#208 – The Believers Threefold Realtionship

THE BELIEVER’S THREEFOLD RELATIONSHIP

John 15:1 5 "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 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. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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. 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."

This meditation will span most of this chapter. I will insert the verses as we come to them that have to do with the point I am making. This chapter is also a continuation of our Lord’s last words to His bewildered disciples, and reveals—

OUR RELATION TO CHRIST

Our union with Him implies—

1. Oneness of life. John 15:5, "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." If we are branches and He is the vine, then we are one. The branch is an extension of the vine. It is the sap in the vine that works in the branch. This is a picture of the Holy Spirit coming to us through the Vine and working in us to bear fruit.

2. Entire dependence. John 15:6, "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." Fruitlessness in the Christian life is evidence of a broken relationship. Grapes will not grow on a sapless branch. Paul knew the power of this inworking Spirit. Philippians 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me."

3. Co-operation. John 15:8, "Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples." This is done in co-operation with the Vine and Branches. They work together to bear fruit. Without Christ the believer CAN DO nothing. Without the branch the Vine WILL DO nothing.

Next we see—

OUR RELATIONSHIP TO ONE ANOTHER

1. All One in Christ. The branches are all in the one vine. John 15:16, "Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." Every single believer is a member of His Body, and, as such, members one of another.

2. One in love. John 15:12, "This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you." This is an identifying mark of a true Christian. John 13:34 35, "A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."

3. One in work. We have but one Master, and one purpose in life: that is, to bring forth fruit that shall remain (vs 16).

Next let’s look at—

OUR RELATIONSHIP WITH THE WORLD

1. Separation. John 15:19, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." Jesus says, “If ye were of the world,” and this means that He no longer views us as being of the world. The “of” is a preposition declaring the source. The second “of” is declaring source. When we were born again became a citizen of heaven. We are now “of” a different origin. We are from above.

2. Opposition. John 15:19, "If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you." We are hated because we have been chosen by the Lord and have changed our origin. We are now different. We are foreigners. The world is uncomfortable around us. Therefore the world hates us.

3. Witness bearing. John 15:26 27,