, which is value, worth, praiseworthiness, worship.  In all these God is glorified and vindicated in the wonder of His being.  This is the highest aspect of the revelation of God.  It is particularly satisfying to know that fruit in our lives redounds to the glory of God.