Comments on John Chapter 15
Philip G. Ney, MD, FRCP (C)
August 17, 2004

Jesus is addressing his disciples, “He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.” (v. 2)
“Anyone who parts from me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.” (v. 6)

These passages have been much debated throughout the centuries of Christianity, with some believing that this is referring to Christians who stop following are cut off, and therefore lose their salvation. Others believe that this indicates a temporary state and these people are eventually brought back to Christ. These differences, I believe, occur because people don’t read the scriptures carefully enough. It should also be remembered that Jesus was talking to his disciples when they were not yet Christians. There were no Christians in Christ’s day.

The definition of a Christian is a person who has Christ’s Spirit in them. Being given God’s Spirit is what makes them a child of God. This occurs with salvation. It is a free and eternal gift; once a child of God, always a child of God. Jesus was talking to his followers, those who He discipled, not to Christians. The issue was not salvation. The issue was words. “You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you.” (v. 3) “But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!” (v. 7) Like the passage Jesus quoted from Isaiah, and like the parable of the seed, this is about words. Christ is telling his disciples to listen very carefully. In listening, they will learn and understand about His sacrifice and sending them the Holy Spirit to live in them that was to happen later. Later Jesus says, “But I will send you the Counselor --the Spirit of truth. He will come to you from the Father and will tell you all about me.” (v. 26) After Pentecost, his disciples knew exactly what his words meant. Now they had the Spirit living in them for eternity, there was no question that they would be cut off; it was a matter of once again listening carefully to his words.

We know that Christians don’t lose their salvation partly from the parable of the prodigal son. Here was a young man who impulsively grabbed his inheritance and took off to have a great time. He took all that his father planned to give him when he was mature enough to know how to really enjoy it and squandered it in riotous, stupid, pleasurable living. But did he lose his sonship? Not a bit. He was still son, and his father was still father. When he finally recognized he was starving without the fellowship of his father, he turned for home with a lame excuse, to try and be reunited or close enough to get something good even if it meant being a servant. But his father surprises the socks off him. Not only is he waiting there, but he is planning to celebrate his son’s return. Why was the father standing at the end of the path waiting for his son to come up the road? Well, he knew that he would. Sons and daughters always do sooner or later. They can’t stand living away from the household of God. When they are not in their father’s household they starve for love and fellowship.

Jesus was making it clear to all those listening that they should stick close to him listen carefully and obey. In that way, they would learn more and more. Their lives would become fruitful and they would want to stay close to the One who knew so much. That’s why they were gathered together at Pentecost. They were expecting an earth shaking event. They didn’t know exactly quite what, but they were certainly eager in anticipation. It was something which the people of God had hoped for centuries. Through Moses God made it clear to the Israelites that if they obeyed Him they would be abundantly blessed. If they disobeyed, God would withdraw and let them feel the consequences of their stupidity. After many centuries of trying they finally they recognized they just could not consistently obey. It just wasn’t their nature. This dilemma was best expressed by Paul/Saul the Pharisee, ‘Oh miserable man that I am, the good that I want to do I can’t, and the bad that I try to avoid I keep doing. Who can save me from this huge dilemma? I don’t have a natural desire to serve the Lord.’ And then he said, ‘Who is the answer to this? It’s Jesus.’(Romans 7:19-25) And how? By Jesus giving them his Spirit, so that the words of Isaiah, Jeremiah and Joel came true. Now people have a changed heart. They have truth living in them, and are constantly taught by the Spirit. There is no chance they will fall away, because they are his sons and daughters forever. He will keep them that way. ‘No one can pluck them out of my hand, no one, not even themselves. Even if perchance they think they’re wasting their time with Jesus and wander away, they soon begin to starve. When they are hungry enough, they come back. They will eventually realize that it is only in God’s house they get any real food and drink.

Knowing that you are a child of God’s forever, regardless of what you do or think, should make you courageous. Refined methods of torture can make almost every one recant their faith in Christ. Fearing that doing God’s more difficult work might land you in the hand’s of those who would like a Christian to deny his Lord and Saviour, might keep you from courageous encounters with the enemy. Thinking you could lose your salvation under torture, could prevent you from risking it with efforts to serve God deep in enemy territory. Now you know even if you recant under pain and privation won’t effect your being God’s child forever, you can dare anything for your Lord.