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T H E K I N G ' S B U S I N E S S
September, 1934
INTERNATIONAL LESSON Commentary Outline and. Exposition Blackboard Lesson Children’s Division . Golden Text Illustration Object Lesson B y B. B. S utcliffe B y B essie B. B urch B y H elen G ailey B y A lan S. P earce B y E lmer L. W ilder Points and Problems B y A lva J. M c C lain , Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio
III. A biding in the P urpose of C hrist (15,16) " No servant is told all that is in the mind o f his master. But a friend, taken into another’s confidence, receives, a revelation of that one’s thoughts. The Lord desires that His followers shall be friends, not merely servants. The proof o f this inten tion is that Christ has revealed to us the things which His Father gave to Him (v. 15). If we were more familiar with the written W ord o f God, we would be more familiar with the mind of God. We can never come to an understanding of that mind apart from the Scriptures which con tain the words o f Christ revealing that mind. Abiding in Him, there will come to the believer a growing revelation of the things which the Father has made known to Christ. These things are all set forth in the Bible and are obtainable only by obe dient study of the Word. The Christian does not choose Christ, but Christ chooses the Christian. And hav ing chosen him, He ordains him to bring forth fruit (v. 16). In this connection, we once more have the promise that whatso ever is asked shall be given, and again we are reminded that this promise con cerns fruit-bearing. Disobedience is the chief cause of absence o f fruit. Obedience is the fairest flower in all God’s garden. Without it, there would be no beauty, no utility, no glory for the Lord, no joy for the Christian, and no profit from the life. In this obedience there is included a love which is willing to be sacrificed for its ob ject, a devotion which is ready to surrender all to the Master, and a loyalty which will stand alone, if need be, with that Master. This was the love Christ had to God, and this is the love He would have His disciples show toward Him. To summarize the truth o f this passage: In the natural realm, all that is necessary for fruit-bearing is provided by the vine, but the branch must abide in the vine if the fruit is to be borne. And in the spiritual life, all that is necessary for spiritual fruit age is provided by Christ, but the Christian must abide in Him if he would bear fruit. Points and Problems The fifteenth chapter o f John’s Gospel is generally known by the subject of “The Vine and the Branches.” Doubtless this is the relationship which is prominent in the chapter, but as a matter of fact there are at least five distinct relationships between Christ and His people set forth here. 1. W e are the “branches” of Christ. In contemplating this relationship to Him, we must remember that He is not dealing with the matter o f salvation, but o f fruit-bear ing. In order to bear fruit, we must “abide in him” ; that is, we must be in fellowship with Him. Not only so, but we must also constantly be purged; and this purging is by the Word (vs. 2, 3). 2. We are the "disciples” of Christ (v. 8). A disciple is one trained by teaching— a learner. Our task, according to the Lord’s Great Commission, is to go to all nations and bring men to the feet of the great
OCTOBER 7, 1934 FELLOWSHIP W ITH CHRIST J ohn 15
eternal destiny o f the soul. Salvation de pends entirely upon what Christ has done, is doing, and will do— for those who have received Him, not at all upon anything that we may or may not do. Qur salvation is wholly by grace through faith. But in the matter o f fruit-bearing, we have much to d o ; and unless we do our part, there will be no return. We are to recognize our po sition in Christ, our strength in Christ, and our purpose for Christ. The position is secure, the power sufficient, and the .pur pose plain. Fruit-bearing is the mark o f disciple- ship (v. 8 ). A disciple is a learner, or a follower. Hence, learning o f and follow ing Christ will bring one into fellowship with Him, and this communion will lead to fruit-hearing, by means of which dis- cipleship will be manifested and the Fa ther will be glorified. II. A biding in the P ractice of C hrist (9-14) Constant obedience to the will o f God and constant abiding in the Father’s love were the practice of Christ (vs. 9,10). The word “abide” has the same meaning as “con tinue.” It is not in our love for Christ that we are told to abide, but in His love for us. Every Christian may say, “ I think I love the Lord, but I know He loves me.” The experience o f abiding in His love will issue in obedience. The Father loved Christ* and abiding in that love, Christ ren dered perfect obedience to the Father’s will. Now Christ loves the disciples, and they, abiding in that love, render obedience to Him. This is the method by which fruit bearing is made possible. The Lord desires that the Christian’s joy may be full (v. 11). He points to the means o f securing and maintaining constant joy, even His own joy. He commands Christians to love one another, and the character of their love is to be as the character o f His love for the saints (vs. 12-14). The extent of that love is the limit o f life; it will lead to willing ness to lay down one’s life for the sake o f a brother. And this readiness to sacrifice for another will be the proof of whether or not one is truly the friend of Christ; that is, obedience to His command will show forth His love in the believer.
Lesson Text: John 15:1-16. Golden Text: “ 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” (John 15 :4). Outline and Exposition L A biding in the P erson of C hrist (1-8) T his chapter is concerned with fruit bearing, or the service of the Chris tian. In our study o f this portion, the thought o f the eternal salvation o f the soul should be excluded. The chapter does not speak o f the possible loss of eternal life, but of the possible loss of profit from the life which has been received by grace. The Father is the husbandman, Christ is the true vine, and Christians are the branches in the vine (vs. 1, 2 ). There is a vital union between Christ and the Chris tian—between that which produces the fruit and that which bears the fruit. The branch does not make the fruit; it only receives what is given to it, and then gives out in different form that which has been received. The branch that fails to bear fruit is taken away. Legalism, to which the human mind is sadly prone, would add to this truth, and would read the passage thus: “ Taken away to eternal perdition.” But this is not at all what is said in the Word. The taking away is from the place and privilege of bearing fruit, not from eternal salvation. On the other hand, the branch that bears fruit is “purged,” or cleansed, that it might bear more fruit. The purging is done through the instrumentality of the Word of God (v. 3). As the Christian reads and meditates upon the Word, it cleanses his thoughts and actions, and re sults in a condition of soul which makes fruit-bearing possible. The power for fruit-bearing is in Christ, not in the Christian; hence, there is the ne cessity o f abiding constantly in Christ (vs. 4, 5). No branch could bear fruit if that branch were separated from the vine, and no Christian could Bear fruit, when sep arated from Christ. In the matter of fruit bearing, without Christ’s strength, the Christian can do nothing; and it is equally true that without the Christian’s surren der, Christ can do nothing. When His strength and our surrender combine, fruit will result. Separated from Christ’s strength, the Christian is as a branch separated from the vine—useless, and fit only to be cast out and burned. But abiding in Him, the Chris tian’ is as a healthy branch, bearing fruit, and thus fulfilling the purpose of his be ing (vs. 6, 7). The “abiding” Christian is the one who has his prayers answered; but we should remember that here prayer, as' all else in this chapter, is connected with fruitrbearing. This passage has been a cause of stumb ling to many o f the Lord’s people, because they haye forced into it the thought of the
BLACKBOARD LESSON
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