John 15
COMMENTARY:
: 2 Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (2508 “purges” [kathairo] means to cleanse, prune, clear unproductive wood, purify, or expiate.)
DEVOTION: Once we become followers of Christ or HIS disciples, HE wants us to produce fruit for HIS kingdom. HE wants us to be soul winners. We are expected to witness to all those who are in our world. This can include showing people the difference between genuine believers and fakes.
Our words are important to the LORD. If our vocabulary is wrong people will judge us because they know what Christians are supposed to say in any conversation.
Our actions are important because again the world knows what the LORD expects from HIS followers and so they will not think you are a believer if you are using drugs, drinking too much if at all, going places that are not right for believers to go. Watch programs or movies that are not appropriate for believers. Some think the highest a Christian should go is PG. Find sexual material or material that is not appropriate on the internet.
Non-Christians have a higher standard for Christians than many Christians. They know what is expected and that is one reason they don’t want to become a follower of Christ.
The LORD wants all these things out of our life, so that those around us see us as different and want to know way. We are not to be weird. We are not to jam a Bible down their throat. We are to lovingly witness to them of the truths of the Word of God under the direction of the Holy Spirit.
If we are genuine believers the LORD will look at our life when we first become a believer and begin the pruning process. HE will start slow with the removal of habits. HE will continue to establish better habits. HE will convict us of what changes need to occur in our life one step at a time.
Sometimes HE might even cause something dramatic to happen in our life to get our attention. These divine appointments can be major surgery rather than minor surgery to help us mature faster. We don’t get a say in our divine appointments, we are just expected to learn from them. HE expects us to get better not bitter.
CHALLENGE: What is the LORD cleansing from our life today? Accept the cleansing to be better servants of the LORD. HE wants you to be more productive for HIM.
: 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 (5087 “ordained” [tithemi] means to set, fix, establish, appoint, designate, assign, or to assign someone to a particular task.)
DEVOTION: Those who are followers of the LORD are chosen before the foundation of the world. Some use the word “elect.” The elect are those who will be in heaven for eternity. They are the faithful witnesses. They are the ones that the world is going to hate just like they hated Jesus. This is a special group of people. In this case Jesus is talking to HIS eleven disciples. HE is also talking to all those who are followers of HIM throughout the church age. That includes you and I. We are chosen to serve.
Not only are they chosen but they are assigned a special task. This special task includes producing fruit. Jesus said that those disciples that produced fruit would be pruned to produce more fruit. Then those who produced more fruit would produce much fruit. What is this fruit? They were to go out and reach their world with the gospel of Jesus Christ. They were to start in their Jerusalem. Then go to all of Judea. Then they were to go to Samaria. Finally, they were to go to the uttermost part of the earth. That was a great assignment. HE chose them to do this task. Their fruit was souls of individuals who would enter heaven for eternity.
The task could only be performed after the Holy Spirit had come to help them. HE would give them the words to say. HE would give them direction. HE would give them encouragement. The Holy Spirit would help them to spread the truth of the message of Christ to the world.
Not only were they to depend on the Holy Spirit but they were to pray for help. They were to depend on the Father. They communicated with the Father through the Son. Their prayer life was important to their mission being successful.
Are we getting the idea of the responsibility of disciples? Do we think that we should produce fruit during our lifetime here on the earth? Do we think that we are to reach our world for Christ?
Another characteristic of the fruit that is produced is that the fruit should remain. What does it take to have fruit remain? It seems to take follow-up. We are not here to just see people follow Christ. We have to teach them how to grow. The Holy Spirit helps in this area but HE uses human beings to help new believers grow.
One area that helps new believers grow is prayer. We need to ask the Father in Jesus name to give us growing Christians. Many Christians are not growing. Why? There are many Christians who never received follow-up after they said they wanted to follow Christ. Part of it might be the prayer life of those who were there to help them grow.
Are we asking the LORD to help us cause others to grow in the LORD? Do we want Christians who never get out of the baby stage? Fruit that remains takes WORK!!!!
CHALLENGE: Develop a good way to present the gospel to those around you. Then before you use it, develop a way to follow them up. This should be taught in the local church to all those who become members. Don’t leave the follow-up to the pastors alone.
:19 If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. (2889 “world” [kosmos] means people of the world, universe, earth, world system, the people constituting the world whose values, beliefs, and morals are in distinction and rebellion to God’s, an apt and harmonious arrangement or constitution.)
DEVOTION: There needs to be a difference between us and the world. That means that Christians have to look, sound and act different from those who reject Christ. When people meet us they will see an expression on our face of love. They will notice that we care for them. They will see us a different and want to know what makes us different. Once they hear our testimony, they will either make a commitment to become a follower of Christ or avoid us when we come around again. Some will be willing to let us share more with them but a majority will just not want us around them. They will not invite you to their parties.
It is when those who claim to be believers don’t invite you to their parties that you need to look for new friends. Our parties and other activities should be events that we can invite anyone who is a believer to attend.
If you feel neglected or not liked when you are in school or other places it might be because of your relationship with Jesus. Jesus faced these things and we should accept expect it too.
CHALLENGE: This world, in its present state is not our home if we are a believer. Our eternal home is with Jesus Christ and all those who followed HIM.
: 26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send to you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, HE shall testify of me. (3140 “testify” [martureo] means bear witness, to solemnly assert something, offering firsthand authentication of the fact, speak well of, or give evidence.)
DEVOTION: Again, we see the Trinity mentioned. Jesus is going to send the Holy Spirit who will be a Comforter or Advocate. Remember HE will help us in our prayer life when we just don’t know how to pray. HE is the one who gives us gifts to serve in the local church. HE wants us to be a witness for HIM to those who need to know Christ. If we resist HIS leading, we will be quenching HIS influence in our life. HE will also let us know when we are committing sins.
HE wants us to understand the Truth of the Word of God. HE will give us discernment in our understanding whether we are attending church or events or listening to the radio, television or internet or talking to a friend giving us advice as to whether it is Biblical.
HE is coming from the Father to each believer. So, we find all three persons of the Godhead are active in our daily life. Remember that we are to pray to the Father through the ministry of the Holy Spirit in Jesus name each time we pray. They are concerned and involved in our life once we become a believer.
CHALLENGE: Isn’t it great to know what power we have available to us daily?
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