John 15: 1-17 KJV
“1 I A m the True Vine (the True Israel, as He is the True Church, and the True Man; more specifically, He Alone is the Source of Life), and My Father is the Husbandman (refers to God the Father not simply as the Vinedresser, but also the Owner so to speak).
2 Every branch (Believer) in Me (to have Salvation, we must be “in Christ” which refers to trusting in what He did at the Cross) that bears not fruit (the Holy Spirit Alone can bring forth fruit within our lives, and He does such through the Finished Work of Christ, which demands that the Cross ever be the Object of our Faith) He takes away (if the Believer refuses the Cross, ultimately, he will be taken out of the Body of Christ): and every branch that bears fruit (has some understanding of Christ and the Cross), He purges it (uses whatever means necessary to make the Cross the total Object of one’s Faith), that it may bring forth more fruit (only when the Cross becomes the total Object of one’s Faith can the Holy Spirit perform His Work of bringing forth proper fruit [Rom. 8:1-2, 11]).
3 Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you (the answer, as always, is found in the Word of God; the Story of the Bible is “Jesus Christ and Him Crucified”).
4 Abide in Me (look to Him exclusively, and what He has done for us at the Cross), and I in you (if we properly abide in Him, which we can only do by ever making the Cross the Object of our Faith, then He will abide in us without fail). As the branch (Believer) cannot bear fruit of itself (one cannot Sanctify one’s self! it is impossible!), except it abide in the Vine (abiding in Him refers to the fact that we understand that every solution we seek, for whatever the need might be, is found only in Christ and the Cross; we must never separate Christ from the Cross [I Cor. 1:23; 2:2]); no more can you, except you abide in Me.
5 I am the Vine (not the Church, not a particular Preacher, not even a particular Doctrine, but Christ Alone), you are the branches (Believers): he who abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit (let us say it again; the Believer must understand that everything we receive from God comes to us exclusively through Christ and the Cross; that being the case, the Cross must ever be the Object of our Faith; then the Holy Spirit can develop fruit within our lives; it can be done no other way!): for without Me (what He did for us at the Cross) you can do nothing (the Believer should read that phrase over and over).
6 If a man abide not in Me (refuses to accept the Cross, which means he is serving “another Jesus” [II Cor. 11:4]), he is cast forth as a branch (is removed from the Source of Life), and is withered (without proper Faith in Christ and the Cross, the Believer ultimately withers); and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned (the implication is striking! if proper Faith in Christ and the Cross is Christ and the Cross is not maintained, the ultimate result is eternal Hell).
7 If you abide in Me (keep your Faith anchored in Christ and the Cross), and My Words abide in you (in fact, the entirety of the Word of God is the Story of “Christ and the Cross”), you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you (proper Faith in Christ and the Cross desires only the Will of God, which Will is guaranteed now to be carried forth).
8 Herein is My Father Glorified (that Believers totally and completely place their Faith exclusively in Christ and the Cross), that you bear much fruit (meaning that Jesus did not die in vain, but that His Death on the Cross will result in “much fruit”); so shall you be My Disciples (Lk. 9:23-24).
9 As the Father has loved Me (the Heavenly Father loves us accordingly, as we abide in Christ), so have I loved you (the Good Shepherd gives His Life for the sheep): continue ye in My Love (we can continue in His Love, only as we continue in our Faith, which must ever have the Cross as its Object).
10 If you keep My Commandments (this can be done only by the Holy Spirit working within us, which He does according to our Faith in Christ and the Cross), you shall abide in My Love (this can be done only in the manner stated); even as I have kept My Father’s Commandments, and abide in His Love (the Father’s Commandment regarding Christ was that He was to go to the Cross [Mat. 16:21-24]; His Commandment to us is that we ever make Christ and the Cross Alone the Object of our Faith [Jn. 6:53]).
11 These things have I spoken unto you, that My Joy might remain in you (His Joy remains in us, only as our Faith is properly placed in Him and the Cross), and that your joy might be full (the Christian cannot know “full joy” until He properly understands the Cross, which means that he then properly understands Christ).
12 This is My Commandment, That you love one another (we can only do so through a proper understanding of the Cross), as I have loved you (He loved us enough to give His Life for us).
13 Greater love has no man than this (the epitome of love), that a man lay down his life for his friends (this portrays the Cross, as is obvious).
14 You are My friends (consequently, I lay down My Life for you), if you do whatsoever I Command you (as stated, we can only do what He Commands, as we allow the Holy Spirit latitude within our lives, which is done by ever making the Cross the Object of our Faith).
15 Henceforth I call you not servants (Faith in Christ and the Cross Alone can lift the Believer to a new status); for the servant knows not what his lord does (with faith improperly placed, the Lord cannot confide in us): but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of My Father I have made known unto you (therefore, we have no excuse!).
16 You have not chosen Me, but I have chosen you (it is not really that we find the Lord; the truth is, He finds us), and ordained you (has chosen us for a purpose), that you should go and bring forth fruit (as stated, we can only do this by ever looking to the Cross [Gal. 6:14]), and that your fruit should remain (as our Faith remains in the Cross, the fruit will remain): that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in My Name (using His Name always refers to the victory He won at the Cross), He may give it you.
17 These things I Command you, that you love one another (if Faith is improperly placed, there is no love, even as there can be no love).”
JSM