THE JESUS SECRET

JOHN 15

      In John 15, Jesus taught the disciples the secret of the Christian life as He walked to Gethsemane. The disciples launched the Great Commission in the power of this truth.

      Jesus compared the work of God to a vineyard (Is. 5:2). God the Father reigned as the Lord of the work (2 Tim. 2:6), and Jesus the Son flowed as the life of the work (“I AM” [Jn. 6:35, 8:12, 10:9-11, 11:25, 14:6] the true [Jn. 1:9, 6:32, 17:3, 19:35; Rev. 3:14] vine [Jn. 6:32]”).

  I. The secret of fruit-bearing is abiding

      Life flowed to the branches (disciples) for the purpose of bearing fruit (no fruit, fruit, more fruit [1 Cor. 9:19], much fruit [Mk. 4:8]). Jesus examined (Mt. 7:16) those bearing fruit (Eph. 5:9; Jas. 3:18) and those barren of fruit (Mt. 3:10).

Prov. 11:30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.

Gal. 5:22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

      The Father purges (Jn. 13:10; Heb. 10:22; 1 Jn. 1:7) the self-life of a disciple that hinders more fruit. He uses the knife of the Word (2 Cor. 7:1).

Jn. 12:24. Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

      The spiritual secret of fruitfulness rests in abiding (Jn. 8:31; 1 Jn. 2:28). Self cannot (Mt. 17:16) produce fruit. A disciple can do nothing apart from Christ (Jn. 1:3, 5:19; Rom. 7:19; Tit. 3:5).

Gal. 2:20. 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.

Gal. 6:14. But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world.

      Jesus described the tragedy of a believer who became a castaway–not cast out (loss of salvation) but disqualified from service (1 Sam. 16:1; Is. 5:1-7; Mt. 21:19-41; Lk. 13:6-9; 1 Cor. 9:27; Rev. 2:5).

      The Father gathers the withered branches (Mt. 13:6, 21:19) of the self-life and burns them in the pile of unrewarded works at the judgment seat of Christ (Mt. 3:10-12, 5:13, 7:19). He devotes time to pruning the branches yielded to Christ.

1 Cor. 3:13. Every man's work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is.

      Abiding in the word (Jn. 6:63) and prayer (Jn. 14:13, 15:16; 1 Jn. 5:14) results in much fruit to the glory of God (Jn. 17:1). Fruitfulness marks the life of a disciple (Lk. 14:27; Jn. 8:31, 13:35; 15:8).

Phil. 1:11. Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.

 II. The secret of abiding is obeying

1 Jn. 5:3. For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous.

III. The secret of obeying is loving

      Jesus taught the great command–“love one another” (Jn. 14:15-21) which resulted in the great joy (Jn. 15:11, 16:24, 17:13).

Jn. 13:34. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.

1 Cor.13:13. And now abideth faith, hope, charity, these three; but the greatest of these [is] charity.

1 Jn. 4:7. Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.

 IV. The secret of loving is cross-bearing

      Jesus demonstrated agape love when He sacrificed His life on the cross (Jn. 10:17). Jesus’ love kept Him on the cross.

1 Jn. 3:16. Hereby perceive we the love [of God], because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down [our] lives for the brethren.

  V. The secret of cross-bearing is Lordship

      Servants take up the cross of their Master. Christ has a right to be absolute Lord.

 VI. The secret of Lordship is yielding

      Jesus told the disciples that surrender to His Lordship would bring opposition from the world (Jn. 17:14-16; 1 Jn. 2:15-17; Jas. 1:27, 4:4; 2 Pet. 1:4). The world that hated Jesus would unite in hatred toward His followers (Mt. 10:22, 24:9; Jn. 17:14; 1 Jn. 3:13). Persecution against Christians (Mt. 10:24; Jn. 13:16) aimed at Jesus (Mt. 5:10; Acts 9:4).

Jn. 7:7. The world cannot hate you; but me it hateth, because I testify of it, that the works thereof are evil.

      The sinlessness of Jesus Christ confronted the pretense (Mt. 23:14) of this world. The world hated Jesus without cause (freely–Rom. 3:24).

VII. The secret of yielding is filling

      The Father sent (Acts 2:33) the Spirit of Truth (Jn. 14:17, 16:13; 1 Jn. 5:6) to testify concerning Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit came to live with believers and give power to witness.

Acts 1:8. But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth.

VIII. The secret of filling is witnessing

      Jesus chose (1 Cor. 1:27) and ordained (1 Tim. 2:7) the disciples to go (Mk. 5:19) and bear lasting fruit. Obedience, believing prayer (Mt. 21:22), and love for others compel the witness.

      Michael Green said, “The Comforter comes not in order to allow men to be comfortable, but to make them missionaries.” Billy Graham added, “I think it is a waste of time for us Christians to look for power we do not intend to use.”