T HE K I N G ’S B U S I N E S S
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(5) Is every believer o rd ain ed ' for specific service, and w hat is it?
Way, the T ru th and the Life.” There can be no fru it in our lives ap art from Christ. | There may be work, service, energy of th e flesh, bu t it will be use less, fruitless. The F a th e r expects fru it. F ru it is an evidence of our union w ith Him (Matt. 7 :1 6 ). Much fru it means much joy, much peace. The fru it is to abide forever (v. 16). E tern ity will reveal how much fru it has been borne. It will be to the praise of His glory— forever! Every real dis ciple will bear some fruit. Every faith ful disciple will bear much fru it. It is not a question of talen t, bu t of faith fulness. F ru it is assured when th ere is living union w ith Him. The life is in Him. If we are abiding in Him, it m u st flow through us. The deadness of the church comes from lack of union w ith Him. We must be before we can do. We must receive before we can render. There have never been so many church activities as todayB -functions, feasts, festivities, lectures, addresses, organi zations, ' worldly gatherings, drives, smokers, cards, pool rooms, dances, m oviesjBpday by day, in every way” they are adding more of work and play, bu t no fru it is produced for th e Husbandm an; it is all a w ithering, worthless, w anton waste. Let us obey God’s sp iritu al law,— “Abide in H im .” Let us prove what kind of disciples we are. Much fru it shows th a t we are His disciples; th a t we are like Christ, who bore much fru it; th a t we have learned of Him; th a t we are obeying Him. Topics fo r Study (1) How can the Word cleanse one? (2) How is union w ith Christ both perfected and perpetuated? (3) W hat is involved in friendship w ith Christ? (4) W hat is th e source and sequel of joy?
SUGGESTIVE COMMENT Rev A. T. O’R ear, Oakland, California
This passage is the very h eart of Jesu s’ farewell message. In th e m idst of His discourse He pauses to define a new relationship between His disciples and Himself. In stating this relation ship He gives another name for H im self. He had already said, “ I am th e bread of life” (John 6 :3 5 ); “ I am th e light of the world”; (John 8 :1 2 ), "I am the door” (John 1 0 :7 ), “ I am the good shepherd” (John 1 0 :1 4 ), “ I am the way, th e tru th and the life” (John 14 :6 ). And yet, He, Who is th e “ all in all” (Col. 3:11 ) cannot be ex pressed by definition. The more we define Him, th e more we realize th a t He is indefinable. He could use certain figures which illu strate, bu t He is ever seen to be far more than any figures descriptive of Himself. W hat does th is figure of the Vine and branch suggest? There are four things which th e vine gives to th e branch. Support, identity, life and fruit. He gives us support. How wonder ful to realize th a t “The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arm s.” (Deut. 3 3 :27 ). No m a tte r what the tria l or tem ptation, He can and does uphold His children when they pass through such. He gives us identity. The branch is identical w ith th e vine. Men do not expect to find the branch of th e fig tree on a grape vine. When Saul of Tarsus went to Damascus “ breathing out th reaten ing and slaugh ter” (Acts 9:1) against th e church afte r having made a wreck of it in Jerusalem , he met Christ on the highway and in response to his inquiry, “Who a rt thou Lord?” , the Master said: “ I am Jesus whom
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