Note for 20241218 - The Gospel of Jesus Christ - Part 19 - John 15 - The True Vine

 

The Gospel of Jesus Christ

According to John

Read Through The Bible

“As it Happened” Bible Reading Plan

Day 032

Exodus 7 to 9

Part 19 - John 15 - The True Vine

The Audio Version of today’s note

The House of Bread · Voice Note for 20241218 - TheGospelofJesusChrist-Part19-John15-TheTrueVine

John 15:1-27 KJV

[1]  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. [2] 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. [3] Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. [4] Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. [5] I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. [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. [7] If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. [8] Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. [9] As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. [10] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. [11]  These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full. [12] This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. [13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. [14] Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you. [15] 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. [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. [17]  These things I command you, that ye love one another. [18] If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you. [19] If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you. [20] Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep your's also. [21] But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me. [22] If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin. [23] He that hateth me hateth my Father also. [24] If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father. [25] But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause. [26] But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: [27] and ye also shall bear witness, because ye have been with me from the beginning.

https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.15.1-27.KJV

Note for 20241218

After reading this, tell me; what do you think is your purpose here in the world we live in? How are we faring in that? Do we love each other as Christ loved us? What is it to bear fruit for GOD? Do you think that what we have to do while we are here might have something to do with the Love of GOD, by which He sent His only Begotten Son so we may live? It is by the same Love that the Father sent the Comforter to us, that the Word of GOD may remain with us. When you look around you, are you convinced that how we live resembles the Love of GOD in us? Or are we still building up kingdoms unto ourselves? A change must come in us. We must walk in a new way, compared to the life that we once lived. We must follow the way of Christ. 

John 15:10 KJV

[10] If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love.

https://bible.com/bible/1/jhn.15.10.KJV

The Vine sustains the branch. The Husbandmen prune the branches, so they do not compete for the same space. That they may have room to bear much fruit. So, if there are things in our lives that are not conducive for bearing fruit, shall He Who dress the branches of the Vine let that counter productive thing remain in us? What is hate, envy, greed and lust? The unfruitful branch is cut off, to make room for that which will bring forth fruit. What is the fruit, but the love of GOD?

Understanding will confirm that there is no point in idle debates. Nothing of contention can bring forth contentment in the True Vine. So, I am not interested in arguments and striving against my fellow "branches," but rather want every branch to produce the fruit for GOD.

Look at the life those around you live, do you see them struggle with one another for the same things? And who does those things they want benefit, and does it have an eternal value? Or, is it all about consumption and spoiling that which was given?

God has given each of us a place to grow. He has pruned us, so we can be what He intended. Can one branch say to another, you should not be in this Vine? Or, can we see that if the branch remains, then GOD still has faith that it may produce fruit? Shall we now take on parasitic trades and strangle that which GOD permits? Are we not better off concerning ourselves with that which will produce fruit in us. If the Vine was planted in the Love of GOD, and bears the Love of GOD to us, is it not the love of God that must be in us? What does this scripture say? What is it that Christ instructed His disciples? Yes! That we must love one another even as He has loved us. The question that we must answer in ourselves is this, do we know the Love of GOD? Is there room in us, to share it with one another? As we were forgiven, so must we forgive each other; for love covers a multitude of sin.

I want to show you something friends. If by chance you came into my house and took my bread and ate it without permission, can I bring a charge against you for theft? What happens when you are accused of theft, for eating my bread, but when I am told, I say you may have it? Is it still theft, if now you have permission from me to eat my bread? Christ said a little earlier in this account of John, that no one takes His life, but that He gave it, even that he is able to lay it down and pick it up again. Is it then murder? Even when it is a transgression, even when you have trespassed in my house, does that not change when I say that you may be there? Even if I have lost my possession, if I forgive it, is it then not given? Of words, if I take no offense to it, then did I not cover that sin? The Law accused mankind, but Christ forgave us. And He that could bring the charge, refused to bring it. Instead, He forgave our trespasses. What then do we pray to GOD, to forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us. If we bring charges against one another and refuse to forgive, by our own mouths are we then condemned by what we prayed. But, if we let it go, if we think about it no more, then there is no more trespass left.

The Lord Jesus prayed before He died on the cross, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do." Of your friends and family do you think they know that they are hurting you? This world is so obsessed with self, can they see your harm? Then they do not know what they are doing. They do not know that they harm your soul. They do not yet know the error of their way, and by the way, GOD alone can judge mankind. He made us.

Now, of course, we do speak of those who harm in error. Unknowingly causing harm. We have spoken about the two seeds, and how GOD will separate the Tares from the wheat. Leave judgment to God, friends. Instead of judging, rather look at forgiveness. Don't you know that GOD can restore to you what you have lost? Even of a life, is it not GOD that permits the length of life?

In Matthew 5:40, Jesus says this at the sermon on the mount.

"And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloke also."

If you give more than what was requested or demanded of you, then you cover that sin. If you forgive, then that sin does not need to be heard in court. And what is love, but to forgive one another's errors? To be tolerant of each other.

What happened to the servant that owed the King much that was forgiven his debt, when a report reached the King that he threw someone else in jail to pay what they owed him? That's right! The forgiveness of his debt was turned back and he himself landed up in jail until every last penny was paid back.

So do we live out the principles by which we ourselves shall be judged by, when we appear before the Judge, which is GOD Almighty. Does the Word not say that we will be judged according to our works? Since we know the precious gift of forgiveness, let us then share that with one another in the Love of GOD and may offense not be found in us. That we not be offended by others, neither that we offend them. Let us rather be good stewards of the life that we have been given. Let us do to others, as we would have them do to us. If it is given, then it is no longer theft, but instead, the Love of GOD in us then gives glory to GOD. That, my friends, is Good Fruit. Then the branch has produced fruit, when the work of the enemy is undone.

Shalom

The House of Bread

Verse of The Day

From the YouVersion Bible App (expanded from verse 6)

Isaiah 9:6-7 KJV

[6] For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. [7] Of the increase of his government and peace there shall be no end, upon the throne of David, and upon his kingdom, to order it, and to establish it with judgment and with justice from henceforth even for ever. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will perform this.

https://bible.com/bible/1/isa.9.6-7.KJV