Abiding in Christ Jesus.
Part two from
verse 3-4
Joh 15:1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the
husbandman.
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 Now ye are clean through the word which I have
spoken unto you.
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.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in
him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will,
and it shall be done unto you.
8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much
fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
9 As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you:
continue ye in my love.
10 If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love;
even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy
might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
Let us continue.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken
unto you.
The word clean here means clean, pure from dirt, purified. He is speaking to the disciples saying that they are clean by the word they heard from Jesus. People do not want to look dirty and smelling so they take a bath, wear clean clothes. Jesus is not talking of an outside cleanliness, which concern our flesh, he is talking the inside, not the external but the internal, the spiritual, which is the most important. If you are unclean outside many people may look you down and you cannot find fellowship, however if you are spiritually unclean how can you have fellowship with God? God looks at the heart.
Mt
No one is clean before God; we are all unclean before the holiness of God. We are all born sinners.
Job 14:4 Who can bring a clean thing out of an unclean? Not one.
Isa 64:6 But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousness are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
We are born unclean in sin.
Ps 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Then we become clean again through the second birth, born again, regeneration. The old man died and created as the new man in Christ Jesus. At the cross righteousness and the holiness of Jesus was imputed to the believing sinner, God looks at us through Christ and see that we are clean, washed in the blood of Christ. We are born again.
Only the born again true Christian will realize he is unclean before God, meaning his sinfulness before the holy God. The fallen man thinks there is nothing wrong with him and he is clean.
Repentance is godly sorrow. It is godly sorrow that brings repentance as the godly man has the Holy Spirit inside in him, an ungodly man does not have the holy spirit inside in him so he does not want to repent but love practicing the pleasures of sin. That is why regeneration comes first before repentance. Once you are regenerated you will realize of your sins, as the Holy Spirit lives in you shows through the word of God your sins and there is daily repentance before God. Paul was regenerated first then he repented. Even the prophet Isaiah said;
Isa 6:5 Then said I, Woe is me! For I am undone; because I am a man of unclean lips, and I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips: for mine eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts.
Jesus said you are clean through the word which I spoken
to you. Dear friends, it is very clear that the word of God is like a mirror.
It shows our uncleanliness. Think about it, the children of
1Ti
Spurgeon said, " I always fell inclined to take the very lowest room in my Fathers house, when I enter Heaven, it will be to go among the less than the least of saints, and with the chief of sinners."
Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
The surgeon carries a bright and powerful light for every
dark crevice and a sharp knife for the removal of all the pus revealed by the
light.
It is a powerful picture here drawn. Surgeon goes into and through
the joints and marrow, not cleaving between them. Surgeon has to be and able to
decide on the instant what to do. In the same way God's word is brighter than
the surgeons light as it can see every dark corner and all our hidden sins, the
intents of the heart, it is sharper than the surgeons knife it can cut the
smelling pus of sin and show to us how dreadful it is before God, then we cry
out to God, thanking God for showing our sins through his word even our secret
sins are exposed before him, the word of God shows our filthiness.
Jesus is the Word who became flesh. His words are powerful can bring the dead
Lazarus to life; his words transformed prostitutes, tax collectors, thieves,
murderers into saints.
Eph 5:26 That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word.
God regenerates first, then our minds that were blinded suddenly opens and see we are sinful creatures before God and we cry on to God in repentance, then we ask forgiveness from God.
1Jo 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
Ps 51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Jesus is speaking to the disciples that they are clean through the word which he has spoken, yet not all were clean as Judas was not clean, he was not regenerated.
Joh 13:11 For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, ye are not all clean.
If you are not born again, you may hear the word of God like Judas but it is not really the truth, as the word of God has no effect. But to the true Christians the word of God is the truth and they are being sanctified by the word of God.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth.
Let us continue in the next verse.
Joh 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.
The way to be spiritually clean, to be pruned and to bear fruit is to be in the vine/Christ. As he is the spiritual connection to bear fruit. Note, three times the word abide is mentioned in this scripture. Note as Jesus said, abide in me and I in you. We are in him and he is in us. If we are not in him, we become dinner to the devil as he is like a roaring lion looking to devour someone. Satan wants to destroy our souls. But when he sees we are in the protection of Jesus he become frustrated. The enemy can destroy our bodies but not our soul.
Lu 22:31 And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat:
32 But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.
If not for Christ our surety of salvation, we would be all lost sifted as wheat by the devil. Christ lives in us and he became our High Priest interceding for us.
Ro 8:34 Who is he that condemneth? It is Christ that died, yea rather, that is risen again, who is even at the right hand of God, who also maketh intercession for us.
1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus.
Abiding in Christ is not a ritual, tradition or a sacramental act on our part. Many are deceived by doing certain religious activities like rituals, traditions and sacramental acts they feel Christ is there. We are not talking about feelings and emotions. I see the statue of Jesus smell the incense or see the Priests uniform, hear the beautiful music, or I see people speaking in tongues etc., But it is a relationship. Christ lives in us and we are to abide in him.
The branch cannot bear fruit except it abide in the vine, no more can us bear fruit except we abide in Christ. Abide in Christ is to have a union with him, fellowship with him.
Let me ask you a question. What is the chief end of man? The chief end of man is to glorify God. When we bear fruits God is glorified.
2Co 4:6 For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.
7 But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us.
The same God who said in creation, let there be light also said let there be light in our hearts. In creation light and darkness was separated so we are brought out from darkness to the glorious light of Christ. He gave the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ. Jesus our Lord manifested the knowledge and the glory of God to us.
Col 3:10 And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him.
At the fall of man the image of God was shattered so was the knowledge of God, when you are born again by the Spirit of God it is being re-newed. The word renew means to make new again to restore to former. That is why Paul says of the new man. Now what do you see in the new man?
Eph 4:22 That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts;
23 And be renewed in the spirit of your mind;
24 And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.
We are earthen vessels but not just a clay pot but also a beautiful one that brings fruits for the kingdom of God for his glory. It is done not in our power but by the power of God, just like Jesus said, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine.
We need to understand we died to the old nature and came to a new nature. How we have offended God by our sins and our will, seeing the work of Christ on the cross for unworthy sinners like us and to hate sin and to love God in obedience to his will. In the new nature he has given us there is joy and love, we are delight to bring fruits in all good works.
We will continue next week