Why didn't you respond to John 15?
Brother, you will not properly understand much of the meat of the Word unless you first take it upon yourself to understand, through much prayer to God, the milk. It begins with understanding born-again and salvation is "not of yourselves".
Here is the best teaching I have seen on John 15. I am sure it will probably run off you like water off a duck's back. You are stuck on your interpretations and I don't see any willingness on your part to see it any other way but your own. For the sake of those who want to learn, here it is...
15:1. The true vine. In the Old Testament, Israel is referred to as a vine. However, in this verse, we find the True or Real Vine is Christ Himself. The
husbandman. The Father is the
husbandman , or the One who owns the vineyard and who takes care of it.
2. He taketh away. Just as the husbandman disposes of branches that bear no fruit, so the Father judges those who bear no spiritual fruit.
He purgeth it. The
husbandman prunes the branches which bear fruit in order for them to bear
more fruit . In like manner, God the Father cleanses Christians who are bearing fruit to bring them to bear more fruit. Fruit is the natural product of a living organism. Spiritual fruit is a spiritual product of a spiritual union (Gal 5:22-23).
3. Cleansing is produced through the Word of God.
4. Abide in me. In order to be a fruitful Christian, one must learn to depend on Christ and let the power and Spirit of Christ flow through him.
5. Christ now clearly states the implications of this story. He is the vine and we are the branches. Note the total dependence upon the Vine. Without that abiding relationship
ye can do nothing . In verse 2 it refers to
more fruit , and in verse 5 and 8 it refers to
much fruit .
6. This does not refer to everlasting punishment in hell. Note that there are results of not abiding in Christ as a branch. The man himself is not the branch; the branch represents the fruits of his relationship with Christ. When the Christian fails to abide in Christ, he withers, dries up, and his fruits or works will be judged by fire (1 Cor 3:12-15).
7-8. Those who abide in Christ, and who permit His
words to abide in them, have a blessed promise that Christ will perform whatever they ask. This is a blessed promise of the Father.
9-10. In the center of this unique abiding relationship is the love of God. Christ exhorts His disciples to continue in
my love . It is interesting to note that this is the first fruit of the Spirit mentioned in Galatians 5:22. Christ remained in the Father's love because He obeyed Him. We remain in Christ's love because we obey His commandments (14:21, 23-24).
11. The second fruit of the Spirit is joy. The abiding relationship also gives us Christ's joy. Christ promises them fruit, answered prayer, love, and joy as the result of abiding in Him.
12. This is the second commandment found in chapter 15. The first is
abide in me (vs. 7), and now Christ commands them to
love one another . He defines the extent of that love in the phrase,
as I have loved you .
13-14. Love is giving sacrificially for others. Love is not an emotional feeling, but it is the act of giving (3:16). To be a friend of Christ means to obey Him.
15. Because of their obedience, Christ could now call them
friends . As His
friends , they were told all the things that Christ had
heard from the
Father .
16. Although they were Christ's friends, this was by His choice, not their choice.
Ordained you (Gr-
tithemi , appointed you).
Bring forth fruit. It is evident that the fruit refers to love and its results (15:8-14). Note the progression. To abide means to bear fruit; to bear fruit means to experience answered prayer
(he may give it you) .
17. Again Christ returns to the theme of love. Loving one another is a command, not an option.
Edward G. Dobson, D.D.
God Bless!
