Union with Christ

John 15:1-10

GOLDEN TEXT: “Abide in Me, and I in you.”—John 15:4

IT IS remarkable how fully the Lord has covered the whole range of illustrations in describing the oneness existing between Himself and His consecrated followers. He gives as, for example, the illustration of living stones, built together on Him as a foundation, the temple of our God. He also likens Himself to a shepherd with His true followers as being the sheep under His care. The illustration of our lessen is still another, namely that of the vine and the branches. In this illustration Jesus is the vine and His disciples are the branches.

In this true vine of the Lord’s own planting the branches are not, as some have suggested, the various sects and parties which make up Christendom. As the apostles were not Presbyterians, Methodists, Lutherans, etc., neither should any of the Lord’s followers be such, and it is only because some have been blinded by the Adversary’s mis-teachings on this point, that they misconstrue this parable and other teachings of the Word to justify their tendency toward sectarianism.

The apostles did not join each other, but each apostle was united in heart, in faith, in hope, in love, in devotion to the Lord Himself. Just so we should not join the apostles nor say, I am of Paul, I am of Peter, etc., but each should individually join the Lord as a member, as a branch. Each consecrated Christian must be thus directly connected with the true vine, in order to receive the “sap” of the vine, if he would bear fruit—the fruit which the Lord desires; that is, the fruit of the Spirit.

We do not mean to imply however, that none of the branch of the true vine are not at times mistakenly associated with one or another of the nominal church systems, which as other Scriptures show, constitute the vine of the earth. Indeed the Scriptures indicate that a considerable portion of the Lord’s truth people were associated with this vine of the earth, but to these the Lord extends the invitation, “Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and receive not of her plagues.” These “plagues” which come upon the vine of the earth are the great troubles which come upon Christendom prior to the full establishment of the Kingdom of God.

Seeing then that the branches of the true vine represent individuals who are “in Christ,” the pruning mentioned in the parable applies to these individual Christians whoever and wherever they may be. Our Lord’s Word on the subject is, “Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it that it may hear more fruit.” This purging or pruning has to do with the Lord’s providences which overshadow each individual Christian who is seeking to walk in the Master’s footsteps. God deals with all such as individuals. They are not saved by congregations and sects, parties and families, but by individually and personally being united to Christ, the true vine, and as a result, hearing fruit to the glory of the Lord.

Those who attain and maintain personal relationship with Christ the true vine, receive of the “sap” which flows from that vine. This sap seems to well represent the Holy Spirit. So surely as we receive the Holy Spirit into good and honest hearts, the result will be a tendency to fruit-bearing. But the illustration our Lord gives teaches that some may become true branches in the vine and yet overlook and not possess the fruit-bearing disposition.

Sometimes a healthy, strong branch develops from a good stalk and root, but has no fruit-bearing qualities. In such cases the husbandman, with his trained eye, discerns between the buds which would bring grape clusters and the buds which would have only leaves. The latter are ultimately removed from the vine. These are pruned or cut off, so that the strength of the vine may not be wasted in such merely outward splendor, but may be conserved for the purpose of fruit-bearing.

In other words, there evidently is a class of professing Christians who resemble these suckers, who selfishly would draw to themselves as much of the righteousness of the vine as possible, and would make a fair outward show in the world with leaves of profession, but would have no thought of bringing forth the fruitage which the Lord requires and which can only be brought forth through sacrifice.

Aside from the suckers there are branches which, while having fruit, would never bring the fruit to a good ripe development, if allowed to take their own course and to develop themselves as branches merely. Hence the wise husbandman, noting the bud, is pleased with it, and pinches off the sprout of the vine beyond the bud, not to injure the branch but to make it more fruitful. So with Christians who have not only joined the Lord by faith and consecration and been accepted as branches, but who as branches desire to bring forth good fruitage, which the Lord seeks in us—we, too, need the Husbandman’s care so that we may bring forth much fruit, so that the fruit that we bear may be more to His pleasement, large fruit, luscious fruit, good fruit, valuable fruit.

It would appear that the Great Husband man prunes the branches of the Christ-vine, sometimes by taking away earthly wealth or property, or sometimes by hindering cherished schemes and plans. Sometimes He prunes us by permitting persecution and loss of name and fame, and sometimes He prunes by permitting the loss of earthly friendships toward which the tendrils of our hearts extend to strongly and which have hindered us from bearing the “much fruit” which He desires.

The Father will be glorified in proportion as our fruit increases, and on these terms our discipleship shall continue. We should thus habitually seek to know and do the Father’s will, and to glorify and honor Him by lives obedient to His will. If we are not thus faithful we would forfeit our discipleship. Not that it would he forfeited instantly, as though the Lord would take occasion to cast us off lightly, but that it is a part of our covenant relationship that we shall grow in grace, grow in knowledge, grow in harmony with God, grow in the fruits of the Spirit, and if we turn from this engagement or contract, we cannot be considered as retaining our relationship as disciples, members.

QUESTIONS:

Do the branches in the vine represent the various denominations of Christendom?

In what way does the Lord purge or prune us as branches?

How may we be sure of remaining in the vine?

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