Beloved, I am glad to share with you today the above theme from Jn 15:16. Indeed, Israel was a barren vine despite all the care of the divine Winemaker (Ps 80:9-20; Isa 5:1-7). “Already you are pure, because of the word I have announced to you. Dwell in me, and I will dwell in you. As the shoot cannot bear fruit on its own, if it does not remain attached to the vine, so neither can you, if you do not dwell in me. I am the cep, you are the shoots. He who dwells in me and in whom I dwell bears much fruit, for “without me you can do nothing.”
These words show that the Lord Jesus presents himself as the true Cep, bearing fruit through the means of the disciples. And to be part of the latter, two conditions are necessary: First to dwell in Him, just as a branch remains attached to the nourishing trunk, and then, He in us, as that same branch that allows itself to be crossed and impregnate by the sap that is his life. On the other hand, let us never forget that if the Father “cleanses” us by stripping us in a sometimes painful way, it is so that we carry more fruit.
They are therefore in him and they will be able to bear fruit by remaining attached to him vitally and practically. Then the winemaker(the Father) will take care of the shoots, clean them so that they bear more fruit; and as for the shoots which will not bear them, he will remove them. This is the Christian profession. For whoever professes Christianity is a sarment; but he who makes a profession of it without having the life of God, cannot bear fruit, since without this life man produces nothing good for God; it will therefore be a shoot that the winemaker will remove. If, on the contrary, he bears fruit, proof that he has life, the Father will prune it; and he will make him go through discipline to deliver him from what can prevent him from bearing even more fruit.
For to dwell practically in Christ, one must take care of him, enjoy him, live his life, depend on him, imitate him; then what it is will be seen in us; fruits will be produced that will prove the reality of his life. It is the case of the believer as of the sarment: indeed, he can do nothing by himself; for it is a wood of little value; light, very porous, burning quickly, with no other property than that of letting a lot of sap through, in order to produce a lot of fruit.
Then the disciples of the Lord (every believer is one) do not dwell in him unconsciously; they enjoy him, feed on his word and realize their dependence through prayer. And since the believer has no strength or value in himself, he must continually depend on the one in whom he finds all the resources he needs to bear fruit.
But we can only pray so that we are granted if we know the Lord’s thoughts about what we ask of Him. His word alone, dwelling in us, can form our desires. If it inspires them, we can ask for what we would like, because we would only want what is according to God’s will, for His glory and the fulfillment of His service. In that way, we will get what we have asked for.
For he who keeps his commandments dwells in his love, participates in his joy, as in his peace. The one who obeys him is his friend. And if we add to this all that the Holy Spirit has come to reveal of the person of the glorified Lord and of our heavenly part, what more can we have? If we enjoyed all this, it would be heaven already on earth, and the world could not tempt us with anything.
The following verses have been compiled for your edification and grouped together for your better understanding.
- Men of God:
Ag 2:23 On that day, says the Lord of hosts, I will take you, Zerubbabel, son of Schealthiel, My servant, saith the Lord, and I will keep you as a seal; For I have chosen thee, said the Lord of hosts. Jn 15:16 It is not you who have chosen me; but I have chosen you, and I have established you, that you may go, and bear fruit, and that your fruit may dwell, that what you may ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Acts 9:15 But the Lord said unmoved him, go, for this man is an instrument which I have chosen, to bear my name before the nations, before the kings, and before the sons of Israel; 1 Cor 1:27-29 But God chose the crazy things of the world to confuse the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to confuse the strong; 28 and God has chosen the vile things of the world and those which are despised, those which are not, to destroy those which are, 29 so that no flesh may glorify itself before God.
- Election of God’s people:
Ex 6:7 I will take you for my people, I will be your God, and you will know that it is I, jehovah, your God, who free you from the works entrusted to you by the Egyptians. Dt 4.37
He loved your fathers, and he chose their posterity after them; he himself brought you out of Egypt by his great power; Dt 7:6 For thou ist a holy people for jehovah thy God; Jehovah, your God, has chosen you, so that you may be a people that belong to him among all the peoples who are on the face of the earth. Mt 25:34 Then the king will say to those who will be at his right hand: Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take possession of the kingdom which has been prepared for you since the foundation of the world. Jn 15:16 It is not you who have chosen me; but I have chosen you, and I have established you, that you may go, and bear fruit, and that your fruit may dwell, that what you may ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Ga 4:30
But what does Scripture say? Hunts the slave and his son, for the son of the slave will not inherit with the son of the free woman. Eph 1.4 In him God elected us before the foundation of the world, that we may be holy and irreprehensible before Him;1 P 1:2 and who are elected according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, by the sanctification of the Spirit, that they may become obedient, and that they may participate in the sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: may grace and peace be multiplied to you!
- Permanent things, what remains:
-the divine promises 1 R 19:8 He rose, ate himself and had purpose; and with the strength that this food gave him, he walked forty days and forty nights to the mountain of God, to Horeb.
-spiritual nourishment Jn 6:27 Jesus answered them: The work of God is that you believe in the one he sent.
-spiritual works 1 Cor 3:14 If the work built by someone on the foundation subsists, he will receive a reward.
-the three gifts 1 Cor 13:13 Now therefore these three things remain: faith, hope, charity; but the greatest of these things is charity.
-the invisible things 2 Cor. 4:18 an eternal weight of glory, because we look, not to the visible things, but to those which are invisible; for the visible things are transient, and the invisible are eternal.
-the spiritual kingdom He 12:27 These words: Once again, indicate the change of shaken things, as being made for a time, so that unshakeable things may subsist.
- Exhortation to prayer:
1R3.5 At Gabaon, jehovah appeared in a dream to Solomon during the night, and God said unto him, Ask what you want me to give you. Za 10.1 Ask the Lord for the rain, the rain of spring! The Lord will produce lightning, and he will send you abundant rain, He will give each one grass in his field. Mt 7:8 For whoever asks receives, the one who seeks finds, and one opens to the one who strikes. Mt 21:22 All that you ask in faith through prayer, you will receive. Lk 11:9 And I say unto you, Ask, and they will give you; seek, and you will find; knock, and they will open you. Jn 14:13 and whatever you ask in my name, I will do, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. Jn 15:7 If you dwell in me, and my words dwell in you, ask what you will, and it will be granted to you. Jn 16.24 So far you have not asked for anything on my behalf. Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be perfect. Jc 1:5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all simply and without reproach, and it will be given to him. 1 Jn 5:14 We have with him this assurance, that if we ask for something according to his will, he listens to us.
- Ordered spiritual productivity:
Matt 3:8 Therefore produce fruit worthy of repentance; Jn 15:16 It is not you who have chosen me; but I have chosen you, and I have established you, that you may go, and bear fruit, and that your fruit may dwell, that what you may ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you. Rm 7.4 Blessed are those whose iniquities are forded, and whose sins are covered! Ph 1:11 filled with the fruit of righteousness which is through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God. Col 1:10 to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord and to be entirely pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in all kinds of good works and growing by the knowledge of God,
From all of the above, we note that ifour prayers are about fruit for God, they will always be answered. But what does this fruit consist of? Essentially in the love of the redeemed for one another,and in its multiple manifestations. “I command these thingsfrom you…”, the Lord adds, as if to suggest all the services that flow from love. This is the third time that He has formulated this “new commandment”, as He attaches great importance to it. When affection is lacking between family members, isn’t it a sad and abnormal thing? All the more so in God’s family. On the other hand, the world’s hatred of believers (whose conduct judges its own) is quite natural and we should expect it — unless the world finds something of it to love in us, but then it is a very bad sign. For “the slave is no greater than his master”, repeats here the Lord. Thus, the name of Jesus “invoked upon us” is both a motive for the world to manifest its hatred to us and for the Father to answer our prayers. Our prayers support you in your efforts to become the Lord’s shoots.
PRAYER OF ACCEPTANCE OF JESUS CHRIST AS LORD AND PERSONAL SAVIOR
I now invite anyone who wants to become a new creation by walking in the truth, to pray with me as follows:
Lord Jesus, I have long walked in the lusts of the world ignoring your love for humans. I acknowledge that I have sinned against you and ask forgiveness for all my sins, because today I have decided to give you my life by taking you as my Lord and personal Savior. I acknowledge that you died on the cross of Calvary and that you rose from the dead for me.
I am now saved and born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. Lead me each day to eternal life you give to all who obey your Word. Reveal to me and strengthen my heart and my faith so that your light may shine in my life right now.
Thank you, Lord Jesus, for accepting me in your divine family so that I too can contemplate the wonders of your kingdom.
I will now choose a nearby waterpoint to baptize myself by immersion, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
To you all worship, power, and glory, now and forever and ever. Amen!
I would be happy to respond to any questions and comments you may have, before sharing with you next week on “Jesus’ priestly prayer.”
May the Lord Jesus Christ bless you abundantly.
David Feze, Servant of the Almighty God.