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This is the glory of the eternal reality in the perfect will of God. Proclaiming the fact that The Lord Jesus is both central and preeminent. He is forever: ALL IN ALL!

Following that, and flowing from the amazing grace of God, comes this incredible and wonderful assurance: "Ye are the branches!"

We have been recreated in the wisdom and grace of God so that we are one with the Vine! Knowing that the life which we now live is in reality the life of the Vine! Thus: all of the personal resources of the Vine flow to and through us who are the branches!

The TRUE VINE has only one purpose. One goal. One aim. From which He never deviates. He is utterly and eternally committed to bear the fruit which His Father, the Husbandman, seeks. In that fruitfulness He glorifies the Father. The TRUE VINE in infinite love for the Father embraces the will of the Father.

Therefore, the branches are continually challenged to faithfully acknowledge and apply this essential fact. The branch has only one reason, one purpose, for existence. To totally identify with the TRUE VINE in His commitment to bear the fruit which the Father continually seeks. To thus glorify the Father.

In these verses which are now before us, the Lord Jesus continues to explain for us the vital significance of this essential relationship.

"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."

Earlier the Lord Jesus had said to His disciples, "Abide in Me, and I in you" (verse 4). "He that abideth in Me, and I in Him." (verse 5).

In both of these statements the Lord Jesus focuses on the key word: "Abide!" In doing so He is emphasizing the relationship which each Christian must freely choose to enter into. Then choose to continue to maintain as the expression of love for the Lord.

This is the "whosoever will!" of the accepting the Saviour as well as continuing in the Christian life. The Lord Jesus does not force any person to accept salvation against his will.

While it is true that the Holy Spirit does convict people of their sin. He will work in power to seek to bring such to repentance and the confession of their sin and need. Yet each person must make their own decision to humbly submit to the Savior to receive from Him grace and mercy.

In His eternal plan and will God gave to all people that freedom. He does not, will not violate it.

This fact applies in the continuing Christian life. The Lord encourages every Christian to continue to abide in Him. He does not force them to do so. The decision to continue to abide in the Vine is a commitment which is made according to the free choice of the person concerned.

The natural branch does not have the freedom of will to make such a choice. But the spiritual branch of the True Vine always does have that freedom.

Therefore we need to pay close attention when the Lord says, "If a man abide not in Me!" He is referring to those people who freely choose not to continue to abide in Him.

It is obvious that this relationship which the Lord is speaking about involves much greater responsibility than most Christians today realize. The Lord Himself holds every Christian responsible to do everything He reveals as essential to make this relationship work in the way He desires!

Earlier He said, "Every branch in Me that bears not fruit." His words reveal quite distinctly that every branch is required to bear fruit. Where there is the failure to bear fruit the branch is held accountable.

The branch dare not ignore this responsibility. Doing so as we foolishly imagine that we can disregard the will of the Vine. Or that we can draw on the life and resources of the Vine for self-centered reasons. Justifying self-serving, ulterior motives.

There is a high price to be paid for such failure. The Husbandman removes such branches from the Vine!

Now, the Lord says, Christians, as branches, can become careless. Or indifferent. Apathetic. For what ever reason, they are not diligent in ensuring that they continue to maintain the relationship.

They fail to abide in the Vine! That is not only possible, it happens far too often.

It is our constant responsibility to make sure that we discipline ourselves. Being personally and spiritually alert as we apply ourselves to abiding in the Vine. To fail to abide is to be held accountable.

Such foolish carelessness demands a staggering cost. Bringing the most tragic consequences.

The Lord Jesus makes this unmistakably clear. To fail to abide in the Vine is to be cast forth out of the Vine. This is a very strong and most urgent warning against the foolish presumption which has become so common in these days.

The Lord Jesus is "The True Vine!" He will always faithfully fulfill His part in continuing to maintain this relationship. He will always graciously ensure the continued flow of His life into the lives of all who continue to abide in Him.

That fact is guaranteed by His promise. But when His promise is disregarded, when the union of the branch to the Vine is weakened or severed, then He cannot continue to do all He seeks to achieve.

"Cast forth!" Rejected! Not by the choice of the True Vine. But as the inevitable result of the choice of the branch.

No one has the right to assume that the Lord will continue to share His abundant life. Especially with those who have carelessly allowed any disconnection in the relationship. Who have chosen to go their own way.

Whether it is carelessness, or willfulness. Or presumption. The effect is always and inevitably the same.

The Apostle Paul was fully convinced that this danger was very real. He wrote, "But I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection: lest that by any means, when I have preached to others, I myself should be a castaway" (1 Corinthians 9: 27).

Paul's life and service had been so very fruitful, He had been so greatly used by the Lord as He had preached the gospel to others. This "fruit" of his life and service bore strong testimony: he had continued to abide in the Lord Jesus Christ.

Yet, he saw the distinct possibility that even he could be "cast forth!" "A castaway!"

He accepted the fact that even he had the most urgent need to maintain the most constant vigilance. He applied very strict self-discipline. He was determined to personally continue to abide in Christ! Thus to continue to be fruitful for the glory of the Lord.

This word, "Castaway," which Paul used is a very significant word. He used it in other places. For example, in Romans 1: 28, "God gave them over to a reprobate mind!"

This statement was made of people who carelessly and willfully condoned sin! "Castaway!" "Reprobate!" It is: "Rejected as of no further value or worth!"

How Paul's warning needs to be strongly emphasized in these days. So many, even Christians, have become careless. Even willful. Sin is so easily excused. It is minimized and condoned. Laughed at. This, even by many who would profess to be abiding in Christ! The end result is still the same. "Given over to a reprobate mind!" "Castaway!"

This is an unchangeable and eternal principle. "Is cast forth as a branch, and is withered." Devoid of true life. Dead! There can be no true life. The one concerned is no longer in the True Vine which is the only source of true life.

This is a warning which too many continue to disregard, as though it no longer applies today. The Word of the Lord has not changed. This principle is still in force.

The Lord Jesus proceeds to reveal what is the inevitable end of this downward slide.

"And men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned."

Remember, the Lord Jesus is revealing the inevitable consequences of this foolish decision which many people choose to make.

This is not the result of any choice made by the Lord. He certainly does not want this to happen. He so clearly warns us to be alert and vigilant. Seeking to help us avoid this danger. In grace and love He continually encourages and inspires us to abide in Him.

The Lord Jesus has so clearly revealed the will of the Father. That: in Him we will "have life, and have it more abundantly" (John 10: 10). His Life! The life of the True Vine flowing into and through the branch. Making the branch increasingly fruitful.

Yet, we do have the freedom to choose. If we do choose to disregard His will and His Word, we can. We can personally choose the negative alternatives. When we do so, the consequences of that choice are inevitable.

"For the earth which drinketh in the rain that cometh oft upon it, and bringeth forth herbs meet for them by whom it is dressed, receiveth blessing from God:

"But that which beareth thorns and briars is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned" (Hebrews 6: 7, 8).

The alternatives are clear. Choose blessing! Not cursing! Choose life! Not: rejection!

"Rejected!" - is the same word which is translated: "Castaway" in 1 Corinthians 9: 27, and "Reprobate" in Romans 1: 28!

"Rejected" as completely worthless. Men gather them, and dispose of them as they would dispose of worthless dead wood.

Can that really happen to Christians? The Lord Jesus is the one who said, "Men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned!"

Does that happen? Will it happen? The Lord Jesus never gives any warning unless the danger is actually real!

"Of how much sorer punishment, suppose ye, shall he be thought worthy, who hath trodden under foot the Son of God, and hath counted the blood of the covenant, wherewith he was sanctified, and unholy thing, and hath done despite unto the Spirit of grace?

"For we know Him that hath said, Vengeance belongeth unto Me, I will recompence, saith the Lord. And again, The Lord shall judge His people.

"It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God" (Hebrews 10: 29 - 31).

Does the Lord Jesus want this for anyone? No! Yet there are those, who by their own decision, choose to no longer continue to abide in Him. This is the inevitable consequence of their choice which they themselves have quite freely made.

The Lord does not willingly let such a person go. He will continue to reach out in love and grace. Seeking to get the person to see the utter foolishness of the choice they have made. Attempting to bring them to repentance and reconciliation.

The Lord wants to forgive. To restore. To bring all who will come back into a true relationship with Himself once again. To abide in him. To bear fruit.

"If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you."

It is such a small word. Yet it conveys such vital significance: "IF!":

In verse six the Lord said, "IF a man abide not in Me!" In verse seven: "If ye abide in Me!"

He makes it so abundantly clear that we do have a real choice. He presents the alternatives to us with total clarity. They are complete opposites. There is no reason for mistaking the possible paths which we could, and must, choose to take.

"IF!" The Lord Jesus places the responsibility completely on the person who must make this choice, one way or the other, for himself. It is our responsibility. To choose to "not to abide in Him!" Or, "to abide in Him!" This is our responsibility. It is not His responsibility!

We have every reason to deeply appreciate the way He so carefully reveals all that is involved. It is so clear that He does want us to be able to fully understand. Seeking to help us grasp all that He desires in this essential area.

Yet, His use of the: "IF!" - emphasized that He cannot and He will not take that decision out of our hands.

This freedom of choice, the freedom of the will, is a gift which God gave to man when He first created him. It is His perfect will that we retain that freedom. He has never done anything to interfere with that fact. Nor will He ever do anything to change it.

"IF!" - is His way of reminding us of our personal responsibility. Of the crucial importance of fully maintaining genuine personal discipline.

Freedom which is not disciplined will too quickly degenerate into self-serving license.

Paul was well aware of this danger. "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage" (Galatians 5: 1).

The focus must always be on: The Lord Jesus Christ! On all that He is! His commitment to us. His love for us. His amazing grace so wonderfully released in His plan and purpose for us.

The focus is definitely not on our freedom. But always on the One Who gave us that freedom. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" (John 8: 36).

Central and preeminent is always: the Person of the Lord Jesus Christ! That He may be all in all!

Thus Paul testifies: "For me to live is Christ!" (Philippians 1: 21).

When that is actually true, He is the constant focus of all that we are, all we say, and all we do. Not self. Not freedom. Certainly not anything of the world.

"I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord. . . That I may win Christ, and be found in Him!" "That I may know Him!" "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 3: 8, 9, 10, 14).

With that personal and spiritual focus on the Lord Jesus, the result will always be all that He seeks. The Christian who can sincerely say with Paul, "This one thing I do!"(Philippians 3: 13) - is the one who will continue to abide in Christ.

The choice is ours. This exciting potential is so readily available for us to claim. The Lord Jesus continues to encourage us to press on into the glorious fullness of the dynamic and fruitful experience.

In verse three The Lord Jesus said, "Abide in Me, and I in you!" In verse five, "He that abideth in Me, and I in him!" Both of these statements focus on His call to His people to allow Him to continue to live in them.

Now, in this seventh verse, there appears to be a significant change. "My Words abide in you!" Yet, is there really any change?

From our limited human perspective we tend to believe that there is a distinction. Thus, a person, and the words spoken by the person, can be described as being distinct. Words are words! People are people!

But that is not the way God sees the situation. For God, His Word is the vital expression of all that He is as a Person. There is no possibility of any distinction whatsoever. Most Christians today fail to understand this essential reality.

One of the tragic consequences of this failure to grasp this truth is all too clear. There are too many Christians who believe that they can claim to love God and yet willfully fail to apply His Word in their lives.

You cannot separate God from His Word. You cannot separate the Lord Jesus from the Word He spoke.

Every Word spoken by Jesus is: JESUS! To reject His Word is to reject Him. To embrace and obey His Word in love is to embrace and obey Him in genuine love.

To willingly welcome and accept His Word, being committed to have His Word abide in us, has the same effect. It is to willingly welcome and accept Him, being committed to have Him abide in us.

"My Words abide in you!" That is: all He has ever spoken continually being spoken in freshness and power in our lives. This is to experience the amazing wonder of the relationship in which He continues to make His Word the life force of all that we are! All we say and all we do.

Peter emphasized this experience. "Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the Divine Nature" (2 Peter 1: 4).

Paul reminds us that The inspired Word of the Lord is: "profitable for doctrine (teaching), for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works" (2 Timothy 3: 16, 17).

The Psalmist testifies, "Thy Word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee" (Psalm 119: 11).

His Word ensures His personal presence. All His love and grace. All His power and purpose. His Words are the constant guarantee of His gracious guidance.

It is through His Words that we, in our hearts, are able to maintain the attitude of always seeking His glory in every situation. Focusing on His preeminence.

His Words hold us to His priorities. His values. To His standards. No matter what other pressures or perplexities may come our way.

Thus we have the saturating sufficiency of all He is totally filling and possessing all we are!

First, let us be sure that we understand that the Lord Jesus does expect us to take Him seriously. He really does mean exactly what He said.

He has repeatedly emphasized the amazing and extensive potential of true prayer. "And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in My Name, I will do it!" (John 14: 13, 14).

"What ye will!" is clearly conditioned by the preceding statement, "If ye abide in Me, and My Words abide in you!" "What ye will" will be the dynamic expression of that glorious relationship being worked out in daily life.

For example, we will not desire anything which may in any way jeopardize the privilege of that abiding!

Rather we will gladly echo the words of our Lord, "Not My will, but Thine, be done!"(Luke 22: 42).

Everything which is an integral part of the glorious will of the Father will be found at the center of all our asking.

His Word continuing to abide in us teaches us. We are made increasingly aware of the incredible potential of His will. So, in prayer we choose to launch out in faith to claim more and more of His will as He reveals it to us in His Word.

In prayer we are one with our Lord as we pray, "I delight to do Thy will, O my God!"(Psalm 40: 8).

The Word of the Lord Jesus inspires deep and great confidence. His own experience is the most wonderful example of this confident assurance. In this Word of the Lord we see revealed the only real way to achieve genuine fruitfulness.

"Father, I thank Thee that Thou hast heard Me. And I knew that Thou hearest Me always" (John 11: 41, 42).

"I know!" There is no doubt. No uncertainty. He was continually abiding in His Father. The Father was continually abiding in Him.

"And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that, if we ask anything according to His will, He heareth us: And if we know that He hear us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of Him" (1 John 5: 14, 15).

Confidence, that: "It shall be done!" Our will is one with His will. This is the direct result of the fact that we are committed to continue to abide in Him. Committed to have His Word abiding in us!

"We know - that - we have!" We are fully confident: it shall be done! This will result in the fruit of the True Vine being evident in our lives.

"Herein is My Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be My disciples."

The Lord Jesus not only accurately understood this essential perspective. He Himself gave the most dynamic example of what it means to live this principle out effectively.

"I have glorified Thee on the earth: I have finished the work which Thou gavest Me to do" (John 17: 4).

His prayer was: "Thy will be done!"(Matthew 26: 42). His personal commitment: "I come . . . to do Thy will!"(Hebrews 10: 7). "For I came down from heaven, not to do Mine own will, but the will of Him that sent Me" (John 6: 38).

He knew that this was the only way by which He could glorify the Father. There was no alternative. None!

There are far too many Christians today who are reluctant to accept that indisputable fact. They think that they have found another way. They want to contend that they can glorify God in ways which are more in accord with their own desires and wishes.

There is nothing more futile than such foolishness. Such an attitude not only fails to glorify the Lord, and fails utterly and completely. It actually dishonors Him and robs Him of His glory!

The challenge: to continue to abide in Christ and have His Word abide in you. To experience the dynamic fruitfulness which always results from that genuine relationship. This, and this alone, enables the Christian to continually live in the Father's will and to effectively, meaningfully, glorify Him.

"My Father glorified!" For the Lord Jesus that was eternally and preeminently His compelling and consuming passion and purpose. Always His first priority. The goal to which He totally committed all He was and all He had.

It is a very common mistake to imagine that our salvation is the Lord's first priority. It is not. Our salvation is of great importance to Him for this reason: Our salvation contributes to the eternal glory of His Father!

"That in the ages to come He might show the exceeding riches of His grace in His kindness toward us through Christ Jesus" (Ephesians 2: 7)

The objective: "Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10: 31).

"That God in all things may be glorified through Jesus Christ, to whom be praise and dominion for ever and ever" (1 Peter 4: 11).

To abide in Christ, and to know that His Word is abiding in us, enables us to begin to accomplish this essential goal. So that: "in all things - God will be glorified!"

"That: YE!" It is the Lord Jesus Himself who so clearly emphasizes that Christians have no alternative. Including the fact that we all will be held accountable to accomplish this objective which He has set for us.

When the Lord Jesus first called His disciples, He said to them, "Come ye after Me, and I will make you to become fishers of men" (Mark 1: 17).

Just prior to His ascension He stated, "Ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you, and ye shall be witnesses unto Me" (Acts 1: 8).

"That repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His Name among all nations" (Luke 24: 47).

"That ye bear much fruit!" If we claim to love the Lord and yet fail to bear much fruit we deny the purpose for which we are called. Even as we deny the Father the glory which is His due.

First: "Fruit!" Then, "More fruit!" Now, twice, the Lord Jesus has emphasized: "Much fruit!"

Paul understood his responsibility. "For necessity is laid upon me; yea, woe is unto me, if I preach not the gospel!" "For though I be free from all men, yet have I made myself servant unto all, that I might gain the more." "I am made all things to all men, that I might by all means save some" (1 Corinthians 9: 16, 19, 22).

"He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord" (1 Corinthians 1: 31).

"Much fruit!" - is the Lord's perfect plan by which we will glorify God in the Lord Jesus Christ.

"Much fruit!" -is gloriously possible, if we will faithfully follow the direction given by the Lord's Words in these verses.

"SO!" Once again, this is an exclusive statement! It is meant to be. The Lord Jesus is emphasizing: this is THE way! The only way! There is no possible alternative. Either you accept this way or you are automatically excluding yourself.

Does that sound harsh? Too harsh? Not when we remember Who this is Who is making this statement. Nor when we take into account His perfect wisdom and knowledge. Nor His perfect love and unswerving commitment to make real in our lives God's perfect will and purpose.

"SO!" By this! By genuine, total commitment to glorify the Father in all things, at all times. By being both determined and patiently diligent in our consecration, resolved to bear "much fruit!" To do so with the deliberate resolve that the Father be glorified in the Lord Jesus.

"I will make you to become" all that My father wills for you to become. Now: "ye shall be!" "Ye shall become - My disciples."

There are a great many people who profess to be the disciples of the Lord Jesus. But, what happens when their claim is examined in the light of this verse? When their attitude, commitment, and motivation are evaluated against all that the Lord Jesus is saying here?

The effect is: so many are not only shown to be not His disciples. They are completely ignorant of what He means by: "So shall ye be My disciples!"

The genuine disciple of the Lord Jesus is the one whose life is being constantly disciplined by the Word of His Lord. Who is diligent in the task of learning all that it means to be His disciples. Submitting to His direction as he seeks to learn and grow.

His disciples are those whose lives give evidence of a compelling motivation. To abide in Him. Thus: to bear "much fruit!" His fruit! So as to continually bring glory to the Father.

To be His disciples we must be strongly addicted to Him! To His person and His personality. To His purity and Holiness. To His Word and His will. To His teaching and direction.

His true disciples constantly hear, and march to one pulsating drum-beat: "This is the way the Master went! Should not the servant tread it still!"

Their glorious obsession is: JESUS! His glory. Being utterly entranced by His beauty! Wanting to be His love-slave for all of time and all of eternity.

So that the Father may be glorified in the Son. That is the only thing that matters. To attain that goal: bear much fruit. That is what it means to be His disciples.

Claiming the assurance: we can daily live and serve as those who are triumphantly effective in prayer.

Joyfully preoccupied with the consuming, compelling objective: To glorify the Father in the Son.

Embracing His way of accomplishing that goal: Bear much fruit! The much fruit of the life of the Lord Jesus being lived out in us: the branches.

Diligently responding in love and obedience to Him. To His Word. To His will.