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-1st 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.
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