Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God

Abiding In Christ

Transcript: AI Transcript

Professor: John Weaver

Subject: New Testament Studies

Genre: Sermon

Dictation Name:

Date: 2018-05-13

Synopsis: John Weaver expounds John 15:1-11, teaching that abiding in Christ is not a mystical experience but is defined by obedience to His commandments. He argues that true union with Christ necessarily produces fruit, and the absence of fruit or obedience indicates a lost state. Using the vine and branches metaphor, he emphasizes that abiding is mandatory, not optional, and that God's grace enables the obedience which is our responsibility. Applications include fighting against sin, not living by feelings, and keeping ourselves in the love of God through obedience.

[John Weaver] Being my brother Chrisman and I I really appreciate getting to come up here and help him straighten Isaiah out and Aggravate him a little bit because Isaiah needs all the help he can get that right son. Yeah, I do that It is a joy, I appreciate the opportunity I really do and I would appreciate your prayers, you know, I want to say this before we get started today I'm glad our brother chose the song revive us again and We sang first, and I stepped over to my wife and I said, now, be sure to sing this song the way our children did years ago. And it's amazing what children hear.

[John Weaver] We have a good friend, she was sick and her kids went to Sunday school and so they came home from church and she said, well, did you learn anything in Sunday school? They said, yes, we learned a new song. She said, sing it for me. And so they started singing, crazy, crazy, all you little children. Instead of praise him, praise him, they heard crazy, crazy. So they were singing crazy, crazy, all you little children. And years ago when our girls were young, they were singing this in the back seat of the car.

[John Weaver] And of course the chorus is hallelujah, thine the glory, hallelujah, amen, hallelujah, thine the glory. revive us again. And our twins were singing, they would sing Hallelujah, Christ in glory. Hallelujah. Amen. Hallelujah, Christ in glory. He's coming as soon as he can. That's what they heard. So that's what they say. So I am thankful that At least they can read now, that's for sure. Let's open our Bibles, if you would please, to the book of John, chapter 15. John, chapter 15, we're going to read the first 11 verses.

[John Weaver] Now, I want to deal with the subject, abiding in Christ. So look in John, chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 1, where our Lord says, I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. 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.

[John Weaver] Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. 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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Here it is, my father, glorified, that you bear much fruit.

[John Weaver] So shall you be my disciples. As the father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. In my library, I have a number of books on the subject of abiding in Christ. I've read a number of them.

[John Weaver] And truthfully, I don't think any of them really and truly helped me because many of them were basically pietistic, egocentric, deeper life-related or just simply plain nonsense. In fact, some of those books posited or demanded a life that absolutely no one could live or fulfill. And at the same time, some of those authors were actually saying that unless you live in the way that they are demanding that you live, then you're not saved. So once you read those books and you start looking at the Bible, then reality basically sets in and brings us back to our senses. Years ago, I was reading a lot of the Puritans, and I was really impressed not only with their piety, their dedication, their exposition of Scripture, but also the fact that they were early risers.

[John Weaver] Many of them would get up anywhere from 2 to 4 in the morning and begin praying and studying and preparing their hearts and lives for the day of ministry. And I thought to myself, you know, I'm going to do that. And so I'm going to get up at four in the morning and I'm going to be praying for several hours before I start my day as well. And so I got up at four o'clock in the morning and I knelt on my knees beside my bed. I put my head on the bed and I started praying. And truthfully, when I woke up several hours later, my knees were sore. So I tried it again the next day and the same thing.

[John Weaver] And I felt embarrassed, I felt defeated, I felt distressed and I considered myself a failure and that I was unspiritual and something was wrong with me because these men evidently did this and I'm unable to do it. Then it dawned on me, yes, they were able to be up at four o'clock in the morning because they were in bed by six o'clock in the evening. no telephones, no TVs, no computers, no nothing.

[John Weaver] And then I began to examine my life because I was a pastor, I was the principal of our Christian school, I was a teacher in our Christian school, I was the counselor, I was the disciplinarian on top of that. Moreover, I was teaching three nights a week in our Bible Institute, going a minimum of two hours per night, not counting the preaching I was doing on Sunday and on Wednesday night and other nights during the week. And the truth of the matter is, I was getting in bed at 11 o'clock at midnight and trying to be up at four.

[John Weaver] All of a sudden, reality set in and I realized You know, I can't do what they did with the schedule that I have. And it dawned on me that God is a reasonable being, and he expects us to be reasonable as well. That's why I said in Isaiah 1 in verse 18, come now and let us reason together. Whatever God demands, we must obey. But our lives are not to be lived on the basis of what God demanded 200 years ago or 400 years ago or even 500 years ago. Our lives will be based upon the word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, when you look in John chapter 15, there are very clear truths that are obvious. Let me just give you a couple before we get started. Notice if you would please, first of all, Our Lord uses here a very common metaphor. He says in verse 1, I am the true vine, and my father is the husbandman. So he is indeed the vine, and he goes on to say that we are the branches as well. Now, there are a number of commentators, if you read on John chapter 15, they're going to say that our Lord took this metaphor probably from the fact that they had just had the Passover and wine was served. It was Josephus who says, no, there were there were vines carved on the temple door, and that's where he got it. Another commentator would say, well, there are so many vineyards there, and just as our Lord walked to the Mount of Olives or anywhere else, he obviously passed a number of vineyards as well.

[John Weaver] But the truth of the matter is this. The vines and the vineyards are used over and over in the Bible as illustrations. For instance, you can find it primarily in Isaiah 5, Psalm 80, Joel 1, Jeremiah 2, Ezekiel chapter 19. So this illustration, this metaphor of being vines and vineyards has been taught clearly throughout the Bible for ages. So Jesus Christ, then, is likened himself to the vine and his disciples as the branches or his followers as the branches. He calls himself the true vine to show that in reality he himself is indeed true while all of the other vines are false. It's kind of like the same illustration that he used in John chapter 10 when he said that he is the true shepherd.

[John Weaver] and all the others are harlings. So when you stop and think about vines, there are many vines that entangle and cause you to stumble and fall and never ever produce any fruit. So it's only in Jesus Christ that you can have scriptural and biblical fruit.

[John Weaver] Now, there's another reason, I believe, that he calls himself here the true vine, and that is to demonstrate to his disciples that their fruit was not in themselves, but it must be found in him alone. So let me explain it like this. Biblical fruit, or the fruit of the Spirit, does not proceed, and did not proceed, from the ceremonial law. Neither did it proceed from pharisaical legalism, or rituals, or from any other source. Our Lord is saying if there's going to ever be any fruit produced in your life, it must flow through spiritual union with Him and the grace that comes from that spiritual union with Him. So Jesus Christ says, I am the true vine. Secondly, the Bible teaches us very clearly that if you're savingly in Jesus Christ, you will produce fruit.

[John Weaver] Notice what He said, verse 2. Every branch of me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it bring forth more fruit. So the absence of fruit in an individual's life is a manifestation that one is not savingly united to Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, when you start thinking about the parables in Matthew chapter 13, our Lord said, some bring forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. It's not necessarily right now the amount of fruit that is to be considered, but it's just simply fruit. In other words, you're going to have some fruit in some degree, in some amount, if you are united savingly to Jesus Christ. And what fruit are we talking about? In Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says, But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, temperance.

[John Weaver] Against such there is no law. So obviously, if you're united to Jesus Christ, there are going to be some fruits in your life, fruits of the Spirit, fruits that have been produced because of the grace of God in your life. Now, it's called the fruit of the Spirit. Why? Well, the Bible tells you very clearly in Romans chapter eight in verse nine, if any man have not the spirit of Christ, he's none of his. So if the spirit of Christ is in you, there's gonna be fruit. If the spirit of Christ is not in you, then there's not going to be any fruit whatsoever. So obviously, our Lord begins this by telling us that he is the true vine, we're the branches, that all true fruit comes and flows through him, And the absence of fruit demonstrates that we are not savingly united to him.

[John Weaver] Thirdly, may I point out, that abiding in Christ is not optional, but is absolutely mandatory. Look, if you would, what he said in verse 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. Skip down to verse 4. He says, Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can you except you abide in me. So it is impossible to live a Christian life without Jesus Christ. It's amazing to me how many people try to be Christians, and they try to be Christians without Jesus Christ. It's impossible to be a Christian without Jesus Christ. It's impossible to please God the Father apart from Jesus Christ. It's impossible to produce biblical fruit apart from Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] Now, it is possible to be religious and lost. It is possible to be a baptized church member and be lost. It is possible to be a deacon and be lost. It is possible to be a preacher and be lost. I know plenty of preachers that have gotten saved. Isn't that amazing? I preach for one regularly down in Alabama, and he gives a brilliant testimony of how he preached for years until God actually saved him.

[John Weaver] So the point being is this. It is possible to have all of these things and still be lost. You have to understand that churches do not save. Works do not save. Professions do not save. Soul winners do not save. Only Jesus Christ saves. And so you can be a church member, you can be a worker, you can be a deacon, you can be a preacher, you can be all kinds of things and still be lost.

[John Weaver] And our Lord is saying that abiding in Him is absolutely mandatory or there will never ever be any manifestation of saving grace or of saving fruits. There is no life apart from Jesus Christ. and a refusal to abide in Jesus Christ places one in what you and I would call eternal jeopardy. What did our Lord say of the goats there in Matthew chapter 25 and verse 46?

[John Weaver] He said, And these shall go away into everlasting punishment. And so a failure to abide in Christ means that one is cast out, cast away, dried up, withered, and burned. Look what he said again in verse 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. Skip down to verse six. 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 to be burned. Anyone that has ever had any dealings with fruit trees understands that a dead limb does not produce fruit. The only thing you can do with a dead limb is sever it from the tree. And the only thing the dead limb is fit for is to be burned as firewood. That's it. And that's exactly what our Lord is saying. Our Lord is saying a failure to abide in Him demonstrates that one is not saved. And the only thing left is for that branch to be cut off, cast away, withered, and burned.

[John Weaver] Now, I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but as I read John chapter 15, there is one word that kept appearing over and over. And that little word is abide or abideth. It's interesting that the little word abide or abideth is the little Greek word mino, M-E-N-O, and it means to abide. to remain, to continue, to last, to endure, to tarry, and dwell.

[John Weaver] So let me show you the emphasis. If you were to look in verse 4, don't take the time to read it, I'll point it out, but if you look in verse 4, the word abide occurs twice. The word abide occurs once in verse 5. In verse 6, it occurs once. In verse 7, it occurs twice. In verse 9, the word continue is the same word as abide. It's the Greek word minnow. In verse 10, the word occurs twice. And the word remain, which is the word minnow, occurs once in verse 11. So this one little Greek word, minnow, occurs 10 times in 11 verses. So the emphasis has got to be exceedingly plain. We must abide in Jesus Christ or be lost. Ah.

[John Weaver] Now that brings us to a couple of questions. First of all. What does it mean to abide in Jesus Christ? And number two. How do I know whether or not I'm abiding in Jesus Christ? Now clearly, if abiding in Jesus Christ is some esoteric experience or some deeper life feeling, there's absolutely no way to answer those questions. Most people, they live by feelings. They live by experience. They do not live by the Word of God. But thankfully, the answers to those two questions are given to us in the Word of God.

[John Weaver] Now, before I show you other passages, I want to call your attention, first of all, to verse 7. Look in verse 7, John 15, verse 7. Our Lord said, If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 10. He said, if you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. Now, I want to make sure that you see this, because I want you to look back in verse one. Our Lord says, I am the true vine and my father is the husband.

[John Weaver] Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. Notice the phrase in me, he taketh away. and every branch that beareth fruit, he purchased it, that it may bring more fruit. Verse 4, Abide in me, and I in you. And then he says in verse 5, I am the vine, you're the branches. He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, verse 7, if you abide in me. Notice if you would, all through verse 7, Everything is about abiding in Jesus Christ. However, there is a transition beginning in verse seven. Look at it. If you abide in me and my words abide in you, hmm, you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you. Now go back on to verse 10. Here's the transition very plainly.

[John Weaver] If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my father's love or abide in my love, even as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. Now look back at verse seven, because he said, if you abided me and my words abided you. The words there are actually refers to that which has been uttered or spoken by the living word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, our Lord is here referring to his doctrine, to his teaching, to his commandments. In other words, his word is to remain, continue and indwell and invite in us as a living principle that regulates our affections, that regulates our life, that regulates our actions. In other words, we're basically controlled by his word because we derive our life, our sustenance and our nourishment from him. Oh. So this change comes from abiding in Christ to abiding in His Word.

[John Weaver] Now, let me explain it like this. Most of you can quote probably John 1, 1 through 3. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and without Him was not anything made that was made. Okay, so the word there refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Skip down to verse 14 of John 1, and the word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld his glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. So Jesus Christ, then, is the living word, okay? In the beginning was the word, the word was with God, and the word was God. The word became flesh.

[John Weaver] Now, when you think about the Bible, 2 Timothy 3, 16 and 17, all scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness. that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works. And I told you the other day that the word inspired there means God breathed or God exhaled. So you have it like this. Now, watch. On the one hand, you have Jesus Christ, who is the living word. And on the other hand, you have the Bible, which is the written word of God, the divine revelation of God that has been God breathed and God exhaled.

[John Weaver] Now, I want you to look in John chapter 12, if you would please, and verse 48, and let me show you how our Lord puts these two things together. Look in John 12 and verse 48. Our Lord says it like this. He that rejecteth me, that is the living word, and receiveth not my words, that is the written word, hath the one that judgeth him the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day. So Jesus Christ is the living word and the Bible is the written word. And our Lord said you cannot maintain one attitude toward me and a different attitude toward the Bible or one attitude toward the Bible and a different attitude toward me. No, because they're one in the same. Jesus Christ is the living word of God and the Bible is a written word of God. And men will be judged based upon not only their reception or rejection of Jesus Christ, but either their reception and rejection of the words that our Lord has given us.

[John Weaver] Now, look back in John chapter 15. Again, notice verse 7, then we're going to verse 10. John 15, because I want to answer this question about abiding in Christ. Because without abiding in him, we are lost. Notice in John 15 in verse 7, he said, if you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and shall be done unto you. OK, now look in verse 10. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. So let me ask you a question. How did our Lord abide? How did he continue? How did he remain in the father's love? Well, look at verse 10. Even as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. Our Lord. A boat or abided in the father's love by continual obedience.

[John Weaver] The evidence that he loved the father was he obeyed the father. So here's my question. How do we abide in Christ's love? Well, look back in verse 10. He said, if you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love. Then he says, even as or just as I've kept my father's commandments and abide in his love. We understand that Christ's obedience has to be our pattern. We must imitate Him. We must obey Him and abide in His love, just like He obeyed His Father. and continued and tarried in the father's love.

[John Weaver] I could say this another way. It is impossible to retain a sense of God's pardoning love without continuing in the obedience of faith. It was the obedience of Christ that marked out and manifested his love to the father. And it is our obedience that marks out and manifest our love to Jesus Christ. So let's ask this question again. How do we abide in Jesus Christ? And the answer is by our obedience to him.

[John Weaver] Now let me make a statement. Please listen carefully. Our obedience does not save us. Neither does it help to save us. We're saved merely by the sovereign grace and mercy of God alone. But our obedience does indeed manifest whether or not we are saved. And clearly, there is in this passage, as well as others, a reference to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember I quoted the passage the other night in Luke 6 and verse 46. When our Lord asked this question, why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you? And I told you that the word Lord actually means boss, owner, master, sovereign. So our Lord is asking, why are you calling me Lord and you're not doing what I'm saying? Why are you calling me your master if you're not going to obey me? You see, there's a clear reference here to government. You remember that passage in Isaiah chapter nine in verse six? Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given, listen, and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God, the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father.

[John Weaver] You know, everybody is rejoicing when they get around Christmas time over the baby. You know why people love Christmas so much? Who's afraid of a baby? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Everybody wants to keep Jesus Christ as a baby. But Jesus Christ is not a baby. Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Jesus Christ is the living sovereign and the living savior who ascended and is seated by the right hand of God and he holds us in the palm of his hand. He is God. And what people do not like is his government. The pastor quoted Matthew 28, 18 this morning, where Jesus Christ said, all authority in heaven and earth is given unto me. He has the absolute right to command. He has the absolute right to tell us how to live and how not to live. He has the absolute right to tell us how we can dress and how we cannot dress. He has the absolute right to do whatever he decides and whatever he pleases, because he is God.

[John Weaver] Do you understand Can't do as I please you say you're a grown man. That's immaterial Only God can do as he pleases Only God can do that God does as he pleases only as he pleases and always as he pleases because he is God and Therefore our Lord who has all authority and power, has the absolute right to tell us how we can live. So the meaning is, it's impossible to produce fruit for the Father. It's impossible to continue in the enjoyment of Christ's love where there is no obedience.

[John Weaver] If you look down in your Bibles at John 15, verse 11, look what he said. John 15, verse 11, These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full. So wherever there is habitual obedience, there's going to be habitual enjoyment of the love of Jesus Christ. So let me say it like this. Obedience is not optional. It is mandatory. Obedience is not optional. It is mandatory. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles just back to John 14. Look at verse 15. Look what our Lord says. John 14, verse 15. Our Lord said, If you love me, keep my commandments.

[John Weaver] Well, that's pretty simple, isn't it? If we love Him, we will obey Him. If He is our Lord, we will obey Him. Look in your Bibles to verse 21, John 14, verse 21. Our Lord said it again. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my father, and I will love him and will manifest myself unto him. So if you want more of Jesus Christ, if you want more of God the Father, he says you must obey me. He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and we will come to him, and we will manifest ourselves to him. Look in verse 24. Our Lord said, He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings. The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which hath sent me. Wow. Do you understand that abiding in Jesus Christ has direct reference to obedience. Our Lord could not say it any plainer than he did in John 15 and verse 10.

[John Weaver] Look at it. John 15, verse 10. He said, if you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love. Wow. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love. That's a simple fact. That is a statement of truth. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love.

[John Weaver] Now, you have to understand this. It is God's grace and God's mercy and God's power that gives us the ability to abide in his love and keep his commandments. But on the other hand, it is our duty. It is our obligation and our responsibility to keep his commandments. So you have ability and you have responsibility. The responsibility is ours. The abilities comes from God. This truth is much like the truth of what you and I know as preservation and perseverance. When you look in the book of Jude, verse one, the Bible tells us that we are preserved in God the Father through Jesus Christ. God preserves us. But there's also the truth in the Bible of perseverance.

[John Weaver] He that perseveres to the end, the same shall be saved. He tells us to continue in faith and continue in repentance. That's perseverance. So now, watch if you would, please. Perseverance is our responsibility. Preservation is God's ability. So when God preserves us in Jesus Christ, he gives us grace and mercy that enables us to persevere. Our persevering is evidence that God has preserved us. If we're not persevering in the faith, then there's no evidence that God has ever preserved us to begin with. For those whom God preserves, he enables to persevere. Those who are abiding in Jesus Christ, he enables to obey.

[John Weaver] So our obedience is not even our own obedience. It's ours only by the grace and the mercy of God. So just like preservation and perseverance are the two sides of one coin. Now you have abiding in Christ and obedience as being the two sides of one coin. You cannot have preservation and perseverance one without the other. Neither can you have obedience and abiding in Christ, one without the other. They're the two sides of one coin. If you're abiding, you're going to be obeying. If you're preserved, you're going to be persevering. Let me show you.

[John Weaver] I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding John 15, but turn, if you would, please, to the book of Jude, the little book right before the book of Revelation, one chapter in Jude. So we're going to be looking at Jude, verse 20. Look in the book of Jude. And verse 20. Here's an interesting statement. He says, Jude, verse 20, but you be loving, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Keep yourselves in the love of God. Looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ into eternal life. Wow. Keep yourselves in the love of God. So here's my question. How do you keep yourself in the love of God? Now, if the love of God is some little esoteric thing floating around somewhere in the universe, then you've got a real problem. If you go back to verse 20, he says, but you beloved building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. Well, you could say if we're going to keep ourselves in the love of God, we're going to be praying.

[John Weaver] We're going to be building ourselves up on our most holy faith. And by the way, the word building there is a very interesting word. It means to finish the structure on which the foundation has already been laid. You remember, the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3 that he's laid the foundation of Jesus Christ, which no other man can lay. And so here he tells us that we have to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.

[John Weaver] But when you look at verse 21 again, he says, keep yourselves in the love of God. Have you ever thought about this? It is your responsibility to keep yourself in the love of God. Let me give you a couple of quotes. Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says this. Keep up the grace of love to God in its lively vigorous actions and exercises in your souls. And then he says this. Take heed of throwing yourselves out of love to God or its delightful, cheering, strengthening manifestations. Keep yourselves in the way of God. If you would continue in his love. Now, wait a minute. Matthew Henry just said, keep yourselves in the love of God. And then he said, take heed that you don't throw yourselves out of the love of God. Wow. Is it possible to throw yourself out of the love of God?

[John Weaver] And the answer is yes. Is it possible to keep yourself in the love of God? And the answer is yes. How do we do that? Well, you remember what I told you, if the love of God is some kind of esoteric thing floating around, we've got problems. But if you look in your Bibles back just a few pages to 1st John chapter 5, you will see exactly what Matthew Henry meant and what the scripture means when it tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God. Look in 1st John chapter 5, verse 3. Here's the definition of the love of God. He says, for this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments. and His commandments are not grievous. Well, how can I keep myself in the love of God? By keeping His commandments. How can I make sure that I don't throw myself out of the love of God? By failing to keep His commandments. For He says this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments and they're not grievous unto us.

[John Weaver] We build ourselves up in our faith by obedience to God and His commandments. We keep ourselves in the love of God by obedience to His commandments. Do you remember when Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph in Genesis 39 in verse three? And he ran out and he left his coat. And as he went out, he said, There is none greater in this house than I. Neither have he kept anything back from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God? And he ran out. What was he doing? He's keeping himself in the love of God. He was refusing to violate the law of God. When he tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God. He's telling us to keep ourselves in his commandments because he said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. And this is the love of God that we keep his commandments and they are not grievous unto us. Albert Barnes, another commentator, says this, talking about keeping the commandments, he says, This constitutes true love.

[John Weaver] This furnishes the evidence of it, and his commandments are not grievous, that is, they're not heavy, that is, they're not difficult to be borne, and they're not a burden. The meaning is that his laws are not unreasonable, The duties which he requires are not beyond our ability. His government is not oppressive. It is easy to obey God when the heart is right. And those who endeavor in sincerity to keep his commandments do not complain that they are hard. All complaints of this kind, that is, that they are hard, come from those who have no disposition to keep his commandments.

[John Weaver] And then he makes this statement. No man ever yet heard a true Christian say that the laws of God requiring him to lead a holy life were stern and grievous. It's not grievous for me not to steal. I don't want to steal to begin with. It's not grievous for me not to murder. I don't want to murder anybody anyhow. It's not grievous for me to love my wife. I want to love her anyhow. It's not grievous for me to worship the one true and living God. He's the one I want to worship anyhow. So anyone who has a disposition to keep the law of God understands it's not grievous. John Gale, the great Baptist commentator, said this, keeping the commandments of God is an evidence of love to God.

[John Weaver] This shows that love is not in word or tongue or in profession only, but in deed and in truth. And that such persons have a sense of the love of God upon their souls under the influence of which they act. And such shall have and may have and expect greater manifestations of the love of God to them. Well, that's exactly what our Lord said in John 14.

[John Weaver] He that loveth me keepeth my commandments. And the Father will come and manifest himself unto him. That's exactly what he said. Another author just simply said it like this. This is the love of God that we keep his commandments. There is nothing else worth calling love. Love to God is the spirit of obedience. It is that which subjects the whole life to him. How can it be love to him whose authority we admit and whose perfection in the exercise of it we cannot really doubt for a moment and yet at the same time refuse obedience to him? What is this path that his commandments mark out for us but a path of peace as it is a path of victory over all that would destroy peace? Subjection to God is that which is peace to the whole universe.

[John Weaver] The reason we have the trouble and the problems that we have in our lives is because we're not willing to submit to God. We're not willing to obey. Practically every problem that we have somehow stems from sin to a rebellion against his word. Now, the problem is this. There are some people that would say, oh. But I'm a Christian. And and I don't believe that I have to keep his commandments. I mean, I'm just going to live my life the way I please. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to act the way I act. And I'll live the way I live, but I am a believer. I just can't be bothered with strict details that which I think would hinder me or restrain me. I've heard people say something similar to that. And here's my response. If you try to tell me that you are a genuine believer.

[John Weaver] And you're not interested in obedience. I will listen to you and allow you to express yourself. if you will then allow God to express Himself about your position. So if you look in your Bibles to I John chapter 2, I John chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. I John 2, verse 3. Look what the Scripture says. And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments. How do I know that I really know God savingly?

[John Weaver] Because he's enabling me to obey him. Now, my obedience is not perfect, and no one's is perfect in this life, but generally speaking, our lives are regulated by the word of God. So he says very clearly, and hereby we do know that we know him if we keep his commandments. Watch verse four. He that saith I know him, and keepeth not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. but whoso keepeth his word in him verily is the love of God perfected, hereby know we that were in him. So what does God say about a man who says that he's a believer and that he loves the Lord, he just doesn't obey him? Well, God says that man's a liar and the truth's not in him. Because our Lord said, if you love me, you will keep my commandments. as obedience demonstrates and manifests our knowledge and submission to him. Disobedience demonstrates and manifests our rebellion to him and the reality that we do not know him.

[John Weaver] If you will look in your Bibles to first John three. And look there at verses 23 and 24. First John three verse 23. The Bible says that this is his commandment that we should believe on the name of his son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment, and he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him or abideth in him, and he in him, and hereby we know that he abideth in us

[John Weaver] by the spirit which he hath given to us. What is he saying? If we keep his commandments, we're abiding in him. And we know that we're abiding in him because the Holy Spirit indwells us and enables us to obey. That's pretty simple. The word dwelleth in verse 23 and the word abideth in verse 24 happen to be the same Greek word, minnow, that you found in John chapter 15. Look in verse John chapter four and verse 13 verse John four and verse 13 hereby know that we dwell in him and he in us because he has given us of his spirit. What does the spirit of Christ lead us to? He leads us to obey. It is the Spirit of Christ that preserves us and enables us to persevere. It is God that abides in us and enables us to abide in Him by causing us to obey and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Look at your Bibles, if you would, to 1 John 3 and verse 22. 1 John 3, verse 22.

[John Weaver] And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him. Why? because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight. What are those things that are pleasing in his sight? Keeping his commandments, obedience to his word, obedience to his law. Wow. In other words, if you wish to please your heavenly father, then you must obey him. I had four daughters. Two of them are identical twins.

[John Weaver] And I used to tell them then they would tell me and they still do. Dad, we love your I love you. Every time I talk to one, and I tell them I love them. But when they were young, I would say, I'd rather have your obedience than anything else. I appreciate the fact that you tell me that you love me. I appreciate the fact that you'll sit on my lap and hug my neck and kiss my cheek. I appreciate that and I like that. But that means nothing. If you disobey me.

[John Weaver] Do you realize that's exactly what our God is telling us? You can profess all kind of love to him, but if you do not obey him, you do not love him here. He tells us. He tells us. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Do you really, genuinely want to please your Heavenly Father? If you do, the way to please Him is through obedience. This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous unto us.

[John Weaver] Let me try to tie it together with some applications. The first one is this. Abiding in Christ is not optional, it is mandatory. We cannot exist apart from Him. He's the vine. We're the branches. And abiding in Him is not some mystical or esoteric act. Abiding in Him is nothing less than pure obedience to the totality of His Word. It is living in His presence. It is living in His sight. Now, wait a minute.

[John Weaver] Let's go back to 1 John 3, verse 22. Look at this. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight. You know what that means? It means our lives are before him. He is watching us and whatever we do, we're doing in his presence. Wow. If you want to please your heavenly father, then you must obey him.

[John Weaver] The second application is this. We must keep ourselves in the love of God by a fervent obedience to his mercy and his grace. We cannot become apathetic. We cannot become lazy. We cannot become indolent. We cannot become lackadaisical. We have to do like Joseph, learn to flee from temptation, and flee from sin, and flee from anything that's wicked and wrong, and we have to purposefully, deliberately, with vigor and energy, choose to obey and actually obey. When you give in to your feelings, and you give in to depression, and you give in to desperation and discouragement, You've lost your vigor. You've lost your vitality. You're saying, I don't have the energy to fight. I don't have the spirit to fight.

[John Weaver] But I've got news for you. You cannot live holily. You cannot live godly. And you cannot live obediently without fighting. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Look, if you would please, what the Apostle Paul said, beginning there with verse 26. First Corinthians nine, verse 26. Watch. Paul said, I therefore run not as uncertainly, so fight I not as one that beateth the air. He's a shadow boxer. He said, I'm not a shadow boxer. I'm not beating the air.

[John Weaver] But he said, I keep under my body and bring it in subjection, lest by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway. He said, I fight to keep my body under subjection. I fight to remain holy and godly. And let me tell you something, folks, it is a fight. And you have to renew that mind and you have to renew those thoughts, not only on a daily basis, sometimes an hourly basis, sometimes minute by minute and moment by moment. You cannot give in. You cannot give up. You cannot give out. You cannot quit. It's a fight. And you will be in this fight until you die. We must fight. We must abide. We must trust in God's grace and mercy. We must understand that ability belongs to Him, and responsibility belongs to us. And our Lord said, except you abide in Me, and I in you, you cannot produce any fruit.

[John Weaver] And if any branch abides not in Me, he's cut off, cast out, withered, and burn. Abiding in Christ just simply means that we are obedient to his word. We keep his commandments. We live unto him. We serve him. And our lives are regulated and controlled by the word of God. Let me tell you something. Let's suppose. Let's suppose that Isaiah standing in front of me. And all of a sudden, I just draw back and I hit him. It's the hardest I can hit him.

[John Weaver] And I knock him to the floor. And he jumps up and he says. Why did you do that? And I say, well, I just felt like doing it. Fine, he said. I feel like breaking your neck. Or breaking your arm. Now, wait a minute. If I can live by my feelings and hit him, cannot he live by his feelings and hit me? We don't live by feelings. I don't do what I feel like doing.

[John Weaver] I do what God commands me to do. Whether I feel like it or not, it's immaterial. Feelings never are to lead. They're always to follow. And God has ordained it when we obey him and do that, which is right. We're going to feel right if we disobey him. We're going to feel bad because our feelings always follow our actions. If you want to have the joy of Jesus Christ, as he said in John 15, verse 11. You must learn to obey. Never. ever give into your feelings. Always live by the principle of faith and the principle of obedience.

[John Weaver] Our Lord said, if you love me, you keep my commandments. Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before thee. We thank you for your truth. And Lord, we thank you for the opportunity to abide in Jesus Christ by obeying his word, just like our Lord continued Loving thee by obeying thee. So Lord help us to continue in Jesus Christ by obeying him. He is our Lord. He's our master. He's our sovereign. And we bow to him. Give us grace that we may serve the acceptably with reverence and God be feared in the name of Jesus Christ. We ask and pray. Amen.

Abiding In Christ

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	61318201533
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-05-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 134: Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification - Volume 1 — Chapter 14
Source Timed Segments	70

Formatted Transcript

Introduction and Personal Anecdotes

Weaver shares humorous stories about children mishearing hymns and a personal struggle to imitate Puritan prayer habits, leading to the realization that God is reasonable and our lives must be based on Scripture, not historical practices.

Being my brother Chrisman and I, I really appreciate getting to come up here and help him straighten Isaiah out and aggravate him a little bit, because Isaiah needs all the help he can get. That right, son? Yeah, I do that. It is a joy. I appreciate the opportunity, I really do, and I would appreciate your prayers. You know, I want to say this before we get started today: I'm glad our brother chose the song "Revive Us Again," and we sang first, and I stepped over to my wife and I said, "Now, be sure to sing this song the way our children did years ago." And it's amazing what children hear. We have a good friend; she was sick and her kids went to Sunday school, and so they came home from church and she said, "Well, did you learn anything in Sunday school?" They said, "Yes, we learned a new song." She said, "Sing it for me." And so they started singing, "Crazy, crazy, all you little children," instead of "Praise Him, praise Him." They heard "crazy, crazy." So they were singing "Crazy, crazy, all you little children." And years ago when our girls were young, they were singing this in the back seat of the car.

And of course the chorus is "Hallelujah, Thine the glory, Hallelujah, Amen, Hallelujah, Thine the glory, revive us again." And our twins were singing, they would sing "Hallelujah, Christ in glory. Hallelujah. Amen. Hallelujah, Christ in glory. He's coming as soon as He can." That's what they heard. So that's what they say. So I am thankful that at least they can read now, that's for sure. Let's open our Bibles, if you would please, to the book of John, chapter 15. John, chapter 15, we're going to read the first 11 verses.

Now, I want to deal with the subject, abiding in Christ. So look in John, chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 1, where our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — John 15:1-11

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 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." "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. 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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit.

So shall you be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." In my library, I have a number of books on the subject of abiding in Christ. I've read a number of them. And truthfully, I don't think any of them really and truly helped me, because many of them were basically pietistic, egocentric, deeper life-related or just simply plain nonsense. In fact, some of those books posited or demanded a life that absolutely no one could live or fulfill. And at the same time, some of those authors were actually saying that unless you live in the way that they are demanding that you live, then you're not saved. So once you read those books and you start looking at the Bible, then reality basically sets in and brings us back to our senses. Years ago, I was reading a lot of the Puritans, and I was really impressed not only with their piety, their dedication, their exposition of Scripture, but also the fact that they were early risers.

Many of them would get up anywhere from 2 to 4 in the morning and begin praying and studying and preparing their hearts and lives for the day of ministry. And I thought to myself, you know, I'm going to do that. And so I'm going to get up at four in the morning and I'm going to be praying for several hours before I start my day as well. And so I got up at four o'clock in the morning and I knelt on my knees beside my bed. I put my head on the bed and I started praying. And truthfully, when I woke up several hours later, my knees were sore. So I tried it again the next day and the same thing.

And I felt embarrassed, I felt defeated, I felt distressed and I considered myself a failure and that I was unspiritual and something was wrong with me because these men evidently did this and I'm unable to do it. Then it dawned on me, yes, they were able to be up at four o'clock in the morning because they were in bed by six o'clock in the evening. No telephones, no TVs, no computers, no nothing. And then I began to examine my life because I was a pastor, I was the principal of our Christian school, I was a teacher in our Christian school, I was the counselor, I was the disciplinarian on top of that. Moreover, I was teaching three nights a week in our Bible Institute, going a minimum of two hours per night, not counting the preaching I was doing on Sunday and on Wednesday night and other nights during the week. And the truth of the matter is, I was getting in bed at 11 o'clock at midnight and trying to be up at four.

All of a sudden, reality set in and I realized, you know, I can't do what they did with the schedule that I have. And it dawned on me that God is a reasonable being, and He expects us to be reasonable as well. That's why He said in Isaiah 1 and verse 18,

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:18

"Come now and let us reason together."

Whatever God demands, we must obey. But our lives are not to be lived on the basis of what God demanded 200 years ago or 400 years ago or even 500 years ago. Our lives will be based upon the word of God.

The Vine and Branches Metaphor

Jesus is the true vine, the Father is the husbandman, and believers are branches. This metaphor is common in Scripture (Isaiah 5, Psalm 80, etc.) and emphasizes that all spiritual fruit flows from union with Christ, not from law or ritual.

Now, when you look in John chapter 15, there are very clear truths that are obvious. Let me just give you a couple before we get started. Notice if you would please, first of all, our Lord uses here a very common metaphor. He says in verse 1, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." So He is indeed the vine, and He goes on to say that we are the branches as well. Now, there are a number of commentators, if you read on John chapter 15, they're going to say that our Lord took this metaphor probably from the fact that they had just had the Passover and wine was served. It was Josephus who says, no, there were vines carved on the temple door, and that's where He got it. Another commentator would say, well, there are so many vineyards there, and just as our Lord walked to the Mount of Olives or anywhere else, He obviously passed a number of vineyards as well.

But the truth of the matter is this. The vines and the vineyards are used over and over in the Bible as illustrations. For instance, you can find it primarily in Isaiah 5, Psalm 80, Joel 1, Jeremiah 2, Ezekiel chapter 19. So this illustration, this metaphor of being vines and vineyards has been taught clearly throughout the Bible for ages. So Jesus Christ, then, has likened Himself to the vine and His disciples as the branches or His followers as the branches. He calls Himself the true vine to show that in reality He Himself is indeed true while all of the other vines are false. It's kind of like the same illustration that He used in John chapter 10 when He said that He is the true shepherd.

and all the others are hirelings. So when you stop and think about vines, there are many vines that entangle and cause you to stumble and fall and never ever produce any fruit. So it's only in Jesus Christ that you can have scriptural and biblical fruit. Now, there's another reason, I believe, that He calls Himself here the true vine, and that is to demonstrate to His disciples that their fruit was not in themselves, but it must be found in Him alone. So let me explain it like this. Biblical fruit, or the fruit of the Spirit, does not proceed, and did not proceed, from the ceremonial law. Neither did it proceed from pharisaical legalism, or rituals, or from any other source. Our Lord is saying if there's going to ever be any fruit produced in your life, it must flow through spiritual union with Him and the grace that comes from that spiritual union with Him. So Jesus Christ says, "I am the true vine." Secondly, the Bible teaches us very clearly that if you're savingly in Jesus Christ, you will produce fruit.

Fruit as Evidence of Salvation

Every branch in Christ that bears no fruit is taken away. The presence of some fruit—love, joy, peace, etc.—is evidence of the Spirit's indwelling and saving union with Christ. Absence of fruit indicates one is not saved.

Scripture Reading — Matthew 13

Notice what He said, verse 2. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it bring forth more fruit." So the absence of fruit in an individual's life is a manifestation that one is not savingly united to Jesus Christ. Now, when you start thinking about the parables in Matthew chapter 13, our Lord said, some bring forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. It's not necessarily right now the amount of fruit that is to be considered, but it's just simply fruit. In other words, you're going to have some fruit in some degree, in some amount, if you are united savingly to Jesus Christ. And what fruit are we talking about? In Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, temperance."

"Against such there is no law." So obviously, if you're united to Jesus Christ, there are going to be some fruits in your life, fruits of the Spirit, fruits that have been produced because of the grace of God in your life. Now, it's called the fruit of the Spirit. Why? Well, the Bible tells you very clearly in Romans chapter 8 in verse 9, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." So if the Spirit of Christ is in you, there's going to be fruit. If the Spirit of Christ is not in you, then there's not going to be any fruit whatsoever. So obviously, our Lord begins this by telling us that He is the true vine, we're the branches, that all true fruit comes and flows through Him, and the absence of fruit demonstrates that we are not savingly united to Him.

Abiding is Mandatory, Not Optional

Abiding in Christ is absolutely necessary; without it, one cannot live the Christian life or produce fruit. Failure to abide results in being cast out, withered, and burned, demonstrating eternal jeopardy.

Thirdly, may I point out, that abiding in Christ is not optional, but is absolutely mandatory. Look, if you would, what He said in verse 2. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away." Skip down to verse 4. He says, "Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can you except you abide in me." So it is impossible to live a Christian life without Jesus Christ. It's amazing to me how many people try to be Christians, and they try to be Christians without Jesus Christ. It's impossible to be a Christian without Jesus Christ. It's impossible to please God the Father apart from Jesus Christ. It's impossible to produce biblical fruit apart from Jesus Christ.

Now, it is possible to be religious and lost. It is possible to be a baptized church member and be lost. It is possible to be a deacon and be lost. It is possible to be a preacher and be lost. I know plenty of preachers that have gotten saved. Isn't that amazing? I preach for one regularly down in Alabama, and he gives a brilliant testimony of how he preached for years until God actually saved him.

So the point being is this. It is possible to have all of these things and still be lost. You have to understand that churches do not save. Works do not save. Professions do not save. Soul winners do not save. Only Jesus Christ saves. And so you can be a church member, you can be a worker, you can be a deacon, you can be a preacher, you can be all kinds of things and still be lost.

And our Lord is saying that abiding in Him is absolutely mandatory or there will never ever be any manifestation of saving grace or of saving fruits. There is no life apart from Jesus Christ. And a refusal to abide in Jesus Christ places one in what you and I would call eternal jeopardy. What did our Lord say of the goats there in Matthew chapter 25 and verse 46? He said,

Scripture Reading — Matthew 25:46

"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment."

And so a failure to abide in Christ means that one is cast out, cast away, dried up, withered, and burned. Look what He said again in verse 2. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away." Skip down to verse 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." Anyone that has ever had any dealings with fruit trees understands that a dead limb does not produce fruit. The only thing you can do with a dead limb is sever it from the tree. And the only thing the dead limb is fit for is to be burned as firewood. That's it. And that's exactly what our Lord is saying. Our Lord is saying a failure to abide in Him demonstrates that one is not saved. And the only thing left is for that branch to be cut off, cast away, withered, and burned.

Now, I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but as I read John chapter 15, there is one word that kept appearing over and over. And that little word is "abide" or "abideth." It's interesting that the little word "abide" or "abideth" is the little Greek word menō, M-E-N-Ō, and it means to abide, to remain, to continue, to last, to endure, to tarry, and dwell.

The Meaning of Abiding: Obedience to Christ's Word

The Greek word menō (abide) appears 10 times in John 15:1-11. Jesus transitions from 'abide in me' to 'my words abide in you' and 'keep my commandments,' equating abiding in Christ with obeying His teachings.

So let me show you the emphasis. If you were to look in verse 4, don't take the time to read it, I'll point it out, but if you look in verse 4, the word "abide" occurs twice. The word "abide" occurs once in verse 5. In verse 6, it occurs once. In verse 7, it occurs twice. In verse 9, the word "continue" is the same word as "abide." It's the Greek word menō. In verse 10, the word occurs twice. And the word "remain," which is the word menō, occurs once in verse 11. So this one little Greek word, menō, occurs 10 times in 11 verses. So the emphasis has got to be exceedingly plain. We must abide in Jesus Christ or be lost.

Now that brings us to a couple of questions. First of all, what does it mean to abide in Jesus Christ? And number two, how do I know whether or not I'm abiding in Jesus Christ? Now clearly, if abiding in Jesus Christ is some esoteric experience or some deeper life feeling, there's absolutely no way to answer those questions. Most people, they live by feelings. They live by experience. They do not live by the Word of God. But thankfully, the answers to those two questions are given to us in the Word of God.

Now, before I show you other passages, I want to call your attention, first of all, to verse 7. Look in verse 7, John 15, verse 7. Our Lord said, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 10. He said, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." Now, I want to make sure that you see this, because I want you to look back in verse 1. Our Lord says, "I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman." "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away." Notice the phrase "in me." "He taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring more fruit." Verse 4, "Abide in me, and I in you." And then He says in verse 5, "I am the vine, you're the branches. He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me," verse 7, "if you abide in me." Notice if you would, all through verse 7, everything is about abiding in Jesus Christ. However, there is a transition beginning in verse 7. Look at it. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you," hmm, "you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." Now go back on to verse 10. Here's the transition very plainly.

"If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." Now look back at verse 7, because He said, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you." The words there actually refers to that which has been uttered or spoken by the living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, our Lord is here referring to His doctrine, to His teaching, to His commandments. In other words, His word is to remain, continue and indwell and abide in us as a living principle that regulates our affections, that regulates our life, that regulates our actions. In other words, we're basically controlled by His word because we derive our life, our sustenance and our nourishment from Him. Oh. So this change comes from abiding in Christ to abiding in His Word.

Christ as Living Word and Scripture as Written Word

Jesus is the living Word (John 1:1,14) and the Bible is the written Word (2 Timothy 3:16). One cannot have a right attitude toward Christ and a wrong attitude toward His words; both are inseparable, and judgment is based on reception of both.

Now, let me explain it like this. Most of you can quote probably John 1:1-3.

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3,14

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and without Him was not anything made that was made."

Okay, so the Word there refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Skip down to verse 14 of John 1,

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3,14

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

So Jesus Christ, then, is the living Word, okay?

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3,14

"In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh."

Now, when you think about the Bible, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And I told you the other day that the word "inspired" there means God-breathed or God-exhaled. So you have it like this. Now, watch. On the one hand, you have Jesus Christ, who is the living Word. And on the other hand, you have the Bible, which is the written Word of God, the divine revelation of God that has been God-breathed and God-exhaled.

Now, I want you to look in John chapter 12, if you would please, and verse 48, and let me show you how our Lord puts these two things together. Look in John 12 and verse 48. Our Lord says it like this.

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth me,"

that is the living Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"and receiveth not my words,"

that is the written Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"hath the one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

So Jesus Christ is the living Word and the Bible is the written Word. And our Lord said you cannot maintain one attitude toward me and a different attitude toward the Bible or one attitude toward the Bible and a different attitude toward me. No, because they're one and the same. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God and the Bible is the written Word of God. And men will be judged based upon not only their reception or rejection of Jesus Christ, but either their reception and rejection of the words that our Lord has given us.

Now, look back in John chapter 15. Again, notice verse 7, then we're going to verse 10. John 15, because I want to answer this question about abiding in Christ. Because without abiding in Him, we are lost. Notice in John 15 in verse 7, He said, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and shall be done unto you." OK, now look in verse 10. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." So let me ask you a question. How did our Lord abide? How did He continue? How did He remain in the Father's love? Well, look at verse 10. "Even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." Our Lord abode or abided in the Father's love by continual obedience.

Obedience as the Pattern of Abiding

Just as Christ abode in the Father's love by keeping His commandments, believers abide in Christ's love by keeping His commandments. Obedience does not save but manifests salvation and is the evidence of love for Christ.

The evidence that He loved the Father was He obeyed the Father. So here's my question. How do we abide in Christ's love? Well, look back in verse 10. He said, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." Then He says, "even as" or "just as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." We understand that Christ's obedience has to be our pattern. We must imitate Him. We must obey Him and abide in His love, just like He obeyed His Father and continued and tarried in the Father's love.

I could say this another way. It is impossible to retain a sense of God's pardoning love without continuing in the obedience of faith. It was the obedience of Christ that marked out and manifested His love to the Father. And it is our obedience that marks out and manifests our love to Jesus Christ. So let's ask this question again. How do we abide in Jesus Christ? And the answer is by our obedience to Him.

Now let me make a statement. Please listen carefully. Our obedience does not save us. Neither does it help to save us. We're saved merely by the sovereign grace and mercy of God alone. But our obedience does indeed manifest whether or not we are saved. And clearly, there is in this passage, as well as others, a reference to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember I quoted the passage the other night in Luke 6 and verse 46. When our Lord asked this question, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you?" And I told you that the word "Lord" actually means boss, owner, master, sovereign. So our Lord is asking, "Why are you calling me Lord and you're not doing what I'm saying? Why are you calling me your master if you're not going to obey me?" You see, there's a clear reference here to government. You remember that passage in Isaiah chapter 9 in verse 6? "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given," listen, "and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God, the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father."

The Government of Christ and the Mandate of Obedience

Jesus has all authority and the right to command every area of life. Calling Him 'Lord' without obedience is contradictory. Obedience is mandatory, and habitual obedience leads to habitual enjoyment of Christ's love and full joy.

You know, everybody is rejoicing when they get around Christmas time over the baby. You know why people love Christmas so much? Who's afraid of a baby? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Everybody wants to keep Jesus Christ as a baby. But Jesus Christ is not a baby. Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Jesus Christ is the living sovereign and the living Savior who ascended and is seated at the right hand of God and He holds us in the palm of His hand. He is God. And what people do not like is His government. The pastor quoted Matthew 28:18 this morning, where Jesus Christ said, "All authority in heaven and earth is given unto me." He has the absolute right to command. He has the absolute right to tell us how to live and how not to live. He has the absolute right to tell us how we can dress and how we cannot dress. He has the absolute right to do whatever He decides and whatever He pleases, because He is God.

Do you understand? Can't do as I please? You say you're a grown man. That's immaterial. Only God can do as He pleases. Only God can do that. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases, because He is God. And therefore our Lord, who has all authority and power, has the absolute right to tell us how we can live. So the meaning is, it's impossible to produce fruit for the Father. It's impossible to continue in the enjoyment of Christ's love where there is no obedience.

If you look down in your Bibles at John 15, verse 11, look what He said. John 15, verse 11, "These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." So wherever there is habitual obedience, there's going to be habitual enjoyment of the love of Jesus Christ. So let me say it like this. Obedience is not optional. It is mandatory. Obedience is not optional. It is mandatory. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles just back to John 14. Look at verse 15. Look what our Lord says. John 14, verse 15. Our Lord said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."

Preservation, Perseverance, and Keeping Ourselves in God's Love

God preserves believers, enabling them to persevere in obedience. Jude 20-21 commands believers to keep themselves in the love of God, which 1 John 5:3 defines as keeping His commandments. Joseph's flight from temptation exemplifies this.

Scripture Reading — John 14:15,21,24

Well, that's pretty simple, isn't it? If we love Him, we will obey Him. If He is our Lord, we will obey Him. Look in your Bibles to verse 21, John 14, verse 21. Our Lord said it again. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself unto him." So if you want more of Jesus Christ, if you want more of God the Father, He says you must obey me. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and we will come to him, and we will manifest ourselves to him." Look in verse 24. Our Lord said, "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings. The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which hath sent me." Wow. Do you understand that abiding in Jesus Christ has direct reference to obedience? Our Lord could not say it any plainer than He did in John 15 and verse 10. Look at it. John 15, verse 10. He said, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." Wow. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." That's a simple fact. That is a statement of truth. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love."

Now, you have to understand this. It is God's grace and God's mercy and God's power that gives us the ability to abide in His love and keep His commandments. But on the other hand, it is our duty. It is our obligation and our responsibility to keep His commandments. So you have ability and you have responsibility. The responsibility is ours. The ability comes from God. This truth is much like the truth of what you and I know as preservation and perseverance. When you look in the book of Jude, verse 1, the Bible tells us that we are preserved in God the Father through Jesus Christ. God preserves us. But there's also the truth in the Bible of perseverance.

"He that perseveres to the end, the same shall be saved." He tells us to continue in faith and continue in repentance. That's perseverance. So now, watch if you would, please. Perseverance is our responsibility. Preservation is God's ability. So when God preserves us in Jesus Christ, He gives us grace and mercy that enables us to persevere. Our persevering is evidence that God has preserved us. If we're not persevering in the faith, then there's no evidence that God has ever preserved us to begin with. For those whom God preserves, He enables to persevere. Those who are abiding in Jesus Christ, He enables to obey.

So our obedience is not even our own obedience. It's ours only by the grace and the mercy of God. So just like preservation and perseverance are the two sides of one coin, now you have abiding in Christ and obedience as being the two sides of one coin. You cannot have preservation and perseverance one without the other. Neither can you have obedience and abiding in Christ, one without the other. They're the two sides of one coin. If you're abiding, you're going to be obeying. If you're preserved, you're going to be persevering. Let me show you.

Scripture Reading — Jude 20-21

I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding John 15, but turn, if you would, please, to the book of Jude, the little book right before the book of Revelation, one chapter in Jude. So we're going to be looking at Jude, verse 20. Look in the book of Jude. And verse 20. Here's an interesting statement. He says, Jude, verse 20, "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Wow. "Keep yourselves in the love of God." So here's my question. How do you keep yourself in the love of God? Now, if the love of God is some little esoteric thing floating around somewhere in the universe, then you've got a real problem. If you go back to verse 20, he says, "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." Well, you could say if we're going to keep ourselves in the love of God, we're going to be praying.

We're going to be building ourselves up on our most holy faith. And by the way, the word "building" there is a very interesting word. It means to finish the structure on which the foundation has already been laid. You remember, the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3 that he's laid the foundation of Jesus Christ, which no other man can lay. And so here he tells us that we have to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.

But when you look at verse 21 again, he says, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." Have you ever thought about this? It is your responsibility to keep yourself in the love of God. Let me give you a couple of quotes. Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says this: "Keep up the grace of love to God in its lively vigorous actions and exercises in your souls." And then he says this: "Take heed of throwing yourselves out of love to God or its delightful, cheering, strengthening manifestations. Keep yourselves in the way of God, if you would continue in his love." Now, wait a minute. Matthew Henry just said, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." And then he said, "Take heed that you don't throw yourselves out of the love of God." Wow. Is it possible to throw yourself out of the love of God?

And the answer is yes. Is it possible to keep yourself in the love of God? And the answer is yes. How do we do that? Well, you remember what I told you, if the love of God is some kind of esoteric thing floating around, we've got problems. But if you look in your Bibles back just a few pages to 1 John chapter 5, you will see exactly what Matthew Henry meant and what the Scripture means when it tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God. Look in 1 John chapter 5, verse 3. Here's the definition of the love of God. He says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous." Well, how can I keep myself in the love of God? By keeping His commandments. How can I make sure that I don't throw myself out of the love of God? By failing to keep His commandments. For He says this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments and they're not grievous unto us.

We build ourselves up in our faith by obedience to God and His commandments. We keep ourselves in the love of God by obedience to His commandments. Do you remember when Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph in Genesis 39 and verse 3? And he ran out and he left his coat. And as he went out, he said, "There is none greater in this house than I. Neither have he kept anything back from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" And he ran out. What was he doing? He's keeping himself in the love of God. He was refusing to violate the law of God. When He tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God, He's telling us to keep ourselves in His commandments because He said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." And "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and they are not grievous unto us." Albert Barnes, another commentator, says this, talking about keeping the commandments, he says, "This constitutes true love.

This furnishes the evidence of it, and his commandments are not grievous, that is, they're not heavy, that is, they're not difficult to be borne, and they're not a burden. The meaning is that his laws are not unreasonable. The duties which he requires are not beyond our ability. His government is not oppressive. It is easy to obey God when the heart is right. And those who endeavor in sincerity to keep his commandments do not complain that they are hard. All complaints of this kind, that is, that they are hard, come from those who have no disposition to keep his commandments.

The Test of Genuine Faith and the Spirit's Enabling

1 John 2:3-5 states that those who claim to know God but do not keep His commandments are liars. The Spirit indwells believers, enabling obedience and confirming that they abide in Christ. Obedience pleases God and brings answered prayer.

And then he makes this statement. No man ever yet heard a true Christian say that the laws of God requiring him to lead a holy life were stern and grievous. It's not grievous for me not to steal. I don't want to steal to begin with. It's not grievous for me not to murder. I don't want to murder anybody anyhow. It's not grievous for me to love my wife. I want to love her anyhow. It's not grievous for me to worship the one true and living God. He's the one I want to worship anyhow. So anyone who has a disposition to keep the law of God understands it's not grievous. John Gill, the great Baptist commentator, said this, "Keeping the commandments of God is an evidence of love to God.

This shows that love is not in word or tongue or in profession only, but in deed and in truth. And that such persons have a sense of the love of God upon their souls under the influence of which they act. And such shall have and may have and expect greater manifestations of the love of God to them." Well, that's exactly what our Lord said in John 14. "He that loveth me keepeth my commandments. And the Father will come and manifest himself unto him." That's exactly what He said. Another author just simply said it like this. "This is the love of God that we keep his commandments. There is nothing else worth calling love. Love to God is the spirit of obedience. It is that which subjects the whole life to him. How can it be love to him whose authority we admit and whose perfection in the exercise of it we cannot really doubt for a moment and yet at the same time refuse obedience to him? What is this path that his commandments mark out for us but a path of peace as it is a path of victory over all that would destroy peace? Subjection to God is that which is peace to the whole universe."

The reason we have the trouble and the problems that we have in our lives is because we're not willing to submit to God. We're not willing to obey. Practically every problem that we have somehow stems from sin to a rebellion against His word. Now, the problem is this. There are some people that would say, "Oh, but I'm a Christian. And I don't believe that I have to keep His commandments. I mean, I'm just going to live my life the way I please. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to act the way I act. And I'll live the way I live, but I am a believer. I just can't be bothered with strict details that which I think would hinder me or restrain me." I've heard people say something similar to that. And here's my response. If you try to tell me that you are a genuine believer

and you're not interested in obedience, I will listen to you and allow you to express yourself, if you will then allow God to express Himself about your position. So if you look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2, 1 John chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. 1 John 2, verse 3. Look what the Scripture says. "And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments." How do I know that I really know God savingly? Because He's enabling me to obey Him. Now, my obedience is not perfect, and no one's is perfect in this life, but generally speaking, our lives are regulated by the word of God. So He says very clearly, "And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments." Watch verse 4. "He that saith I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected, hereby know we that we are in him." So what does God say about a man who says that he's a believer and that he loves the Lord, he just doesn't obey Him? Well, God says that man's a liar and the truth's not in him. Because our Lord said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." As obedience demonstrates and manifests our knowledge and submission to Him, disobedience demonstrates and manifests our rebellion to Him and the reality that we do not know Him.

If you will look in your Bibles to 1 John 3, and look there at verses 23 and 24. 1 John 3 verse 23. The Bible says that "this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment, and he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him or abideth in him, and he in him, and hereby we know that he abideth in us by the Spirit which he hath given to us." What is he saying? If we keep His commandments, we're abiding in Him. And we know that we're abiding in Him because the Holy Spirit indwells us and enables us to obey. That's pretty simple. The word "dwelleth" in verse 23 and the word "abideth" in verse 24 happen to be the same Greek word, menō, that you found in John chapter 15. Look in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 13. 1 John 4 and verse 13: "Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." What does the Spirit of Christ lead us to? He leads us to obey. It is the Spirit of Christ that preserves us and enables us to persevere. It is God that abides in us and enables us to abide in Him by causing us to obey and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Look at your Bibles, if you would, to 1 John 3 and verse 22. 1 John 3, verse 22.

"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him." Why? "Because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." What are those things that are pleasing in His sight? Keeping His commandments, obedience to His word, obedience to His law. Wow. In other words, if you wish to please your heavenly Father, then you must obey Him. I had four daughters. Two of them are identical twins.

Applications: Fight, Obey, and Do Not Live by Feelings

Believers must actively fight sin, keep themselves in God's love through vigorous obedience, and not live by feelings. Feelings follow actions; obedience brings joy. Abiding is mandatory and is demonstrated by keeping Christ's commandments.

And I used to tell them then, they would tell me and they still do, "Dad, we love you." I love you. Every time I talk to one, and I tell them I love them. But when they were young, I would say, "I'd rather have your obedience than anything else. I appreciate the fact that you tell me that you love me. I appreciate the fact that you'll sit on my lap and hug my neck and kiss my cheek. I appreciate that and I like that. But that means nothing if you disobey me."

Do you realize that's exactly what our God is telling us? You can profess all kind of love to Him, but if you do not obey Him, you do not love Him. Here He tells us. He tells us. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." Do you really, genuinely want to please your Heavenly Father? If you do, the way to please Him is through obedience. "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous unto us."

Let me try to tie it together with some applications. The first one is this. Abiding in Christ is not optional, it is mandatory. We cannot exist apart from Him. He's the vine. We're the branches. And abiding in Him is not some mystical or esoteric act. Abiding in Him is nothing less than pure obedience to the totality of His Word. It is living in His presence. It is living in His sight. Now, wait a minute.

Let's go back to 1 John 3, verse 22. Look at this. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." You know what that means? It means our lives are before Him. He is watching us and whatever we do, we're doing in His presence. Wow. If you want to please your heavenly Father, then you must obey Him.

The second application is this. We must keep ourselves in the love of God by a fervent obedience to His mercy and His grace. We cannot become apathetic. We cannot become lazy. We cannot become indolent. We cannot become lackadaisical. We have to do like Joseph, learn to flee from temptation, and flee from sin, and flee from anything that's wicked and wrong, and we have to purposefully, deliberately, with vigor and energy, choose to obey and actually obey. When you give in to your feelings, and you give in to depression, and you give in to desperation and discouragement, you've lost your vigor. You've lost your vitality. You're saying, "I don't have the energy to fight. I don't have the spirit to fight."

But I've got news for you. You cannot live holily. You cannot live godly. And you cannot live obediently without fighting. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Look, if you would please, what the Apostle Paul said, beginning there with verse 26. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 26. Watch. Paul said, "I therefore run not as uncertainly, so fight I not as one that beateth the air." He's a shadow boxer. He said, "I'm not a shadow boxer. I'm not beating the air."

But he said, "I keep under my body and bring it in subjection, lest by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway." He said, "I fight to keep my body under subjection. I fight to remain holy and godly." And let me tell you something, folks, it is a fight. And you have to renew that mind and you have to renew those thoughts, not only on a daily basis, sometimes an hourly basis, sometimes minute by minute and moment by moment. You cannot give in. You cannot give up. You cannot give out. You cannot quit. It's a fight. And you will be in this fight until you die. We must fight. We must abide. We must trust in God's grace and mercy. We must understand that ability belongs to Him, and responsibility belongs to us. And our Lord said, "Except you abide in Me, and I in you, you cannot produce any fruit.

And if any branch abides not in Me, he's cut off, cast out, withered, and burned." Abiding in Christ just simply means that we are obedient to His word. We keep His commandments. We live unto Him. We serve Him. And our lives are regulated and controlled by the word of God. Let me tell you something. Let's suppose. Let's suppose that Isaiah standing in front of me. And all of a sudden, I just draw back and I hit him. It's the hardest I can hit him.

And I knock him to the floor. And he jumps up and he says, "Why did you do that?" And I say, "Well, I just felt like doing it." Fine, he said. "I feel like breaking your neck. Or breaking your arm." Now, wait a minute. If I can live by my feelings and hit him, cannot he live by his feelings and hit me? We don't live by feelings. I don't do what I feel like doing.

I do what God commands me to do. Whether I feel like it or not, it's immaterial. Feelings never are to lead. They're always to follow. And God has ordained it when we obey Him and do that which is right, we're going to feel right. If we disobey Him, we're going to feel bad because our feelings always follow our actions. If you want to have the joy of Jesus Christ, as He said in John 15, verse 11, you must learn to obey. Never, ever give into your feelings. Always live by the principle of faith and the principle of obedience.

Our Lord said, "If you love me, you keep my commandments." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we thank You for the opportunity to abide in Jesus Christ by obeying His word, just like our Lord continued loving Thee by obeying Thee. So Lord help us to continue in Jesus Christ by obeying Him. He is our Lord. He's our master. He's our sovereign. And we bow to Him. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear, in the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.

Study Guide

Major Themes

Abiding in Christ Defined by Obedience

Summary: Abiding in Christ is not a mystical experience but is concretely defined as keeping His commandments and having His words dwell in us.

Evidence: John 15:7,10 show the transition from 'abide in me' to 'my words abide in you' and 'keep my commandments.' Weaver states, 'Abiding in Christ just simply means that we are obedient to His word.'

Fruit as Evidence of Saving Union

Summary: The presence of spiritual fruit (Galatians 5:22-23) is the necessary evidence that one is truly united to Christ; absence of fruit indicates a lost state.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'the absence of fruit in an individual's life is a manifestation that one is not savingly united to Jesus Christ.' He cites John 15:2 and Galatians 5:22-23.

The Mandatory Nature of Abiding

Summary: Abiding in Christ is not optional but absolutely mandatory for salvation; failure to abide results in eternal judgment.

Evidence: Weaver emphasizes the repeated word 'abide' and states, 'abiding in Christ is not optional, but is absolutely mandatory.' He references John 15:2,4,6.

Obedience as the Expression of Love for God

Summary: Love for Christ is demonstrated not by profession or feelings but by keeping His commandments; disobedience proves a lack of love.

Evidence: John 14:15,21,24 and 1 John 5:3 are cited. Weaver says, 'If you love me, you will keep my commandments.'

Divine Enablement and Human Responsibility

Summary: God's grace enables obedience, but believers have the duty to actively keep themselves in God's love through obedience and fighting sin.

Evidence: Weaver explains preservation and perseverance as two sides of one coin, and cites Jude 20-21 and 1 Corinthians 9:26-27.

The Authority of Christ's Government

Summary: Jesus Christ possesses all authority and has the absolute right to command every aspect of a believer's life; calling Him Lord demands obedience.

Evidence: Weaver references Matthew 28:18, Isaiah 9:6, and Luke 6:46, stating, 'He has the absolute right to tell us how to live.'

Living by Principle, Not Feelings

Summary: Believers must not be led by feelings but by obedience to God's commands; right feelings follow right actions.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates with the example of hitting someone based on feelings and states, 'Feelings never are to lead. They're always to follow.'

Key Arguments

Abiding is equated with obedience to Christ's words

Summary: The transition in John 15 from 'abide in me' to 'my words abide in you' and 'keep my commandments' shows that abiding is not mystical but consists of obeying Christ's teachings.

Evidence: Weaver points to John 15:7 and 15:10, noting the shift in language and the use of the Greek word menō.

Fruitlessness proves a lack of saving union

Summary: If a branch in Christ bears no fruit, it is taken away and burned, demonstrating that it was never truly saved. The presence of some fruit is the mark of the Spirit's indwelling.

Evidence: John 15:2,6 and Galatians 5:22-23 are used to argue that fruit is the necessary evidence of salvation.

Obedience is the test of genuine love for Christ

Summary: Jesus explicitly states that keeping His commandments is the proof of love for Him; those who claim to know Him but disobey are liars.

Evidence: John 14:15,21,24 and 1 John 2:3-5 are cited to show that obedience is the only valid evidence of love and knowledge of God.

Keeping ourselves in God's love means obeying His commandments

Summary: The command in Jude 21 to 'keep yourselves in the love of God' is defined by 1 John 5:3 as keeping His commandments; this is an active, ongoing responsibility.

Evidence: Weaver connects Jude 20-21 with 1 John 5:3 and the example of Joseph fleeing temptation.

God's preservation enables our perseverance in obedience

Summary: Preservation is God's work, and perseverance is our responsibility; the two are inseparable. Those whom God preserves He enables to persevere in obedience.

Evidence: Weaver explains the relationship between preservation (Jude 1) and perseverance (Matthew 24:13) and applies it to abiding and obeying.

The Christian life is a fight requiring active effort

Summary: Believers must actively fight to keep their bodies under subjection and not give in to feelings, laziness, or discouragement; obedience requires vigorous, deliberate choice.

Evidence: 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 is cited, and Weaver exhorts, 'You cannot live godly... without fighting.'

Scripture References

John 15:1-11

Context: The primary passage expounded; Jesus is the true vine, believers are branches, and abiding in Him through obedience is mandatory for fruitfulness and salvation.

Isaiah 1:18

Context: Cited to show that God is reasonable and expects believers to be reasonable in their expectations and practices.

Isaiah 5

Context: Mentioned as one of the Old Testament passages using the vine/vineyard metaphor, showing the biblical background for Jesus' illustration.

Psalm 80

Context: Another Old Testament reference using vine imagery, listed alongside Isaiah 5, Joel 1, Jeremiah 2, and Ezekiel 19.

Joel 1

Context: Listed among Old Testament passages employing vine/vineyard imagery.

Jeremiah 2

Context: Listed among Old Testament passages employing vine/vineyard imagery.

Ezekiel 19

Context: Listed among Old Testament passages employing vine/vineyard imagery.

John 10

Context: Referenced to show that Jesus calling Himself the 'true vine' parallels His claim to be the 'true shepherd' in contrast to false hirelings.

Matthew 13

Context: Parables of the sower; some bring forth thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold, illustrating that the amount of fruit varies but some fruit is expected.

Galatians 5:22-23

Context: Defines the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, etc., which is the evidence of the Spirit's indwelling and union with Christ.

Romans 8:9

Context: If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His; used to argue that the Spirit's presence produces fruit.

Matthew 25:46

Context: The goats go away into everlasting punishment; used to illustrate the eternal jeopardy of those who do not abide in Christ.

John 1:1-3,14

Context: Jesus is the living Word who became flesh; used to distinguish the living Word (Christ) from the written Word (Scripture).

2 Timothy 3:16-17

Context: All Scripture is God-breathed; used to establish the Bible as the written Word of God.

John 12:48

Context: Jesus says that rejecting Him and not receiving His words leads to judgment; shows the unity of attitude toward Christ and His words.

Luke 6:46

Context: Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Used to emphasize that calling Jesus 'Lord' demands obedience.

Isaiah 9:6

Context: The government shall be upon His shoulders; used to assert Christ's absolute authority to command.

Matthew 28:18

Context: All authority in heaven and earth is given to Christ; cited to reinforce His right to command every area of life.

John 14:15,21,24

Context: If you love me, keep my commandments; he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.

Jude 20-21

Context: Keep yourselves in the love of God; used to show the believer's responsibility to actively remain in God's love through obedience.

Historical References

Puritans

Context: Weaver read many Puritan authors and was impressed by their piety and early rising (2-4 AM), but realized their schedule was possible because they went to bed at 6 PM without modern distractions.

Josephus

Context: Mentioned as one commentator who suggested Jesus took the vine metaphor from vines carved on the temple door.

Matthew Henry

Context: Quoted on Jude 21: 'Keep up the grace of love to God in its lively vigorous actions... Take heed of throwing yourselves out of love to God.'

Albert Barnes

Context: Quoted on 1 John 5:3: 'This constitutes true love... his commandments are not grievous... No man ever yet heard a true Christian say that the laws of God... were stern and grievous.'

John Gill

Context: Quoted on 1 John 5:3: 'Keeping the commandments of God is an evidence of love to God... this shows that love is not in word or tongue... but in deed and in truth.'

Important Quotes

Abiding in Christ just simply means that we are obedient to His word. We keep His commandments. We live unto Him. We serve Him. And our lives are regulated and controlled by the word of God.

Significance: This is the central thesis of the sermon, defining abiding in practical, obedience-based terms rather than mystical experience.

Our obedience does not save us. Neither does it help to save us. We're saved merely by the sovereign grace and mercy of God alone. But our obedience does indeed manifest whether or not we are saved.

Significance: Clarifies the relationship between grace and works: obedience is the evidence, not the cause, of salvation.

Feelings never are to lead. They're always to follow. And God has ordained it when we obey Him and do that which is right, we're going to feel right. If we disobey Him, we're going to feel bad because our feelings always follow our actions.

Significance: Practical application that counters emotion-driven living and anchors Christian experience in obedience.

You cannot live holily. You cannot live godly. And you cannot live obediently without fighting.

Significance: Emphasizes the active, strenuous nature of the Christian life, rejecting passivity and antinomianism.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Significance: Repeated quotation of John 14:15 that serves as the foundational proof that love for Christ is demonstrated by obedience.

Discussion Questions

How does Weaver define 'abiding in Christ' from John 15, and how does this differ from common mystical or emotional interpretations?

Context: Weaver argues that abiding is equated with obedience to Christ's commandments, not an esoteric experience.

What is the relationship between fruit-bearing and assurance of salvation according to this sermon?

Context: Weaver teaches that the absence of fruit indicates a lack of saving union with Christ, while some fruit is evidence of the Spirit's indwelling.

How does the sermon use the concepts of preservation and perseverance to explain the believer's responsibility in obedience?

Context: Weaver says God preserves believers, enabling them to persevere in obedience; our perseverance is evidence of His preservation.

What does it mean to 'keep yourselves in the love of God' according to Jude 21 and 1 John 5:3, and how did Joseph exemplify this?

Context: Weaver explains that keeping oneself in God's love means obeying His commandments, illustrated by Joseph fleeing temptation.

Why does Weaver emphasize that feelings should follow obedience rather than lead it, and what practical difference does this make?

Context: He argues that living by feelings leads to chaos, while obeying God regardless of feelings produces right emotions and joy.

How does the sermon address the objection that a person can be a believer without a lifestyle of obedience?

Context: Weaver cites 1 John 2:3-5 to say that such a person is a liar and the truth is not in him; obedience is the necessary evidence of knowing God.

Applications

Abiding is mandatory, not optional

Summary: Believers must recognize that abiding in Christ through obedience is absolutely necessary for salvation; there is no Christian life apart from continual dependence on and obedience to Him.

Evidence: Weaver states, 'abiding in Christ is not optional, it is mandatory. We cannot exist apart from Him.'

Keep yourselves in God's love through fervent obedience

Summary: Christians must actively and vigorously choose to obey God's commandments, fleeing temptation and sin, rather than becoming apathetic or lazy.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'We must keep ourselves in the love of God by a fervent obedience... We have to purposefully, deliberately, with vigor and energy, choose to obey and actually obey.'

Fight to maintain holiness and obedience

Summary: The Christian life is a constant fight against sin and the flesh; believers must actively subdue their bodies and renew their minds daily, not giving in to discouragement.

Evidence: Weaver cites 1 Corinthians 9:26-27 and says, 'You cannot live holily... without fighting... you have to renew that mind... sometimes minute by minute.'

Do not live by feelings, but by obedience

Summary: Believers must not let feelings dictate their actions; instead, they should obey God's commands regardless of emotion, trusting that right feelings will follow right actions.

Evidence: Weaver illustrates with the example of hitting someone based on feelings and states, 'I do what God commands me to do. Whether I feel like it or not, it's immaterial.'

Obey to please the Heavenly Father

Summary: If believers genuinely want to please God, the way to do so is through keeping His commandments; obedience is the expression of love that God desires.

Evidence: Weaver says, 'If you wish to please your heavenly Father, then you must obey Him... I'd rather have your obedience than anything else.'

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:28:51Z

deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | weaver_study | 2026-06-06T12:56:16Z

Clean Transcript

Abiding In Christ

Clean readable transcript. This view follows the Commentary.net cleaned segment text while preserving timestamps for audio follow-along.

Being my brother Chrisman and I, I really appreciate getting to come up here and help him straighten Isaiah out and aggravate him a little bit, because Isaiah needs all the help he can get. That right, son? Yeah, I do that. It is a joy. I appreciate the opportunity, I really do, and I would appreciate your prayers. You know, I want to say this before we get started today: I'm glad our brother chose the song "Revive Us Again," and we sang first, and I stepped over to my wife and I said, "Now, be sure to sing this song the way our children did years ago." And it's amazing what children hear.
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We have a good friend; she was sick and her kids went to Sunday school, and so they came home from church and she said, "Well, did you learn anything in Sunday school?" They said, "Yes, we learned a new song." She said, "Sing it for me." And so they started singing, "Crazy, crazy, all you little children," instead of "Praise Him, praise Him." They heard "crazy, crazy." So they were singing "Crazy, crazy, all you little children." And years ago when our girls were young, they were singing this in the back seat of the car.
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And of course the chorus is "Hallelujah, Thine the glory, Hallelujah, Amen, Hallelujah, Thine the glory, revive us again." And our twins were singing, they would sing "Hallelujah, Christ in glory. Hallelujah. Amen. Hallelujah, Christ in glory. He's coming as soon as He can." That's what they heard. So that's what they say. So I am thankful that at least they can read now, that's for sure. Let's open our Bibles, if you would please, to the book of John, chapter 15. John, chapter 15, we're going to read the first 11 verses.
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Now, I want to deal with the subject, abiding in Christ. So look in John, chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 1, where our Lord says, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 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."
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"Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. 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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit.
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So shall you be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you. Continue in my love. If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." In my library, I have a number of books on the subject of abiding in Christ. I've read a number of them.
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And truthfully, I don't think any of them really and truly helped me, because many of them were basically pietistic, egocentric, deeper life-related or just simply plain nonsense. In fact, some of those books posited or demanded a life that absolutely no one could live or fulfill. And at the same time, some of those authors were actually saying that unless you live in the way that they are demanding that you live, then you're not saved. So once you read those books and you start looking at the Bible, then reality basically sets in and brings us back to our senses. Years ago, I was reading a lot of the Puritans, and I was really impressed not only with their piety, their dedication, their exposition of Scripture, but also the fact that they were early risers.
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Many of them would get up anywhere from 2 to 4 in the morning and begin praying and studying and preparing their hearts and lives for the day of ministry. And I thought to myself, you know, I'm going to do that. And so I'm going to get up at four in the morning and I'm going to be praying for several hours before I start my day as well. And so I got up at four o'clock in the morning and I knelt on my knees beside my bed. I put my head on the bed and I started praying. And truthfully, when I woke up several hours later, my knees were sore. So I tried it again the next day and the same thing.
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And I felt embarrassed, I felt defeated, I felt distressed and I considered myself a failure and that I was unspiritual and something was wrong with me because these men evidently did this and I'm unable to do it. Then it dawned on me, yes, they were able to be up at four o'clock in the morning because they were in bed by six o'clock in the evening. No telephones, no TVs, no computers, no nothing.
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And then I began to examine my life because I was a pastor, I was the principal of our Christian school, I was a teacher in our Christian school, I was the counselor, I was the disciplinarian on top of that. Moreover, I was teaching three nights a week in our Bible Institute, going a minimum of two hours per night, not counting the preaching I was doing on Sunday and on Wednesday night and other nights during the week. And the truth of the matter is, I was getting in bed at 11 o'clock at midnight and trying to be up at four.
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All of a sudden, reality set in and I realized, you know, I can't do what they did with the schedule that I have. And it dawned on me that God is a reasonable being, and He expects us to be reasonable as well. That's why He said in Isaiah 1 and verse 18, "Come now and let us reason together." Whatever God demands, we must obey. But our lives are not to be lived on the basis of what God demanded 200 years ago or 400 years ago or even 500 years ago. Our lives will be based upon the word of God.
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Now, when you look in John chapter 15, there are very clear truths that are obvious. Let me just give you a couple before we get started. Notice if you would please, first of all, our Lord uses here a very common metaphor. He says in verse 1, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." So He is indeed the vine, and He goes on to say that we are the branches as well. Now, there are a number of commentators, if you read on John chapter 15, they're going to say that our Lord took this metaphor probably from the fact that they had just had the Passover and wine was served. It was Josephus who says, no, there were vines carved on the temple door, and that's where He got it. Another commentator would say, well, there are so many vineyards there, and just as our Lord walked to the Mount of Olives or anywhere else, He obviously passed a number of vineyards as well.
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But the truth of the matter is this. The vines and the vineyards are used over and over in the Bible as illustrations. For instance, you can find it primarily in Isaiah 5, Psalm 80, Joel 1, Jeremiah 2, Ezekiel chapter 19. So this illustration, this metaphor of being vines and vineyards has been taught clearly throughout the Bible for ages. So Jesus Christ, then, has likened Himself to the vine and His disciples as the branches or His followers as the branches. He calls Himself the true vine to show that in reality He Himself is indeed true while all of the other vines are false. It's kind of like the same illustration that He used in John chapter 10 when He said that He is the true shepherd.
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and all the others are hirelings. So when you stop and think about vines, there are many vines that entangle and cause you to stumble and fall and never ever produce any fruit. So it's only in Jesus Christ that you can have scriptural and biblical fruit.
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Now, there's another reason, I believe, that He calls Himself here the true vine, and that is to demonstrate to His disciples that their fruit was not in themselves, but it must be found in Him alone. So let me explain it like this. Biblical fruit, or the fruit of the Spirit, does not proceed, and did not proceed, from the ceremonial law. Neither did it proceed from pharisaical legalism, or rituals, or from any other source. Our Lord is saying if there's going to ever be any fruit produced in your life, it must flow through spiritual union with Him and the grace that comes from that spiritual union with Him. So Jesus Christ says, "I am the true vine." Secondly, the Bible teaches us very clearly that if you're savingly in Jesus Christ, you will produce fruit.
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Notice what He said, verse 2. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it bring forth more fruit." So the absence of fruit in an individual's life is a manifestation that one is not savingly united to Jesus Christ.
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Now, when you start thinking about the parables in Matthew chapter 13, our Lord said, some bring forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. It's not necessarily right now the amount of fruit that is to be considered, but it's just simply fruit. In other words, you're going to have some fruit in some degree, in some amount, if you are united savingly to Jesus Christ. And what fruit are we talking about? In Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, temperance."
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"Against such there is no law." So obviously, if you're united to Jesus Christ, there are going to be some fruits in your life, fruits of the Spirit, fruits that have been produced because of the grace of God in your life. Now, it's called the fruit of the Spirit. Why? Well, the Bible tells you very clearly in Romans chapter 8 in verse 9, "If any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his." So if the Spirit of Christ is in you, there's going to be fruit. If the Spirit of Christ is not in you, then there's not going to be any fruit whatsoever. So obviously, our Lord begins this by telling us that He is the true vine, we're the branches, that all true fruit comes and flows through Him, and the absence of fruit demonstrates that we are not savingly united to Him.
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Thirdly, may I point out, that abiding in Christ is not optional, but is absolutely mandatory. Look, if you would, what He said in verse 2. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away." Skip down to verse 4. He says, "Abide in me and I in you, as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine. No more can you except you abide in me." So it is impossible to live a Christian life without Jesus Christ. It's amazing to me how many people try to be Christians, and they try to be Christians without Jesus Christ. It's impossible to be a Christian without Jesus Christ. It's impossible to please God the Father apart from Jesus Christ. It's impossible to produce biblical fruit apart from Jesus Christ.
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Now, it is possible to be religious and lost. It is possible to be a baptized church member and be lost. It is possible to be a deacon and be lost. It is possible to be a preacher and be lost. I know plenty of preachers that have gotten saved. Isn't that amazing? I preach for one regularly down in Alabama, and he gives a brilliant testimony of how he preached for years until God actually saved him.
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So the point being is this. It is possible to have all of these things and still be lost. You have to understand that churches do not save. Works do not save. Professions do not save. Soul winners do not save. Only Jesus Christ saves. And so you can be a church member, you can be a worker, you can be a deacon, you can be a preacher, you can be all kinds of things and still be lost.
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And our Lord is saying that abiding in Him is absolutely mandatory or there will never ever be any manifestation of saving grace or of saving fruits. There is no life apart from Jesus Christ. And a refusal to abide in Jesus Christ places one in what you and I would call eternal jeopardy. What did our Lord say of the goats there in Matthew chapter 25 and verse 46?
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He said, "And these shall go away into everlasting punishment." And so a failure to abide in Christ means that one is cast out, cast away, dried up, withered, and burned. Look what He said again in verse 2. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away." Skip down to verse 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." Anyone that has ever had any dealings with fruit trees understands that a dead limb does not produce fruit. The only thing you can do with a dead limb is sever it from the tree. And the only thing the dead limb is fit for is to be burned as firewood. That's it. And that's exactly what our Lord is saying. Our Lord is saying a failure to abide in Him demonstrates that one is not saved. And the only thing left is for that branch to be cut off, cast away, withered, and burned.
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Now, I don't know if you've noticed this or not, but as I read John chapter 15, there is one word that kept appearing over and over. And that little word is "abide" or "abideth." It's interesting that the little word "abide" or "abideth" is the little Greek word menō, M-E-N-Ō, and it means to abide, to remain, to continue, to last, to endure, to tarry, and dwell.
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So let me show you the emphasis. If you were to look in verse 4, don't take the time to read it, I'll point it out, but if you look in verse 4, the word "abide" occurs twice. The word "abide" occurs once in verse 5. In verse 6, it occurs once. In verse 7, it occurs twice. In verse 9, the word "continue" is the same word as "abide." It's the Greek word menō. In verse 10, the word occurs twice. And the word "remain," which is the word menō, occurs once in verse 11. So this one little Greek word, menō, occurs 10 times in 11 verses. So the emphasis has got to be exceedingly plain. We must abide in Jesus Christ or be lost.
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Now that brings us to a couple of questions. First of all, what does it mean to abide in Jesus Christ? And number two, how do I know whether or not I'm abiding in Jesus Christ? Now clearly, if abiding in Jesus Christ is some esoteric experience or some deeper life feeling, there's absolutely no way to answer those questions. Most people, they live by feelings. They live by experience. They do not live by the Word of God. But thankfully, the answers to those two questions are given to us in the Word of God.
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Now, before I show you other passages, I want to call your attention, first of all, to verse 7. Look in verse 7, John 15, verse 7. Our Lord said, "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." Now skip down, if you would please, to verse 10. He said, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." Now, I want to make sure that you see this, because I want you to look back in verse 1. Our Lord says, "I am the true vine and my Father is the husbandman."
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"Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, he taketh away." Notice the phrase "in me." "He taketh away, and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring more fruit." Verse 4, "Abide in me, and I in you." And then He says in verse 5, "I am the vine, you're the branches. He that abides in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit, for without me you can do nothing. If a man abide not in me," verse 7, "if you abide in me." Notice if you would, all through verse 7, everything is about abiding in Jesus Christ. However, there is a transition beginning in verse 7. Look at it. "If you abide in me and my words abide in you," hmm, "you shall ask what you will and it shall be done unto you." Now go back on to verse 10. Here's the transition very plainly.
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"If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." Now look back at verse 7, because He said, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you." The words there actually refers to that which has been uttered or spoken by the living Word, the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, our Lord is here referring to His doctrine, to His teaching, to His commandments. In other words, His word is to remain, continue and indwell and abide in us as a living principle that regulates our affections, that regulates our life, that regulates our actions. In other words, we're basically controlled by His word because we derive our life, our sustenance and our nourishment from Him. Oh. So this change comes from abiding in Christ to abiding in His Word.
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Now, let me explain it like this. Most of you can quote probably John 1:1-3. "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and without Him was not anything made that was made." Okay, so the Word there refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Skip down to verse 14 of John 1, "And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth." So Jesus Christ, then, is the living Word, okay? "In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh."
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Now, when you think about the Bible, 2 Timothy 3:16-17, "All scripture is given by inspiration of God and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." And I told you the other day that the word "inspired" there means God-breathed or God-exhaled. So you have it like this. Now, watch. On the one hand, you have Jesus Christ, who is the living Word. And on the other hand, you have the Bible, which is the written Word of God, the divine revelation of God that has been God-breathed and God-exhaled.
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Now, I want you to look in John chapter 12, if you would please, and verse 48, and let me show you how our Lord puts these two things together. Look in John 12 and verse 48. Our Lord says it like this. "He that rejecteth me," that is the living Word, "and receiveth not my words," that is the written Word, "hath the one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day." So Jesus Christ is the living Word and the Bible is the written Word. And our Lord said you cannot maintain one attitude toward me and a different attitude toward the Bible or one attitude toward the Bible and a different attitude toward me. No, because they're one and the same. Jesus Christ is the living Word of God and the Bible is the written Word of God. And men will be judged based upon not only their reception or rejection of Jesus Christ, but either their reception and rejection of the words that our Lord has given us.
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Now, look back in John chapter 15. Again, notice verse 7, then we're going to verse 10. John 15, because I want to answer this question about abiding in Christ. Because without abiding in Him, we are lost. Notice in John 15 in verse 7, He said, "If you abide in me and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will and shall be done unto you." OK, now look in verse 10. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love, even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." So let me ask you a question. How did our Lord abide? How did He continue? How did He remain in the Father's love? Well, look at verse 10. "Even as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." Our Lord abode or abided in the Father's love by continual obedience.
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The evidence that He loved the Father was He obeyed the Father. So here's my question. How do we abide in Christ's love? Well, look back in verse 10. He said, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." Then He says, "even as" or "just as I've kept my Father's commandments and abide in his love." We understand that Christ's obedience has to be our pattern. We must imitate Him. We must obey Him and abide in His love, just like He obeyed His Father and continued and tarried in the Father's love.
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I could say this another way. It is impossible to retain a sense of God's pardoning love without continuing in the obedience of faith. It was the obedience of Christ that marked out and manifested His love to the Father. And it is our obedience that marks out and manifests our love to Jesus Christ. So let's ask this question again. How do we abide in Jesus Christ? And the answer is by our obedience to Him.
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Now let me make a statement. Please listen carefully. Our obedience does not save us. Neither does it help to save us. We're saved merely by the sovereign grace and mercy of God alone. But our obedience does indeed manifest whether or not we are saved. And clearly, there is in this passage, as well as others, a reference to the government of the Lord Jesus Christ. You remember I quoted the passage the other night in Luke 6 and verse 46. When our Lord asked this question, "Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say unto you?" And I told you that the word "Lord" actually means boss, owner, master, sovereign. So our Lord is asking, "Why are you calling me Lord and you're not doing what I'm saying? Why are you calling me your master if you're not going to obey me?" You see, there's a clear reference here to government. You remember that passage in Isaiah chapter 9 in verse 6? "Unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given," listen, "and the government shall be upon his shoulders, and he shall be called Wonderful Counselor, the Almighty God, the Prince of Peace, the Everlasting Father."
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You know, everybody is rejoicing when they get around Christmas time over the baby. You know why people love Christmas so much? Who's afraid of a baby? Have you ever stopped to think about that? Everybody wants to keep Jesus Christ as a baby. But Jesus Christ is not a baby. Jesus Christ is God incarnate. Jesus Christ is the living sovereign and the living Savior who ascended and is seated at the right hand of God and He holds us in the palm of His hand. He is God. And what people do not like is His government. The pastor quoted Matthew 28:18 this morning, where Jesus Christ said, "All authority in heaven and earth is given unto me." He has the absolute right to command. He has the absolute right to tell us how to live and how not to live. He has the absolute right to tell us how we can dress and how we cannot dress. He has the absolute right to do whatever He decides and whatever He pleases, because He is God.
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Do you understand? Can't do as I please? You say you're a grown man. That's immaterial. Only God can do as He pleases. Only God can do that. God does as He pleases, only as He pleases, and always as He pleases, because He is God. And therefore our Lord, who has all authority and power, has the absolute right to tell us how we can live. So the meaning is, it's impossible to produce fruit for the Father. It's impossible to continue in the enjoyment of Christ's love where there is no obedience.
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If you look down in your Bibles at John 15, verse 11, look what He said. John 15, verse 11, "These things have I spoken to you, that my joy might remain in you and that your joy might be full." So wherever there is habitual obedience, there's going to be habitual enjoyment of the love of Jesus Christ. So let me say it like this. Obedience is not optional. It is mandatory. Obedience is not optional. It is mandatory. Let me show you. I want you to turn in your Bibles just back to John 14. Look at verse 15. Look what our Lord says. John 14, verse 15. Our Lord said, "If you love me, keep my commandments."
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Well, that's pretty simple, isn't it? If we love Him, we will obey Him. If He is our Lord, we will obey Him. Look in your Bibles to verse 21, John 14, verse 21. Our Lord said it again. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself unto him." So if you want more of Jesus Christ, if you want more of God the Father, He says you must obey me. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and we will come to him, and we will manifest ourselves to him." Look in verse 24. Our Lord said, "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings. The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which hath sent me." Wow. Do you understand that abiding in Jesus Christ has direct reference to obedience? Our Lord could not say it any plainer than He did in John 15 and verse 10.
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Look at it. John 15, verse 10. He said, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." Wow. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." That's a simple fact. That is a statement of truth. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love."
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Now, you have to understand this. It is God's grace and God's mercy and God's power that gives us the ability to abide in His love and keep His commandments. But on the other hand, it is our duty. It is our obligation and our responsibility to keep His commandments. So you have ability and you have responsibility. The responsibility is ours. The ability comes from God. This truth is much like the truth of what you and I know as preservation and perseverance. When you look in the book of Jude, verse 1, the Bible tells us that we are preserved in God the Father through Jesus Christ. God preserves us. But there's also the truth in the Bible of perseverance.
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"He that perseveres to the end, the same shall be saved." He tells us to continue in faith and continue in repentance. That's perseverance. So now, watch if you would, please. Perseverance is our responsibility. Preservation is God's ability. So when God preserves us in Jesus Christ, He gives us grace and mercy that enables us to persevere. Our persevering is evidence that God has preserved us. If we're not persevering in the faith, then there's no evidence that God has ever preserved us to begin with. For those whom God preserves, He enables to persevere. Those who are abiding in Jesus Christ, He enables to obey.
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So our obedience is not even our own obedience. It's ours only by the grace and the mercy of God. So just like preservation and perseverance are the two sides of one coin, now you have abiding in Christ and obedience as being the two sides of one coin. You cannot have preservation and perseverance one without the other. Neither can you have obedience and abiding in Christ, one without the other. They're the two sides of one coin. If you're abiding, you're going to be obeying. If you're preserved, you're going to be persevering. Let me show you.
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I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding John 15, but turn, if you would, please, to the book of Jude, the little book right before the book of Revelation, one chapter in Jude. So we're going to be looking at Jude, verse 20. Look in the book of Jude. And verse 20. Here's an interesting statement. He says, Jude, verse 20, "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Wow. "Keep yourselves in the love of God." So here's my question. How do you keep yourself in the love of God? Now, if the love of God is some little esoteric thing floating around somewhere in the universe, then you've got a real problem. If you go back to verse 20, he says, "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." Well, you could say if we're going to keep ourselves in the love of God, we're going to be praying.
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We're going to be building ourselves up on our most holy faith. And by the way, the word "building" there is a very interesting word. It means to finish the structure on which the foundation has already been laid. You remember, the Apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 3 that he's laid the foundation of Jesus Christ, which no other man can lay. And so here he tells us that we have to build upon the foundation of Jesus Christ.
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But when you look at verse 21 again, he says, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." Have you ever thought about this? It is your responsibility to keep yourself in the love of God. Let me give you a couple of quotes. Matthew Henry in his commentary on this verse says this: "Keep up the grace of love to God in its lively vigorous actions and exercises in your souls." And then he says this: "Take heed of throwing yourselves out of love to God or its delightful, cheering, strengthening manifestations. Keep yourselves in the way of God, if you would continue in his love." Now, wait a minute. Matthew Henry just said, "Keep yourselves in the love of God." And then he said, "Take heed that you don't throw yourselves out of the love of God." Wow. Is it possible to throw yourself out of the love of God?
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And the answer is yes. Is it possible to keep yourself in the love of God? And the answer is yes. How do we do that? Well, you remember what I told you, if the love of God is some kind of esoteric thing floating around, we've got problems. But if you look in your Bibles back just a few pages to 1 John chapter 5, you will see exactly what Matthew Henry meant and what the Scripture means when it tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God. Look in 1 John chapter 5, verse 3. Here's the definition of the love of God. He says, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments, and his commandments are not grievous." Well, how can I keep myself in the love of God? By keeping His commandments. How can I make sure that I don't throw myself out of the love of God? By failing to keep His commandments. For He says this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments and they're not grievous unto us.
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We build ourselves up in our faith by obedience to God and His commandments. We keep ourselves in the love of God by obedience to His commandments. Do you remember when Potiphar's wife attempted to seduce Joseph in Genesis 39 and verse 3? And he ran out and he left his coat. And as he went out, he said, "There is none greater in this house than I. Neither have he kept anything back from me but thee, because thou art his wife. How can I do this great wickedness and sin against God?" And he ran out. What was he doing? He's keeping himself in the love of God. He was refusing to violate the law of God. When He tells us to keep ourselves in the love of God, He's telling us to keep ourselves in His commandments because He said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." And "This is the love of God, that we keep his commandments and they are not grievous unto us." Albert Barnes, another commentator, says this, talking about keeping the commandments, he says, "This constitutes true love.
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This furnishes the evidence of it, and his commandments are not grievous, that is, they're not heavy, that is, they're not difficult to be borne, and they're not a burden. The meaning is that his laws are not unreasonable. The duties which he requires are not beyond our ability. His government is not oppressive. It is easy to obey God when the heart is right. And those who endeavor in sincerity to keep his commandments do not complain that they are hard. All complaints of this kind, that is, that they are hard, come from those who have no disposition to keep his commandments.
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And then he makes this statement. No man ever yet heard a true Christian say that the laws of God requiring him to lead a holy life were stern and grievous. It's not grievous for me not to steal. I don't want to steal to begin with. It's not grievous for me not to murder. I don't want to murder anybody anyhow. It's not grievous for me to love my wife. I want to love her anyhow. It's not grievous for me to worship the one true and living God. He's the one I want to worship anyhow. So anyone who has a disposition to keep the law of God understands it's not grievous. John Gill, the great Baptist commentator, said this, "Keeping the commandments of God is an evidence of love to God.
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This shows that love is not in word or tongue or in profession only, but in deed and in truth. And that such persons have a sense of the love of God upon their souls under the influence of which they act. And such shall have and may have and expect greater manifestations of the love of God to them." Well, that's exactly what our Lord said in John 14.
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"He that loveth me keepeth my commandments. And the Father will come and manifest himself unto him." That's exactly what He said. Another author just simply said it like this. "This is the love of God that we keep his commandments. There is nothing else worth calling love. Love to God is the spirit of obedience. It is that which subjects the whole life to him. How can it be love to him whose authority we admit and whose perfection in the exercise of it we cannot really doubt for a moment and yet at the same time refuse obedience to him? What is this path that his commandments mark out for us but a path of peace as it is a path of victory over all that would destroy peace? Subjection to God is that which is peace to the whole universe."
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The reason we have the trouble and the problems that we have in our lives is because we're not willing to submit to God. We're not willing to obey. Practically every problem that we have somehow stems from sin to a rebellion against His word. Now, the problem is this. There are some people that would say, "Oh, but I'm a Christian. And I don't believe that I have to keep His commandments. I mean, I'm just going to live my life the way I please. I'm going to do what I want to do. I'm going to act the way I act. And I'll live the way I live, but I am a believer. I just can't be bothered with strict details that which I think would hinder me or restrain me." I've heard people say something similar to that. And here's my response. If you try to tell me that you are a genuine believer
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and you're not interested in obedience, I will listen to you and allow you to express yourself, if you will then allow God to express Himself about your position. So if you look in your Bibles to 1 John chapter 2, 1 John chapter 2, and let's begin reading there with verse 3. 1 John 2, verse 3. Look what the Scripture says. "And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments." How do I know that I really know God savingly?
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Because He's enabling me to obey Him. Now, my obedience is not perfect, and no one's is perfect in this life, but generally speaking, our lives are regulated by the word of God. So He says very clearly, "And hereby we do know that we know Him if we keep His commandments." Watch verse 4. "He that saith I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His word, in him verily is the love of God perfected, hereby know we that we are in him." So what does God say about a man who says that he's a believer and that he loves the Lord, he just doesn't obey Him? Well, God says that man's a liar and the truth's not in him. Because our Lord said, "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." As obedience demonstrates and manifests our knowledge and submission to Him, disobedience demonstrates and manifests our rebellion to Him and the reality that we do not know Him.
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If you will look in your Bibles to 1 John 3, and look there at verses 23 and 24. 1 John 3 verse 23. The Bible says that "this is his commandment, that we should believe on the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he gave us commandment, and he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him or abideth in him, and he in him, and hereby we know that he abideth in us
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by the Spirit which he hath given to us." What is he saying? If we keep His commandments, we're abiding in Him. And we know that we're abiding in Him because the Holy Spirit indwells us and enables us to obey. That's pretty simple. The word "dwelleth" in verse 23 and the word "abideth" in verse 24 happen to be the same Greek word, menō, that you found in John chapter 15. Look in 1 John chapter 4 and verse 13. 1 John 4 and verse 13: "Hereby know we that we dwell in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit." What does the Spirit of Christ lead us to? He leads us to obey. It is the Spirit of Christ that preserves us and enables us to persevere. It is God that abides in us and enables us to abide in Him by causing us to obey and to do those things that are pleasing in His sight. Look at your Bibles, if you would, to 1 John 3 and verse 22. 1 John 3, verse 22.
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"And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him." Why? "Because we keep his commandments and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." What are those things that are pleasing in His sight? Keeping His commandments, obedience to His word, obedience to His law. Wow. In other words, if you wish to please your heavenly Father, then you must obey Him. I had four daughters. Two of them are identical twins.
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And I used to tell them then, they would tell me and they still do, "Dad, we love you." I love you. Every time I talk to one, and I tell them I love them. But when they were young, I would say, "I'd rather have your obedience than anything else. I appreciate the fact that you tell me that you love me. I appreciate the fact that you'll sit on my lap and hug my neck and kiss my cheek. I appreciate that and I like that. But that means nothing if you disobey me."
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Do you realize that's exactly what our God is telling us? You can profess all kind of love to Him, but if you do not obey Him, you do not love Him. Here He tells us. He tells us. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments and do those things that are pleasing in His sight." Do you really, genuinely want to please your Heavenly Father? If you do, the way to please Him is through obedience. "This is the love of God, that we keep His commandments, and His commandments are not grievous unto us."
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Let me try to tie it together with some applications. The first one is this. Abiding in Christ is not optional, it is mandatory. We cannot exist apart from Him. He's the vine. We're the branches. And abiding in Him is not some mystical or esoteric act. Abiding in Him is nothing less than pure obedience to the totality of His Word. It is living in His presence. It is living in His sight. Now, wait a minute.
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Let's go back to 1 John 3, verse 22. Look at this. "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him, because we keep His commandments and do those things which are pleasing in His sight." You know what that means? It means our lives are before Him. He is watching us and whatever we do, we're doing in His presence. Wow. If you want to please your heavenly Father, then you must obey Him.
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The second application is this. We must keep ourselves in the love of God by a fervent obedience to His mercy and His grace. We cannot become apathetic. We cannot become lazy. We cannot become indolent. We cannot become lackadaisical. We have to do like Joseph, learn to flee from temptation, and flee from sin, and flee from anything that's wicked and wrong, and we have to purposefully, deliberately, with vigor and energy, choose to obey and actually obey. When you give in to your feelings, and you give in to depression, and you give in to desperation and discouragement, you've lost your vigor. You've lost your vitality. You're saying, "I don't have the energy to fight. I don't have the spirit to fight."
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But I've got news for you. You cannot live holily. You cannot live godly. And you cannot live obediently without fighting. I want you to look in your Bibles, if you would, please, to 1 Corinthians chapter 9. 1 Corinthians chapter 9. Look, if you would please, what the Apostle Paul said, beginning there with verse 26. 1 Corinthians 9, verse 26. Watch. Paul said, "I therefore run not as uncertainly, so fight I not as one that beateth the air." He's a shadow boxer. He said, "I'm not a shadow boxer. I'm not beating the air."
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But he said, "I keep under my body and bring it in subjection, lest by any means when I preach to others, I myself should be a castaway." He said, "I fight to keep my body under subjection. I fight to remain holy and godly." And let me tell you something, folks, it is a fight. And you have to renew that mind and you have to renew those thoughts, not only on a daily basis, sometimes an hourly basis, sometimes minute by minute and moment by moment. You cannot give in. You cannot give up. You cannot give out. You cannot quit. It's a fight. And you will be in this fight until you die. We must fight. We must abide. We must trust in God's grace and mercy. We must understand that ability belongs to Him, and responsibility belongs to us. And our Lord said, "Except you abide in Me, and I in you, you cannot produce any fruit.
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And if any branch abides not in Me, he's cut off, cast out, withered, and burned." Abiding in Christ just simply means that we are obedient to His word. We keep His commandments. We live unto Him. We serve Him. And our lives are regulated and controlled by the word of God. Let me tell you something. Let's suppose. Let's suppose that Isaiah standing in front of me. And all of a sudden, I just draw back and I hit him. It's the hardest I can hit him.
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And I knock him to the floor. And he jumps up and he says, "Why did you do that?" And I say, "Well, I just felt like doing it." Fine, he said. "I feel like breaking your neck. Or breaking your arm." Now, wait a minute. If I can live by my feelings and hit him, cannot he live by his feelings and hit me? We don't live by feelings. I don't do what I feel like doing.
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I do what God commands me to do. Whether I feel like it or not, it's immaterial. Feelings never are to lead. They're always to follow. And God has ordained it when we obey Him and do that which is right, we're going to feel right. If we disobey Him, we're going to feel bad because our feelings always follow our actions. If you want to have the joy of Jesus Christ, as He said in John 15, verse 11, you must learn to obey. Never, ever give into your feelings. Always live by the principle of faith and the principle of obedience.
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Our Lord said, "If you love me, you keep my commandments." Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, we bow before Thee. We thank You for Your truth. And Lord, we thank You for the opportunity to abide in Jesus Christ by obeying His word, just like our Lord continued loving Thee by obeying Thee. So Lord help us to continue in Jesus Christ by obeying Him. He is our Lord. He's our master. He's our sovereign. And we bow to Him. Give us grace that we may serve Thee acceptably with reverence and godly fear, in the name of Jesus Christ we ask and pray. Amen.
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deepseek | deepseek-v4-pro | clean_readable_transcript | 2026-06-05T20:28:51Z

Abiding In Christ

John Weaver | Freedom Ministries

John Weaver expounds John 15:1-11, teaching that abiding in Christ is not a mystical experience but is defined by obedience to His commandments. He argues that true union with Christ necessarily produces fruit, and the absence of fruit or obedience indicates a lost state. Using the vine and branches metaphor, he emphasizes that abiding is mandatory, not optional, and that God's grace enables the obedience which is our responsibility. Applications include fighting against sin, not living by feelings, and keeping ourselves in the love of God through obedience.

Introduction and Personal Anecdotes

Now, I want to deal with the subject, abiding in Christ. So look in John, chapter 15, and let's begin reading there with verse 1, where our Lord says,

Scripture Reading — John 15:1-11

"I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 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." "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine, no more can you except you abide in me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit. For without me you can do nothing. 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. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit.

Scripture Reading — Isaiah 1:18

"Come now and let us reason together."

The Vine and Branches Metaphor

Fruit as Evidence of Salvation

Scripture Reading — Matthew 13

Notice what He said, verse 2. "Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away. And every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it bring forth more fruit." So the absence of fruit in an individual's life is a manifestation that one is not savingly united to Jesus Christ. Now, when you start thinking about the parables in Matthew chapter 13, our Lord said, some bring forth thirtyfold, some sixtyfold, some a hundredfold. It's not necessarily right now the amount of fruit that is to be considered, but it's just simply fruit. In other words, you're going to have some fruit in some degree, in some amount, if you are united savingly to Jesus Christ. And what fruit are we talking about? In Galatians chapter 5, verses 22 and 23, the Bible says, "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, meekness, faith, temperance."

Abiding is Mandatory, Not Optional

Scripture Reading — Matthew 25:46

"And these shall go away into everlasting punishment."

The Meaning of Abiding: Obedience to Christ's Word

Christ as Living Word and Scripture as Written Word

Now, let me explain it like this. Most of you can quote probably John 1:1-3.

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3,14

"In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God, and without Him was not anything made that was made."

Okay, so the Word there refers to the Lord Jesus Christ. Skip down to verse 14 of John 1,

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3,14

"And the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth."

So Jesus Christ, then, is the living Word, okay?

Scripture Reading — John 1:1-3,14

"In the beginning was the Word, the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh."

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"He that rejecteth me,"

that is the living Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"and receiveth not my words,"

that is the written Word,

Scripture Reading — John 12:48

"hath the one that judgeth him: the word that I have spoken, the same shall judge him in the last day."

Obedience as the Pattern of Abiding

The Government of Christ and the Mandate of Obedience

Preservation, Perseverance, and Keeping Ourselves in God's Love

Scripture Reading — John 14:15,21,24

Well, that's pretty simple, isn't it? If we love Him, we will obey Him. If He is our Lord, we will obey Him. Look in your Bibles to verse 21, John 14, verse 21. Our Lord said it again. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him and will manifest myself unto him." So if you want more of Jesus Christ, if you want more of God the Father, He says you must obey me. "He that hath my commandments and keepeth them, it is that loveth me. And he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and we will come to him, and we will manifest ourselves to him." Look in verse 24. Our Lord said, "He that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings. The word which you hear is not mine, but the Father's which hath sent me." Wow. Do you understand that abiding in Jesus Christ has direct reference to obedience? Our Lord could not say it any plainer than He did in John 15 and verse 10. Look at it. John 15, verse 10. He said, "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." Wow. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love." That's a simple fact. That is a statement of truth. "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love."

Scripture Reading — Jude 20-21

I want you to turn in your Bibles, holding John 15, but turn, if you would, please, to the book of Jude, the little book right before the book of Revelation, one chapter in Jude. So we're going to be looking at Jude, verse 20. Look in the book of Jude. And verse 20. Here's an interesting statement. He says, Jude, verse 20, "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life." Wow. "Keep yourselves in the love of God." So here's my question. How do you keep yourself in the love of God? Now, if the love of God is some little esoteric thing floating around somewhere in the universe, then you've got a real problem. If you go back to verse 20, he says, "But you, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost." Well, you could say if we're going to keep ourselves in the love of God, we're going to be praying.

The Test of Genuine Faith and the Spirit's Enabling

Applications: Fight, Obey, and Do Not Live by Feelings

Abiding In Christ

John Weaver | SermonAudio

Lecture Metadata	Details
Speaker	John Weaver
Source	SermonAudio
Media ID	61318201533
Subject	New Testament Studies
Course	Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification: Walking With God
Genre	Sermon
Date	2018-05-13
Dictation Name
Book	Book 134: Romans: Law, Obedience, and Sanctification - Volume 1 — Chapter 14
Source Timed Segments	70

Lecture Guide

Outline

Introduction and Personal Anecdotes: Weaver shares humorous stories about children mishearing hymns and a personal struggle to imitate Puritan prayer habits, leading to the realization that God is reasonable and our lives must be based on Scripture, not historical practices.
The Vine and Branches Metaphor: Jesus is the true vine, the Father is the husbandman, and believers are branches. This metaphor is common in Scripture (Isaiah 5, Psalm 80, etc.) and emphasizes that all spiritual fruit flows from union with Christ, not from law or ritual.
Fruit as Evidence of Salvation: Every branch in Christ that bears no fruit is taken away. The presence of some fruit—love, joy, peace, etc.—is evidence of the Spirit's indwelling and saving union with Christ. Absence of fruit indicates one is not saved.
Abiding is Mandatory, Not Optional: Abiding in Christ is absolutely necessary; without it, one cannot live the Christian life or produce fruit. Failure to abide results in being cast out, withered, and burned, demonstrating eternal jeopardy.
The Meaning of Abiding: Obedience to Christ's Word: The Greek word menō (abide) appears 10 times in John 15:1-11. Jesus transitions from 'abide in me' to 'my words abide in you' and 'keep my commandments,' equating abiding in Christ with obeying His teachings.
Christ as Living Word and Scripture as Written Word: Jesus is the living Word (John 1:1,14) and the Bible is the written Word (2 Timothy 3:16). One cannot have a right attitude toward Christ and a wrong attitude toward His words; both are inseparable, and judgment is based on reception of both.
Obedience as the Pattern of Abiding: Just as Christ abode in the Father's love by keeping His commandments, believers abide in Christ's love by keeping His commandments. Obedience does not save but manifests salvation and is the evidence of love for Christ.
The Government of Christ and the Mandate of Obedience: Jesus has all authority and the right to command every area of life. Calling Him 'Lord' without obedience is contradictory. Obedience is mandatory, and habitual obedience leads to habitual enjoyment of Christ's love and full joy.
Preservation, Perseverance, and Keeping Ourselves in God's Love: God preserves believers, enabling them to persevere in obedience. Jude 20-21 commands believers to keep themselves in the love of God, which 1 John 5:3 defines as keeping His commandments. Joseph's flight from temptation exemplifies this.
The Test of Genuine Faith and the Spirit's Enabling: 1 John 2:3-5 states that those who claim to know God but do not keep His commandments are liars. The Spirit indwells believers, enabling obedience and confirming that they abide in Christ. Obedience pleases God and brings answered prayer.
Applications: Fight, Obey, and Do Not Live by Feelings: Believers must actively fight sin, keep themselves in God's love through vigorous obedience, and not live by feelings. Feelings follow actions; obedience brings joy. Abiding is mandatory and is demonstrated by keeping Christ's commandments.

Major Themes

Key Arguments

Abiding is equated with obedience to Christ's words

The transition in John 15 from 'abide in me' to 'my words abide in you' and 'keep my commandments' shows that abiding is not mystical but consists of obeying Christ's teachings.

Weaver points to John 15:7 and 15:10, noting the shift in language and the use of the Greek word menō.

Fruitlessness proves a lack of saving union

If a branch in Christ bears no fruit, it is taken away and burned, demonstrating that it was never truly saved. The presence of some fruit is the mark of the Spirit's indwelling.

John 15:2,6 and Galatians 5:22-23 are used to argue that fruit is the necessary evidence of salvation.

Obedience is the test of genuine love for Christ

Jesus explicitly states that keeping His commandments is the proof of love for Him; those who claim to know Him but disobey are liars.

John 14:15,21,24 and 1 John 2:3-5 are cited to show that obedience is the only valid evidence of love and knowledge of God.

Keeping ourselves in God's love means obeying His commandments

The command in Jude 21 to 'keep yourselves in the love of God' is defined by 1 John 5:3 as keeping His commandments; this is an active, ongoing responsibility.

Weaver connects Jude 20-21 with 1 John 5:3 and the example of Joseph fleeing temptation.

God's preservation enables our perseverance in obedience

Preservation is God's work, and perseverance is our responsibility; the two are inseparable. Those whom God preserves He enables to persevere in obedience.

Weaver explains the relationship between preservation (Jude 1) and perseverance (Matthew 24:13) and applies it to abiding and obeying.

The Christian life is a fight requiring active effort

Believers must actively fight to keep their bodies under subjection and not give in to feelings, laziness, or discouragement; obedience requires vigorous, deliberate choice.

1 Corinthians 9:26-27 is cited, and Weaver exhorts, 'You cannot live godly... without fighting.'

Scripture References

John 15:1-11: The primary passage expounded; Jesus is the true vine, believers are branches, and abiding in Him through obedience is mandatory for fruitfulness and salvation.
Isaiah 1:18: Cited to show that God is reasonable and expects believers to be reasonable in their expectations and practices.
Isaiah 5: Mentioned as one of the Old Testament passages using the vine/vineyard metaphor, showing the biblical background for Jesus' illustration.
Psalm 80: Another Old Testament reference using vine imagery, listed alongside Isaiah 5, Joel 1, Jeremiah 2, and Ezekiel 19.
Joel 1: Listed among Old Testament passages employing vine/vineyard imagery.
Jeremiah 2: Listed among Old Testament passages employing vine/vineyard imagery.
Ezekiel 19: Listed among Old Testament passages employing vine/vineyard imagery.
John 10: Referenced to show that Jesus calling Himself the 'true vine' parallels His claim to be the 'true shepherd' in contrast to false hirelings.
Matthew 13: Parables of the sower; some bring forth thirty, sixty, or a hundredfold, illustrating that the amount of fruit varies but some fruit is expected.
Galatians 5:22-23: Defines the fruit of the Spirit as love, joy, peace, etc., which is the evidence of the Spirit's indwelling and union with Christ.
Romans 8:9: If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His; used to argue that the Spirit's presence produces fruit.
Matthew 25:46: The goats go away into everlasting punishment; used to illustrate the eternal jeopardy of those who do not abide in Christ.
John 1:1-3,14: Jesus is the living Word who became flesh; used to distinguish the living Word (Christ) from the written Word (Scripture).
2 Timothy 3:16-17: All Scripture is God-breathed; used to establish the Bible as the written Word of God.
John 12:48: Jesus says that rejecting Him and not receiving His words leads to judgment; shows the unity of attitude toward Christ and His words.
Luke 6:46: Why call ye me Lord, Lord, and do not the things which I say? Used to emphasize that calling Jesus 'Lord' demands obedience.
Isaiah 9:6: The government shall be upon His shoulders; used to assert Christ's absolute authority to command.
Matthew 28:18: All authority in heaven and earth is given to Christ; cited to reinforce His right to command every area of life.
John 14:15,21,24: If you love me, keep my commandments; he that hath my commandments and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me; he that loveth me not keepeth not my sayings.
Jude 20-21: Keep yourselves in the love of God; used to show the believer's responsibility to actively remain in God's love through obedience.

Historical References

Puritans: Weaver read many Puritan authors and was impressed by their piety and early rising (2-4 AM), but realized their schedule was possible because they went to bed at 6 PM without modern distractions.
Josephus: Mentioned as one commentator who suggested Jesus took the vine metaphor from vines carved on the temple door.
Matthew Henry: Quoted on Jude 21: 'Keep up the grace of love to God in its lively vigorous actions... Take heed of throwing yourselves out of love to God.'
Albert Barnes: Quoted on 1 John 5:3: 'This constitutes true love... his commandments are not grievous... No man ever yet heard a true Christian say that the laws of God... were stern and grievous.'
John Gill: Quoted on 1 John 5:3: 'Keeping the commandments of God is an evidence of love to God... this shows that love is not in word or tongue... but in deed and in truth.'

Important Quotes

Abiding in Christ just simply means that we are obedient to His word. We keep His commandments. We live unto Him. We serve Him. And our lives are regulated and controlled by the word of God.

This is the central thesis of the sermon, defining abiding in practical, obedience-based terms rather than mystical experience.

Our obedience does not save us. Neither does it help to save us. We're saved merely by the sovereign grace and mercy of God alone. But our obedience does indeed manifest whether or not we are saved.

Clarifies the relationship between grace and works: obedience is the evidence, not the cause, of salvation.

Feelings never are to lead. They're always to follow. And God has ordained it when we obey Him and do that which is right, we're going to feel right. If we disobey Him, we're going to feel bad because our feelings always follow our actions.

Practical application that counters emotion-driven living and anchors Christian experience in obedience.

You cannot live holily. You cannot live godly. And you cannot live obediently without fighting.

Emphasizes the active, strenuous nature of the Christian life, rejecting passivity and antinomianism.

If you love me, you will keep my commandments.

Repeated quotation of John 14:15 that serves as the foundational proof that love for Christ is demonstrated by obedience.

Discussion Questions

[Question]

How does Weaver define 'abiding in Christ' from John 15, and how does this differ from common mystical or emotional interpretations?

[Context]

Weaver argues that abiding is equated with obedience to Christ's commandments, not an esoteric experience.

[Question]

What is the relationship between fruit-bearing and assurance of salvation according to this sermon?

[Context]

Weaver teaches that the absence of fruit indicates a lack of saving union with Christ, while some fruit is evidence of the Spirit's indwelling.

[Question]

How does the sermon use the concepts of preservation and perseverance to explain the believer's responsibility in obedience?

[Context]

Weaver says God preserves believers, enabling them to persevere in obedience; our perseverance is evidence of His preservation.

[Question]

What does it mean to 'keep yourselves in the love of God' according to Jude 21 and 1 John 5:3, and how did Joseph exemplify this?

[Context]

Weaver explains that keeping oneself in God's love means obeying His commandments, illustrated by Joseph fleeing temptation.

[Question]

Why does Weaver emphasize that feelings should follow obedience rather than lead it, and what practical difference does this make?

[Context]

He argues that living by feelings leads to chaos, while obeying God regardless of feelings produces right emotions and joy.

[Question]

How does the sermon address the objection that a person can be a believer without a lifestyle of obedience?

[Context]

Weaver cites 1 John 2:3-5 to say that such a person is a liar and the truth is not in him; obedience is the necessary evidence of knowing God.

Applications

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