God chose YOU to bear fruit...

[Humble Disciple]

This is from John Calvin’s commentary on John 15:16.

You have not chosen me. He declares still more clearly that it must not be ascribed to their own merit, but to his grace, that they have arrived at so great an honor; for when he says that he was not chosen by them, it is as if he had said, that whatever they have they did not obtain by their own skill or industry.

Men commonly imagine some kind of concurrence to take place between the grace of God and the will of man; but that contrast, I chose you, I was not chosen by you, claims, exclusively, for Christ alone what is usually divided between Christ and man; as if he had said, that a man is not moved of his own accord to seek Christ, until he has been sought by him.

True, the subject now in hand is not the ordinary election of believers, by which they are adopted to be the children of God, but that special election, by which he set apart his disciples to the office of preaching the Gospel. But if it was by free gift, and not by their own merit, that they were chosen to the apostolic office, much more is it certain that the election, by which, from being the children of wrath and an accursed seed, we become the children of God, is of free grace...

He takes, as the ground of his exhortation, the undeserved favor which he had bestowed on them; for the greater our obligations to the Lord, the more earnest ought we to be in performing the duties which he demands from us; otherwise it will be impossible for us to avoid the charge of base ingratitude.

Hence it appears that there is nothing which ought more powerfully to kindle in us the desire of a holy and religious life, than when we acknowledge that we owe everything to God, and that we have nothing that is our own; that both the commencement of our salvation, and all the parts which follow from it, flow from his undeserved mercy...

That you may bear fruit; for it is hardly possible that any one would devote himself earnestly and diligently to the work, if he did not expect that the labor would bring some advantage. Christ, therefore, declares that their efforts will not be useless or unsuccessful, provided that they are ready to obey and follow when he calls them.

For he not only enjoins on the apostles what their calling involves and demands, but promises to them also prosperity and success, that they may not be cold or indifferent. It is hardly possible to tell how great is the value of this consolation against those numerous temptations which daily befall the ministers of Christ.

Whenever, then, we see that we are losing our pains, let us call to remembrance that Christ will, at length, prevent our exertions from being vain or unproductive; for the chief accomplishment of this promise is at the very time when there is no appearance of fruit.

Scorners, and those whom the world looks upon as wise men, ridicule our attempts as foolish, and tell us that it is in vain for us to attempt to mingle heaven and earth; because the fruit does not yet correspond to our wishes. But since Christ, on the contrary, has promised that the happy result, though concealed for a time, will follow, let us labor diligently in the discharge of our duty amidst the mockeries of the world.
https://www.monergism.com/blog/you-did-not-choose-me-commentary-john-1516

 

[Van]

Yet another copy and post thread from Calvinist advocates.

Chosen for what? Why did His disciples "choose" to come and see Jesus? What does scripture actually say? Does scripture say Jesus knew who believed before He chose them? Inquiring minds want to know...

2 Peter 1:10 Therefore, brethren, be all the more diligent to make certain about His calling and choosing you; for as long as you practice these things, you will never stumble;

Thus the divine choosing comes after the invitation, not before!! And God knows from the beginning who did not believe and therefore who did!!!!

 

[Van]

Now as Jesus was walking by the Sea of Galilee, He saw two brothers, Simon who was called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

And He *said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
Immediately they left their nets and followed Him.

Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them.

Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

Jesus invited (called) and they responded (their human choice) and then Christ chose them for His purpose. And one of the twelve did not believe (Judas) but was chosen for the "betrayer" purpose.

 

[Van]

One of the two who heard John speak and followed Him [Jesus], was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.

He *found first his own brother Simon and *said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which translated means Christ).
He brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, “You are Simon the son of John; you shall be called Cephas” (which is translated Peter).

 

[unprofitable]

,
Brother Van,

To me, Calvin is no more than another catholic.

Nevertheless the doctrines of election cannot viewed without validation.

How could the Father know who will and will not believe unless He had been first predestined/established it?

How can the valid/righteous prophesy of the old testament saints, as they were instructed by the Father, be fulfilled without it first being predestinated?

How can we look at Revelation as being valid unless it was first spoken of by the mouth of the Lord?

If the Father did not establish the future, who did?

For the Father to look into the future and say this or that would happen without Him first determining it is to make Him no more than a fortune teller.

Indeed, Judas was predestined as is witnessed in John 17:12, Acts 1:16, and the 10 other verses that speak concerning "that the scriptures might be fulfilled", therefore predestined.

The bearing of fruit is the work of the edifying of the body of Christ, the kingdom of God. Christ says in Matt 21:43, "Therefore say I unto you, the kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a NATION bringing forth the fruits thereof." John 15:16 is the promise given to the body of Christ, AN HOLY NATION (1 Pet 2:9)., not the individual apart from it.

 

[37818]

John 15:16, ". . . 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. . . ."

John 15:1-2, ". . . I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. . . ."

I am of the point of view because ". . . gave himself a ransom for all . . ." all are in Jesus as the true vine in their beginning.

So little children to young to believe start out in the vine.
Mark 10:14-15, ". . . [Allow] the little children to come unto me, and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. Verily I say unto you, Whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child, he shall not enter therein. . . ." [John 3:3-4.]

John 15:6, ". . . If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. . . ."

One who is of age where one must believe in order to abide does not then abide in Christ until one believes in Him, 1 John 3:6 argues, ". . . Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him. . . ." 2 Corinthians 5:21, ". . . For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him. . . ." Galatians 3:13, ". . . Christ hath redeemed us from the curse of the law, being made a curse for us: . . ." 1 John 3:4, ". . . Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law. . . ." Galatians 2:21, ". . . I do not frustrate the grace of God: for if righteousness come by the law, then Christ is dead in vain. . . ." James 2:10, ". . . For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. . . ." Romans 6:14, ". . . For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace. . . ."

Yes, there is more to this. 1 Timothy 1:9-11, ". . . Knowing this, that the law is not made for a righteous man, but for the lawless and disobedient, for the ungodly and for sinners, for unholy and profane, for murderers of fathers and murderers of mothers, for manslayers, For whoremongers, for them that defile themselves with mankind, for menstealers, for liars, for perjured persons, and if there be any other thing that is contrary to sound doctrine; According to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which was committed to my trust. . . ." Romans 3:31, ". . . Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law. . . ."

And more.