This sermon is a companion to the previous sermon: Without Him We Can Do Nothing - John 15:4-5
In John 15:4-5 our Lord Jesus Christ gave the instruction, the warning, and the promise, “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.”
Our Lord Jesus Christ desires that we be fruit bearing Christians. In fact, this is the reason that He has chosen us and ordained us for His ministry. Our Lord Himself declared this fact in the opening portion of John 15:16, saying, “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.” Also in John 15:8 our Lord declared, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” We glorify God our heavenly Father and demonstrate ourselves to be the disciple of Jesus Christ our Savior when we are bearing much spiritual fruit.
Yet with this truth before our eyes and in our thoughts, we are brought up short by another truth that our Lord revealed in this passage. We find this serious and sobering truth at the end of John 15:5, where our Lord proclaimed, “For without me ye can do nothing.” Without the Lord we are nothing and can do nothing of value. Yea, everything that we do without our Lord is spiritually useless and empty. Yes, our Lord has chosen us and ordained us to bear much spiritual fruit unto the glory of God the Father. Yet without our Lord we can do nothing; without Him we cannot bear one piece of good fruit. How then can we be the fruit bearing Christians that our Lord has chosen us and called us to be?
Our Lord Jesus Christ desires that we be fruit bearing Christians. In fact, this is the reason that He has chosen us and ordained us for His ministry. Our Lord Himself declared this fact in the opening portion of John 15:16, saying, “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.” Also in John 15:8 our Lord declared, “Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.” We glorify God our heavenly Father and demonstrate ourselves to be the disciple of Jesus Christ our Savior when we are bearing much spiritual fruit.
Yet with this truth before our eyes and in our thoughts, we are brought up short by another truth that our Lord revealed in this passage. We find this serious and sobering truth at the end of John 15:5, where our Lord proclaimed, “For without me ye can do nothing.” Without the Lord we are nothing and can do nothing of value. Yea, everything that we do without our Lord is spiritually useless and empty. Yes, our Lord has chosen us and ordained us to bear much spiritual fruit unto the glory of God the Father. Yet without our Lord we can do nothing; without Him we cannot bear one piece of good fruit. How then can we be the fruit bearing Christians that our Lord has chosen us and called us to be?
In John 15:4-5 our Lord Jesus Christ gave answer, saying, “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 is what we must do – We must abide in Christ. Every day, every hour, every moment we must be abiding in Christ. Yet what does it mean to abide in Christ?
A Place of Total Humility
First, we must understand that abiding in Christ is a place of total humility. Before we will even seek to abide in Christ, we must be brought to the realization that without Him we are, can be, and can do nothing. We must truly acknowledge and accept in our hearts that we who are the branches of the Vine cannot bear fruit of ourselves. In John 15:4 our Lord revealed this truth, saying, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; neither can ye, except ye abide in Me.” We must truly grasp and believe this truth in the depths of our hearts.” We must come to this place, even as Joseph did when He stood before Pharaoh. In Genesis 41:15-16 we read, “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Brethren, it is not in us; and it is not of us. We are not the source of spiritual fruit, nor do we have the resources within ourselves to bear any spiritual fruit. This truth we must face. This truth we must believe. This truth we must grasp. Yea, this truth must govern our entire lives. It is not in us. It is not of us. It is all of our Lord. It is all in our Lord. He is all in all; therefore, we must abide in Him.
Yet such a truth – that without the Lord we are, can be, and can do nothing – strikes hard against our natural self-image, self-esteem, and self-importance. Yea, it strikes hard against the depths of our pride. Therefore, abiding in Christ is a place of total humility. It is the place wherein we are clothed with Biblical humility, possessing a true grasp of our unworthiness and insufficiency before the Lord our God. It is the place wherein we humble ourselves in the sight of our Lord and under the mighty hand of our God (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:5-6). Then with this spirit of true, Biblical humility, we will be brought to the second ingredient of abiding in Christ.
A Place of Total Dependence
Second, abiding in Christ is a place of total dependence. If it is not in us or of us, then we must find it in Him and of Him. If we can do nothing without our Lord, then we must totally depend upon our Lord. This is what our Lord meant when He used the phrase again and again – “Abide in Me.” Abiding in Christ is a place of totally depending in Him.
All throughout God’s Word, we encounter the truth that we are to trust in the Lord, to depend upon the Lord, to rest in the Lord, to wait upon the Lord, to hope in the Lord, to look unto the Lord. Considering just one of the more familiar passages, in Proverbs 3:5 we are commanded, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Yes, we are called to a place of total dependence upon our Lord. We are commanded to trust in Him with all our heart. In fact, we are to trust in our Lord so totally that we do not lean upon ourselves in any respect.
Herein we have the picture of one who has taken up a walking stick to help him in his travels. Imagine a young child who has become weary in traveling some path. He takes up some walking stick in order that he might lean some of his weight upon it. Yet at the same time, this young child’s father takes note of his weariness. The loving father offers to take his young child up into his arms, and to carry his child the rest of the way. Now, if the child is taken up into his father’s arms, he will have no need to lean upon his walking stick. This child then has a choice. He can refuse his father’s loving offer, continue to do it himself, and continue in weariness. Or, he can accept his father’s loving offer, trust and depend upon his father to carry him, and rest comfortably is father’s loving arms. Which is the wise choice? Even so, abiding in Christ is a place of total dependence.
A Place of Total Surrender
Yet if abiding in Christ is a place of total dependence, then also it is a place of total surrender. If that young child is going to depend upon his father’s arms totally, then he must also surrender himself to his father’s arms and will totally. He must surrender himself to go wherever his father takes him, and to go through whatever his father decides for him. Whether it be in the darkness, or in the light – whether it be upon the mountain cliffs, or upon the flowering plateau – whether it be through flood waters, or beside the still waters – whether it be to face the fierceness of wild animals, or to hear the sweetness of the chirping birds – this child, depending upon his father’s arms to carry him, must also surrender himself to be carried wherever his father chooses to go.
Even so, in John 15:4 our Lord delivered a two-fold command. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” We must abide in Christ, and must allow Him to abide in us. We must set our dependence totally in Him, and must allow Him to have total mastery in us. This is our Lord’s command to us. If He is to abide in us, then we must surrender ourselves unto His abiding control. We must acknowledge Him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:6). We must yield ourselves unto God, and must yield our members “as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13). We must present ourselves as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Romans 12:1). Whether it be along rough ways, or along smooth roads, we must surrender ourselves to forsake what our Lord reproves, to change as our Lord wills, to go where our Lord directs, and to do what our Lord commands. Then the great assurance will be that even if we must “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” our Lord will be with us and will comfort us (Psalm 23:4). Yea, He will be carrying us in His everlasting, almighty, compassionate arms.
Brethren, we are called unto a daily, moment by moment, abiding in Christ. As we have learned, this abiding in Christ is a place of total humility, of total dependence, and of total surrender. Now, that word “total” may discourage us with its vastness. Yet we must not become discouraged. Rather, we must allow that word “total” to motivate us unto a greater pressing toward the mark. We must allow that word “total” to motivate us unto greater depths of humility, unto greater heights of dependence, and unto greater levels of surrender. My beloved brethren, I beseech you to allow that word “total” to stir you up to seek from our Lord an ever deepening understanding and experience of what it means to be abiding in Him, and to have Him abiding in you.
In conclusion then, I would present unto you that abiding in Christ is a place of total focus, that is – a total focus upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In voicing his own testimony on this matter, the apostle Paul reveals this truth in Galatians 2:20, saying, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Again the apostle Paul declares his testimony on this matter in Philippians 3:8, saying, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” This is abiding in Christ, and allowing Him to abide in us. This is what we need.
Then to who abide in Christ, and allow Him to abide in them, our Lord gives His promise in John 15:5, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” Oh, brethren, let us give up everything else to find this place of abiding in Christ! Without Him everything else is empty, useless nothing anyway.
A Place of Total Humility
First, we must understand that abiding in Christ is a place of total humility. Before we will even seek to abide in Christ, we must be brought to the realization that without Him we are, can be, and can do nothing. We must truly acknowledge and accept in our hearts that we who are the branches of the Vine cannot bear fruit of ourselves. In John 15:4 our Lord revealed this truth, saying, “As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; neither can ye, except ye abide in Me.” We must truly grasp and believe this truth in the depths of our hearts.” We must come to this place, even as Joseph did when He stood before Pharaoh. In Genesis 41:15-16 we read, “And Pharaoh said unto Joseph, I have dreamed a dream, and there is none that can interpret it: and I have heard say of thee, that thou canst understand a dream to interpret it. And Joseph answered Pharaoh, saying, It is not in me: God shall give Pharaoh an answer of peace.” Brethren, it is not in us; and it is not of us. We are not the source of spiritual fruit, nor do we have the resources within ourselves to bear any spiritual fruit. This truth we must face. This truth we must believe. This truth we must grasp. Yea, this truth must govern our entire lives. It is not in us. It is not of us. It is all of our Lord. It is all in our Lord. He is all in all; therefore, we must abide in Him.
Yet such a truth – that without the Lord we are, can be, and can do nothing – strikes hard against our natural self-image, self-esteem, and self-importance. Yea, it strikes hard against the depths of our pride. Therefore, abiding in Christ is a place of total humility. It is the place wherein we are clothed with Biblical humility, possessing a true grasp of our unworthiness and insufficiency before the Lord our God. It is the place wherein we humble ourselves in the sight of our Lord and under the mighty hand of our God (James 4:10; 1 Peter 5:5-6). Then with this spirit of true, Biblical humility, we will be brought to the second ingredient of abiding in Christ.
A Place of Total Dependence
Second, abiding in Christ is a place of total dependence. If it is not in us or of us, then we must find it in Him and of Him. If we can do nothing without our Lord, then we must totally depend upon our Lord. This is what our Lord meant when He used the phrase again and again – “Abide in Me.” Abiding in Christ is a place of totally depending in Him.
All throughout God’s Word, we encounter the truth that we are to trust in the Lord, to depend upon the Lord, to rest in the Lord, to wait upon the Lord, to hope in the Lord, to look unto the Lord. Considering just one of the more familiar passages, in Proverbs 3:5 we are commanded, “Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.” Yes, we are called to a place of total dependence upon our Lord. We are commanded to trust in Him with all our heart. In fact, we are to trust in our Lord so totally that we do not lean upon ourselves in any respect.
Herein we have the picture of one who has taken up a walking stick to help him in his travels. Imagine a young child who has become weary in traveling some path. He takes up some walking stick in order that he might lean some of his weight upon it. Yet at the same time, this young child’s father takes note of his weariness. The loving father offers to take his young child up into his arms, and to carry his child the rest of the way. Now, if the child is taken up into his father’s arms, he will have no need to lean upon his walking stick. This child then has a choice. He can refuse his father’s loving offer, continue to do it himself, and continue in weariness. Or, he can accept his father’s loving offer, trust and depend upon his father to carry him, and rest comfortably is father’s loving arms. Which is the wise choice? Even so, abiding in Christ is a place of total dependence.
A Place of Total Surrender
Yet if abiding in Christ is a place of total dependence, then also it is a place of total surrender. If that young child is going to depend upon his father’s arms totally, then he must also surrender himself to his father’s arms and will totally. He must surrender himself to go wherever his father takes him, and to go through whatever his father decides for him. Whether it be in the darkness, or in the light – whether it be upon the mountain cliffs, or upon the flowering plateau – whether it be through flood waters, or beside the still waters – whether it be to face the fierceness of wild animals, or to hear the sweetness of the chirping birds – this child, depending upon his father’s arms to carry him, must also surrender himself to be carried wherever his father chooses to go.
Even so, in John 15:4 our Lord delivered a two-fold command. He said, “Abide in Me, and I in you.” We must abide in Christ, and must allow Him to abide in us. We must set our dependence totally in Him, and must allow Him to have total mastery in us. This is our Lord’s command to us. If He is to abide in us, then we must surrender ourselves unto His abiding control. We must acknowledge Him in all our ways (Proverbs 3:6). We must yield ourselves unto God, and must yield our members “as instruments of righteousness unto God” (Romans 6:13). We must present ourselves as “a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God” (Romans 12:1). Whether it be along rough ways, or along smooth roads, we must surrender ourselves to forsake what our Lord reproves, to change as our Lord wills, to go where our Lord directs, and to do what our Lord commands. Then the great assurance will be that even if we must “walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” our Lord will be with us and will comfort us (Psalm 23:4). Yea, He will be carrying us in His everlasting, almighty, compassionate arms.
Brethren, we are called unto a daily, moment by moment, abiding in Christ. As we have learned, this abiding in Christ is a place of total humility, of total dependence, and of total surrender. Now, that word “total” may discourage us with its vastness. Yet we must not become discouraged. Rather, we must allow that word “total” to motivate us unto a greater pressing toward the mark. We must allow that word “total” to motivate us unto greater depths of humility, unto greater heights of dependence, and unto greater levels of surrender. My beloved brethren, I beseech you to allow that word “total” to stir you up to seek from our Lord an ever deepening understanding and experience of what it means to be abiding in Him, and to have Him abiding in you.
In conclusion then, I would present unto you that abiding in Christ is a place of total focus, that is – a total focus upon our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. In voicing his own testimony on this matter, the apostle Paul reveals this truth in Galatians 2:20, saying, “I am crucified with Christ, nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.” Again the apostle Paul declares his testimony on this matter in Philippians 3:8, saying, “Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.” This is abiding in Christ, and allowing Him to abide in us. This is what we need.
Then to who abide in Christ, and allow Him to abide in them, our Lord gives His promise in John 15:5, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit.” Oh, brethren, let us give up everything else to find this place of abiding in Christ! Without Him everything else is empty, useless nothing anyway.