_ABIDING IN CHRIST_ ‘Abide in Me, and I in you.’ John 15:4 ‘Abide in Me’—these words sum up all Christian life; ‘I in you’ sum up all the promises of the Lord to the Christian. I. TO ABIDE IN CHRIST—what does it mean? It means— (_a_) To cherish in mind the constant recollection of the Lord Jes... [ Continue Reading ]
_THE UNION OF CHRIST AND THE BELIEVER_ ‘I am the vine, ye are the branches.’ John 15:5 The vine was a national emblem, like our rose, thistle, or shamrock, or like the lily of France. One of Isaiah’s most striking parables was the Parable of the Vineyard. He compared Israel to a vineyard planted... [ Continue Reading ]
_APART FROM THE VINE_ ‘Without Me ye can do nothing.’ John 15:5 These are the words of our Lord Himself about Himself. They might be more accurately translated thus—‘Apart from Me ye can do nothing’—the idea being not merely that the help of Jesus is required in order that we may have spiritual l... [ Continue Reading ]
_CHRISTIAN JOY_ ‘These things have I spoken unto you, that My joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.’ John 15:11 In the chapter from which our text is taken we see that one result of God becoming Man is that man may be united to God. Observe the close identity of Christ with th... [ Continue Reading ]
_FRIENDS OF JESUS_ ‘Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you.’ John 15:15 He calls us not ‘servants,’ but ‘friends.’ Now, upon this many things must... [ Continue Reading ]
_WITNESS-BEARING_ ‘He shall testify of Me: And ye also shall bear witness.’ John 15:26 There seem to be three points noticeable in this passage. I. THE COMFORTER IS COMING.—Who is He? A Divine person proceeding from the Father, Who is the fountain of the Godhead: ‘procession’ referring both to... [ Continue Reading ]
_QUALIFICATIONS FOR WITNESS_ ‘And ye also shall hear witness, because ye have been with Me from the beginning.’ John 15:27 Here we see for what our Lord has been preparing His Apostles all along during His ministry. They have been with Him from the beginning, very close to Him. They have been lea... [ Continue Reading ]