Abide

Introduction

We are completely and totally dependent upon God. To put it further, we are completely and totally dependent upon Jesus, God’s Son, the Second Person of the Trinity.

Apart from Christ we are lost. Apart from Christ we could never be saved from sin, remain saved or one day in the future be saved. Our salvation, beginning to end is completely and totally in Jesus.

Our salvation, beginning to end is completely and totally in Jesus. God chose to save us, reveal His Son to us, convict us of sin and draw us to Himself. He chose to give us an opportunity to choose salvation but even that choice was a choice He made. Revelation, conviction and choice are all contingent upon Christ.

God chose to reveal His Son to us, convict us of sin and draw us to Himself. He chose to give us an opportunity to choose salvation but even that choice was a decision He made, a gift He gave. Revelation, conviction and choice are all contingent upon Christ.

So it should come as no surprise, as those who have chosen to follow Christ, our life is still completely and totally dependent upon Him. This passage of scripture is an allegory in which Jesus explains this dependency and the kind of life available to believers who embrace it.

And herein is a great tragedy, many believers, actual Christians, people who have come to faith in Christ for their salvation, fail to depend upon Christ for their life on earth the way they have for their life in eternity.

These people know their salvation is by grace through faith but their life, the practical living of their life, demonstrates an adulterated theology which mixes law and grace.

Many Christians live as though their salvation is dependent upon Christ but their continued life in Christ is dependent upon themselves.

Slide of dirigible here

During the 1930s, 250 men were holding the ropes to a dirigible (an airship similar to a blimp) to keep it from floating away. Suddenly a gust of wind caught one end of the dirigible, lifting it high off the ground. Some of the men immediately let go of their ropes and fell safely to the ground. Others panicked, clinging firmly to the end of their ropes as the nose of the dirigible arose to greater heights. Several men who couldn’t keep holding on fell and were seriously injured. One man, however, continued to dangle high in the air for forty-five minutes until he was rescued. Reporters later asked him how he was able to hold on to the rope for so long. “I didn’t hold on to the rope,” he replied. “I just tied it around my waist, and the rope held on to me.” Instead of trying to hold on to God, let God hold on to you.

Some of the men immediately let go of their ropes and fell safely to the ground. Others panicked, clinging firmly to the end of their ropes as the nose of the dirigible arose to greater heights. Several men who couldn’t keep holding on fell and were seriously injured. One man, however, continued to dangle high in the air for forty-five minutes until he was rescued. Reporters later asked him how he was able to hold on to the rope for so long.

“I didn’t hold on to the rope,” he replied. “I just tied it around my waist, and the rope held on to me.”

Instead of trying to hold on to God, let God hold on to you.

Stop trying to hold on to God and let Him hold on to you!

Too many believe their obedience, good works and faithfulness are the means by which God remains pleased with them rather than the cross and our faith in the finished work of Jesus.

Jesus makes abundantly clear that the whole of our life, the change in character, good works…what Scripture terms “fruit” in the life of a believer, is totally dependent upon the work of Christ and His Spirit in and through us.

Before you brush off such an idea as an obvious known in your own life…Ask the question…Is it possible that I have allowed the law and self effort to infiltrate my life and relationship with God?

If the answer could be yes, and for most believers it is yes at one time or another in their life…you are wearing yourself out trying to do the impossible.

There is only one way to follow Christ and that is to abide in Christ while enjoying the fact He is abiding in you. We are talking about a mystical union and relationship which produces a changed life.

The True Vine

Israel is often portrayed in the Old Testament as a vine. However, this metaphor is used in the negative. Israel is often seen as an unruly, faithless vine. Over and against this imagery Jesus refers to Himself as the “True Vine.”

The Israelites were connected to God through the old Mosaic covenant. You were born a Jew and if a male you were circumcised. You went to the temple, obeyed God’s laws and He in turn blessed you. But, try as they may, they could never be true to their end of the deal. They were never faithful to the covenant.

Jesus says, I am the vine. In order to be the people of God, you must be connected to me. And I am the true vine, a faithful vine and in me you too will be faithful.

Do you catch what He is saying in this first verse? Faithfulness was never found in the fellowship of the people of God…faithfulness can only be found in and through fellowship with God Himself. We don’t just participate in life with the people of God. We are now living life in and with God Himself.

This is a HUGE transition point from old to new covenant. The old covenant of Moses and the new one in Christ. Our life and relationship with God is not dependent upon our activity but relationship.

You are only a child of God if you are in Christ. He is the source from which one becomes a child of God, a part of the family…a part of the life of God.

The Gardener

Upon entering life through Jesus, the Father begins the work of sanctifying us…making us more like Jesus; more fruitful in our new, spiritually resurrected life. he does this two ways...

Cuts off unproductive branches — This is a tough word that has been interpreted several ways. Some believe John is talking about apostate Christians. People who were once believers and then denied the faith and chose to leave it. They made a conscious choice to cease a relationship with Christ.

Others believe he is referring to people who never receive the vital link to God found in Christ. All humanity is offered salvation…It is ass though God take us out of the life of Adam and places us in the vine of Christ. However, those who reject the Son and refuse to place faith in Him never partake of His life. These are broken off and cast out into the fire.

A second idea here is that John is talking about those who entered the church and were never saved in the first place. God removes them from the people of God because they were never genuine believers and their unfruitfulness proves it.

John 15:6 NASB95

“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.

Unfruitful branches are cast out. They will not remain a part of the church.

The key to understanding this passage is this…a Christian will produce fruit. It is impossible to be a follower of Christ, in the life of Christ, and your life not bear fruit.

Prunes — Those who are genuine believers and living life in Christ will be pruned by the Father.

Pruning involves cutting wild and unproductive growth off of a branch so that it does not rob the branch of life for its purpose…production of fruit. The thought of being cut hurts doesn’t it. It is a very painful thing but it bears great results.

The thought of being cut hurts doesn’t it. It is a very painful thing but it bears great results.

When I was a child, I often had a toothache, and I knew that if I went to my mother, she would give me something which would deaden the pain for that night and let me get to sleep. But I did not go to my mother--at least not till the pain became very bad. And the reason I did not go was this: I did not doubt she would give me the aspirin; but I knew she would also do something else. I knew she would take me to the dentist the next morning. I could not get what I wanted out of her without getting something more, which I did not want. I wanted immediate relief from my pain; but I could not get it without having my teeth set permanently right. And I knew those dentists; I knew they would start fiddling about with all sorts of other teeth which had not yet begun to ache. Our Lord is like the dentists. Dozens of people go to him to be cured of some particular sin. Well, he will cure it all right, but he will not stop there. That may be all you asked; but if you once call him in, he will give you the full treatment.

Anyone who told you the Christian life was a life of love, joy, peace, blah blah blah without telling you it was a life of pain, persecution, hardship, deprivation and sacrifice…failed to give you the full and real picture of what it means to be a disciple of Christ.

Following Jesus means we are changed, being changed and one day will be completely and totally changed from the person we were before Jesus. Christ has saved us and declared us righteous…He is sanctifying and making us perfect…and one day we will be glorified and made completely like Jesus…free from all consequence and associations with sin.

This sanctifying process can be a painful one as God takes things out of our life that might bring us entertainment or temporary joy but in the end brings long term pain and death.

God wants us to live a life of maximum fruitfulness and doesn’t want our energies, time and meditation to be wasted on lesser pursuits. Sin is that lesser pursuit.

Some people interpret these passages to mean there is no place for entertainment or recreation…that is not the pruning we are talking about, unless it has become something which consumes us and become an idol to us.

Pruning is the removal of anything, or anyone, who deters fruitfulness from our life…end of statement…this would be sin, as well as circumstances, people and things. ANYTHING that steers our life away from the production of fruit.

So what is fruit???

Fruit

Many of you have probably already defined this in your mind as you recall the fruits of the Spirit in Paul’s letter to the Galatian church.

Others of you, being the good Baptist that you are, have already defined this in your mind as “winning people to Jesus.” After all, that is so often the way our denomination defines fruitful ministry, churches, lives, etc.

Galatians 5:22–23 NASB95

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.

This is a great list of some fruits of the Spirit…but it is not all inclusive nor does it give a complete definition of what Jesus is referring to in this passage.

Fruit — All qualities of Christian character; “It is actions that Jesus is looking for; not works to earn God’s favor, but deeds of love that validate the disciple’s relationship to Christ.”

The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and applied for membership in a local church. "Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your Life?" inquired an old deacon. "Yes, sir," she replied. "Well, are you still a sinner?" "To tell you the truth, I feel I'm a greater sinner than ever." "Then what real change have you experienced?" "I don't quite know how to explain it," she said, "except I used to be a sinner running after sin, but now that I am saved. I'm a sinner running from sin!" she was received into the fellowship of the church, and she proved by her consistent life that she was truly converted.

That is fruit! That is the evidence of one’s salvation!

It is actions that Jesus is looking for; not works to earn God’s favor, but deeds of love that validate the disciple’s relationship to Christ.

Jesus is talking about our life, who we are, what we become as a result of our faith in Him. Not the activity of ministry but our life, character and the resulting obedience which results from our relationship with Him.

Bryant, B. H., & Krause, M. S. (1998). John (). Joplin, MO: College Press Pub. Co.

The Father is intentional to remove from our life anything which hinders our growth in character…our development into holy, obedient, righteous followers of Christ.

Sometimes habits die hard. Sometimes relationships must, painfully, come to an end. Sometimes jobs must be changed. Sometimes even those things which seem really good to us must be given up in order for God to further produce His character in us.

Fruit Doesn’t Produce Salvation

Jesus makes the point clear in verse 3. We are already saved because of the Gospel and our faith in Jesus…His Word to us.

I am going to take just a moment to dwell on this fact…One of the greatest errors Christians fall into is the idea that their fruitfulness produces their salvation. The fact is we are saved or unsaved because of our faith. But our life, as a believer in Christ is justified as genuine by our works.

Not to confuse things here…works are the result of a changed character…the change Christ produces in us becomes apparent through our actions.

James 2:24 NASB95

You see that a man is justified by works and not by faith alone.

It is always so important to understand context when interpreting Scripture. Someone might take this verse and build a theology of salvation and works.

Justified — Before God is to be declared in right standing before Him.

Justified — to show, exhibit, evince, one to be righteous, such as he is and wishes himself to be considered

James is referring to the second definition of the word “Justified.” He is talking of how the life of a genuine follower of Christ is justified to both himself and the world by His works. HIs life and works reveal the reality of who he is…talk is cheap…it is the walk that counts.

The story is told of a young girl who accepted Christ as her Savior and applied for membership in a local church. "Were you a sinner before you received the Lord Jesus into your Life?" inquired an old deacon. "Yes, sir," she replied. "Well, are you still a sinner?" "To tell you the truth, I feel I'm a greater sinner than ever." "Then what real change have you experienced?" "I don't quite know how to explain it," she said, "except I used to be a sinner running after sin, but now that I am saved. I'm a sinner running from sin!" she was received into the fellowship of the church, and she proved by her consistent life that she was truly converted.

That is fruit! That is the evidence of one’s salvation!

Some folks wish to be considered a Christian and will talk the talk in an effort to convince others so…but a true believer in Christ will demonstrate that they actually are a follower of Christ because they walk the walk and their actions speak much louder than any words ever could.

Our changed life glorifies the Father.

Glorify — To praise, extol, magnify, make much of

Our changed life makes much of God. It causes us and others who see us, to praise His character and power…His intention and ability to make us different.

As we live our life in Jesus we have His heart, His desires…and our prayers line up with His will…and God answers our prayers so that His will might be done and glory given to Him.

Conclusion

Is your life a life of grace?

Glorify — To praise, extol, magnify, make much of

Do you follow Christ by the same grace which saved you?

Our changed life makes much of God. It causes us and others who see us, to praise His character and power…His intention and ability to make us different.

Are you abiding in Him?

Does your life give evidence to the genuineness of your relationship with Jesus?

As we live our life in Jesus we have His heart, His desires…and our prayers line up with His will…and God answers our prayers so that His will might be done and glory given to Him.