{"id":4363,"date":"2021-02-22T20:02:44","date_gmt":"2021-02-22T20:02:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/?p=4363"},"modified":"2021-02-22T20:02:44","modified_gmt":"2021-02-22T20:02:44","slug":"the-vine-and-the-branches-fruit-or-fire","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-vine-and-the-branches-fruit-or-fire\/","title":{"rendered":"The Vine and the Branches: Fruit or Fire"},"content":{"rendered":"

4\u00a0<\/sup>Abide\u00a0in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.<\/span><\/span>\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup>I am the vine;\u00a0you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that\u00a0bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.<\/span><\/span>\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup>If anyone does not abide in me\u00a0he is thrown away like a branch and withers;\u00a0and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.<\/span><\/span>\u00a07\u00a0<\/sup>If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. (John 15:4-7)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Union With Christ<\/b><\/p>\n

One of the doctrines present in our current discussion in John 15 is that of union with Christ. We see this union pictured in the analogy of the vine and the branches. Simply put, union with Christ is the mutual indwelling the believer has with Christ – He dwells in us, and we are in Him. This of course is a spiritual union that comes through faith and belongs to every believer. Union with Christ is one of the most precious realities of the Christian faith. This means we have Christ, always with us and in us – He is our possession, so to speak – and He always has us. Not only that, but by virtue of our union with Christ we have as our possession all the benefits of union with Christ, as Ephesians 1:3 tells us that the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places. This is one of those precious truths that can help you endure difficult things you go through. When you have to face a difficult time at work or otherwise, remind yourself, \u201cI am united to Christ. The risen and reigning conquering Lord of Heaven and Earth who loved me and gave Himself for me, has united Himself to me, and I to Him\u201d – whatever it is, it\u2019s going to be okay, He is going to get you through it. Mothers can draw great comfort from their union with Christ when they are lonely and weary in difficult times of homemaking, and men can find great strength and confidence in their union with Christ when going into battle. It is the strength for every weakness, the comfort for every fear, and the joy for every sorrow. If you are united with Christ you have everything you need, you are connected to the source of all provision and plenty.<\/span><\/p>\n

Here in John 15 we see union with Christ all over it, and we see our union with Christ closely connected to our fruit bearing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s parts\u2026<\/em><\/p>\n

Let us consider these elements of our union with Christ in our passage today.<\/span><\/p>\n

We abide in Him<\/em><\/p>\n

The first is that we are \u201cin Him\u201d as branches connected to the vine. But the way that being \u201cin Christ\u201d is talked about here in John 15 is as \u201cabiding in Him.\u201d In fact in verse 4 we are given it in imperative form, \u201cAbide in me\u2026\u201d and then the rest of our verses use it as a descriptor or qualifier, describing the results of what happens to those who abide in Christ. Abiding in Christ simply means to remain or continue or endure, or persevere.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

In short, if we are united to Christ, we will abide in Him. If we are not in union with Christ, we will not abide in Him. Therefore, we must abide in Him.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If there is any encouragement we need today as Christians, it is encouragement to abide in Christ – to remain in Him – and to continue believing and fighting the good fight of faith. Many of our evangelical leaders of the past twenty years are apostatizing into liberalism or wokeness, and as increasing tensions toward church persecution continues, more professing Christians will walk away. Others will quickly register their church as a state church and that will take the form as a \u201ccovid compliant\u201d church, and they will gladly report other churches that do not. Persecution does at least two things: it causes unbelievers to walk away, and strengthens the faith and resolve of true believers. And one of the ways difficult times do this is by causing us to to see that we can do nothing on our own and thus to depend all the more on Christ for everything.<\/span><\/p>\n

We find encouragement to persevere in Christ certainly not only by the warning of seeing apostasy, but also when you see someone who you thought was weak in faith that would fall away, continue to persevere and grow in strength and in faith. It reminds us how little we know, and encourages us in the power of God to continue abiding in Christ and persevering in the faith. Doesn\u2019t that encourage your faith when you see that, and also humble you, and teach you not to presume to know what is in someone\u2019s heart? You see the way that the Bible talks about conversion, and the way that the Bible identifies Christians is about their perseverance and by their fruit. The Bible does not require some emotional crisis conversion experience, or some mighty displays of strength for God. But it is those who are believing, the believing ones, and thus those who bear fruit. Christians are those who abide and persevere and bear fruit, not those who have a crisis conversion experience and are \u201con fire\u201d for 6 months, and then fall away. This is important to the conversation of abiding in Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

You see the way the Bible talks about conversion and faith does not require us to know the exact moment of our conversion or have some radical experience. There are of course some examples of clear moments of conversion, like Saul, and maybe some of you have had one, but the main way the issue is talked about is simply this: do you believe? Are you believing? Do you currently believe? Believe now. You see it is not a necessity to have a crisis conversion experience to be a Christian, but it is a necessity to believe and persevere in that faith.<\/span><\/p>\n

The necessity of perseverance in the Christian life militates against this idea of conversionism or revivalism, which is the great downgrade that was brought into the modern church by Charles Finney and the second great awakening. We are so infected by this idea of revivalism today, that we equate the working of the Spirit with certain emotional experiences and reactions and downplay the normal, consistent, mundane Christian life. There are even many people who hold onto the fact that they or their children once prayed the sinner\u2019s prayer and went down the aisle to sign the card, or were baptized, and that means they had this conversion experience and they can\u2019t lose their salvation. Never mind the fact that they have left the church, they are living in sin, they are not growing in grace, and have no desire to do so. This is simply not the way that the Bible talks about conversion or the Christian life. It is not biblical. If you remember all the way back to John 3:16, \u201cFor God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him, should not perish but have eternal life.\u201d That verse is in no way talking about a one time or a short lived revival experience. The most literal translation of \u201cwhoever believes\u201d would be, \u201cFor God so loved the world that He gave His only Son, that all the believing ones in Him, should not perish but have eternal life.\u201d \u201cAll the believing ones.\u201d And yet that verse has been used and abused by the hyper revivalists, for the sake of decisionism. This is the way the Bible talks about true faith and conversion, as a present reality, a current faith, and an abiding belief that bears fruit over time – not revivalistic moments that we experience a handful of times in our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Back in the day, during Billy Graham\u2019s big crusades, he would also do the altar call and sinner\u2019s prayer and ask people to come down if they would accept Christ. And I know that God saved many people through those crusades, and praise God that God draws straight lines with crooked sticks. But the vast majority of those people that came forward and signed cards, ended up not continuing to believe and not being a part of a local church, not long after those events, this is admitted and documented by Billy Graham\u2019s own surveys. But the worst part is that during those crusades, they would plant employees or volunteers all around the crowd, who were instructed to get up and walk forward during the altar call, for the psychological effect it would have on those in the audience. That is just wrong, and not biblical. This is the milieu in which we find ourselves in and have need to educate and disciple against. Such ones who go forward in a revival experience but who do not continue in the faith in a local church, are branches that bear no fruit, that do not abide in the vine and will be picked up and thrown away into the fire. Jesus says, abide in me, remain in me, continue in me.<\/span><\/p>\n

I believe that this more biblical view of salvation helps us in our parenting with our children. We are not looking for a specific conversion moment, or a specific prayer for our children to pray. They may not know, and we may not know when exactly they were converted, and yet may truly be believing Christians with present trust and faith in Christ. This we should accept and thank God for. For Children who grow up in a family and church that are not decisionists, for children in a church and family like that who are raised from birth in church, and diligently taught the Christian faith, they may not know when they were regenerated by the Holy Spirit, they just now that now they believe, and as far as they can remember, have always believed. And that is a good thing, that we should want to see in our children. Just because they can\u2019t remember a time when they did not believe, if that is the case, is certainly not to say that that time did not exist, it did. It ought to be acceptable to say, when asked why we are Christians, to be able to say, \u201cbecause my father and mother diligently raised and discipled me in the Christian faith since my birth.\u201d What a wonderful testimony that is.<\/span><\/p>\n

This is certainly not to advocate the anonymous Christian theory, that there are people who are Christians who do not know and are not conscious of it. Not at all. For a Christian is one who believes, and is believing. It is just to say that in some cases, we may not know when that exact moment of regeneration took place. And also, as an aside, when the Bible talks about those who believe, it is not talking about a perfect belief, that doesn\u2019t ever have doubts, or a belief that falters, so to speak, when a Christian sins, or a belief that is not weak. Our belief is filled with all kinds of imperfections and flaws, but in the believer the root of true faith is present in all of our imperfections and sins.<\/span><\/p>\n

So this is the first element of our union with Christ, that we are \u201cin Him,\u201d and that by virtue of being in Christ, we will and we must continue and abide in Him.<\/span><\/p>\n

He is in us<\/em><\/p>\n

The second element of our union with Christ, is that He is in us. This is the wonder of all wonder, that by His Spirit, Christ dwells in us. As Jesus says, \u201cAbide in me, and I in you.\u201d This is the great comfort and confidence of union with Christ. As Christians, wherever we go, we are going with Christ in us. Truly and really in us. There are so many great implications of this for all of life that we don\u2019t have the time to get into today; but here Jesus applies this aspect of our union with Christ to our fruit bearing. \u201cWhoever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit.\u201d The indwelling of Christ in the believer is to credit for the fruit in the lives of His people. What great comfort when we look at our lives and see fruit of the Spirit, we see, not ourselves and the work of our own hands, but the work of Christ, by His Spirit in us. It is Christ Himself at work in us.<\/span><\/p>\n

He doesn\u2019t need us<\/em><\/p>\n

This should lead us to note here that the glory for fruit goes to the vine and not the branches. This means that the vine does not need the branches, or any branch in particular.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It is a mutual indwelling between Christ and His people, but it is not a mutual dependence. We need Him for everything, He needs us for nothing. If you think that you are such a great fruit bearing branch that offers so much to the life of the vine, think again. You produce because of the vine in you. God has no need of any vine in particular. He can take you and throw you into the fire and grow a new branch out of nothing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Our Lord did not say, \u201cWithout you, <\/span>I<\/span><\/i> can do nothing.\u201d No, He said, \u201capart from me,<\/span> you<\/span><\/i> can do nothing.\u201d He does not need us, nor is He dependent on us in any way. He can raise up a valley of dry bones. He can raise up rocks to praise Him. He can give life to another branch. What is it the branch has to offer the vine? Nothing. God is a God without need. He is entirely self-sufficient. What does our rendering of Psalm 100 that we sing say? \u201cHe formed us all without our aid.\u201d The Vine has no need of any branch in particular.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Now this by no means should hurt our feelings, and if it does hurt our feelings to hear that Christ does not need us for anything, then certainly we needed to get our feelings hurt. What it should do is greatly encourage us. \u201cThank God, Christ is not dependent on me.\u201d Anyone who is offended that God does not need them thinks way too highly of themselves and not nearly high enough about God.<\/span><\/p>\n

We need Him for everything<\/em><\/p>\n

While Christ does not need us, we need Him. We are but creatures of dust, the dust also dependent on Christ. We are the branches, and a branch disconnected from the vine will bear now fruit, and can do nothing, and will have no life. The life and fruitfulness of the vine is entirely dependent on the vine, and the union therein. Apart from the vine, apart from Christ, we can do nothing. Of course the immediate context here is speaking of our inability to have life and bear fruit apart from Christ. But it is not only spiritual life and fruitfulness that we need Christ for. We don\u2019t even exist apart from Christ giving us physical life. In Colossians 1 it tells us that by Jesus Christ all things were created and in Him all things hold together. Even those who despise, reject, and blaspheme Christ have their very lives being sustained by Jesus Christ. The very breath in their lungs they use to blaspheme is given them by Christ. Sinful mankind is so arrogant and so ignorant, he is so wise and advanced, but He knows nothing of the God he rebels against and yet is totally dependent upon. While the vine has no need of the branch, the branch has complete need of the vine for everything. We need to remember as Christians that since we can\u2019t even breathe oxygen without Jesus Christ, how in the world do we think we can bear spiritual fruit apart from Him? I am sorry but I just despise Arminianism so much. \u201cGod will not violate your free will! He is standing there knocking and begging, just needing you to open up the door.\u201d What is that garbage? We don\u2019t have a God who is restricted by anything in man. We don\u2019t even have a will apart from God giving it to us. The call to come to Christ, the call to bear fruit, the call to abide in Christ, is nothing that we can do without Christ. It is nothing we can do apart from Him and on our own. And we should hate with a perfect godly hatred any doctrine that teaches otherwise, and any fleshly impulse to the contrary that wells up within us.<\/span><\/p>\n

The call to abide, or the necessity of abiding, is not a call to persevere on our own strength. It is not a call to advance by the own strength of our might. Remaining in Christ is union with Christ, and is only done in Him and by His power. We do not abide in our own strength, but in the strength of Christ as He abides in us and gives us His strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

Everything in the Christian life is dependent upon union with Christ. When Jesus says \u201capart from me you can do nothing\u201d He is saying that outside of me, there is no Christian life. There is no life or fruit outside of union with Christ. That is not something we procure in our own strength.<\/span><\/p>\n

I love what Augustine says here, \u201c…if you have any sense remaining, let your hair stand on end. For whoever imagines that he is bearing fruit of himself is not in the vine, and he that is not in the vine is not in Christ, and he that is not in Christ is not a Christian.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Results of Union with Christ<\/b><\/p>\n

We have already hinted at it and mentioned it, but let us turn to consider now the results of union with Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

The branch bears much fruit<\/em><\/p>\n

The chief result here of abiding in Christ and He in us, is that we will bear much fruit. As Jesus says in verse 5, \u201cwhoever abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit\u2026\u201d It is not possible for someone to be united to Christ and have Christ in them, and be a recipient of every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, and not bear fruit. Certainly some branches bear more fruit than others, and some branches bear better quality fruit than others, so it is not a certain quality or quantity we are to calculate, but it simply the presence of real fruit, however small or great it may be. So it certainly ought not to be that we look around at everyone else and begin to compare our fruit with others, thinking things like, \u201cI am much more sanctified and mature in this area than so and so, and so and so, is much older than me and should be farther along than me.\u201d Nor should we compare other people\u2019s fruit with others, like we would be most tempted to do with our spouses, \u201cso and so\u2019s spouse does this so well, why can\u2019t my spouse just do half that!\u201d That type of thinking is deadly poison and covetousness, may we immediately banish such thoughts that ever enter our minds, and take it captive to the obedience of Christ. So we are not to do fruit comparisons between branches. But let us remember that it is Christ in us who brings forth fruit, and an brother or sister in Christ, will bring forth the fruit that Christ would grow in them in time and in season.<\/span><\/p>\n

So we are not to do fruit comparisons, but we are also not to spend too much time inspecting the fruit on our own branch. There is certainly a proper and necessary time and place for self-examination. But the self-inspection can go too far. You see the Spiritual life is not meant to be a one of perpetual introspection, but one of fruitfulness, which grows outward from the life that is inside. If we are continually looking in on ourselves and perpetually examining ourselves, we will be rendered impotent and ineffective in the world, and all that fruit inspection, will result in fruitlessness. So let us look always to Christ, and ever treasure our union with Him as the source of everything in our Christian life.<\/span><\/p>\n

Fruitfulness in Prayer (v. 7)<\/em><\/p>\n

Now what exactly is this fruitfulness? Certainly it is the fruit of the Spirit and good works in the world through obedience to Christ and His Word. But we also have a more specific fruitfulness in view here in our immediate context. Look again at verse 7. One of the chief fruits that Jesus speaks of here is fruitfulness in prayer. Verse 7 is one of the verses that is used and abused and ripped out of its context to say if we have faith God will give us anything we ask. But that is not at all what is said. On the other side we also do not want to ignore the great promises made, promises of genuine fruitfulness in prayer.<\/span><\/p>\n

But let\u2019s look at what the text says. In order for the promise of verse 7 to be given, the conditions of the promise must be met. It is not an unconditional promise. What are the conditions? 1) that we abide in Him, and 2) that His words abide in us. With those conditions met in someone, for what would such a person ask? Implied here is the relational fellowship that we have with Christ, that comes and goes. Many times even as Christians, we don\u2019t commune with God as we ought, when we sin, or seek to do things by our own wisdom and power in the flesh. There are times when we do not walk according to God\u2019s Word or hide God\u2019s Word in our heart, but walk according to our own word. In this way, we experientially fail to abide in Christ. But as we walk in obedience and submission to the Word of God, fellowshipping with Christ in prayer and in His Word and His Words dwell richly in us, we have that experiential fellowship that every Christian longs for. And when we are experientially abiding in Christ and His Word in us, what is that we ask for in prayer? Only that which conforms to the will of God. And thus we become fruitful in prayer. Do you see what is being said here? There is a connection between our fruitfulness and effectiveness in prayer with our faithful and holy living. Our fruitfulness in prayer is connected to our holy living. Again, in the revivalistic modern Christian culture this is this great desire and glorification of great prayers to be prayed and answered, but there is no emphasis or lasting concern for consistent faithful Christian living over time. At the same time, this is not to discourage the one who has stumbled and strayed from fellowship with Christ, because fellowship with Christ can be restored in a moment. Christ stands willing and ready. It just takes repentance – returning to your first love. Christ does not require you to live years trying to make up and pay off your sin debt doing penance. He\u2019s already done that. You just come to Him. Just bring your sin to Him, and leave it there.<\/span><\/p>\n

If the words of Christ are dwelling and abiding in us, it will be His words that we ask for and wish, which will certainly be done. Just like praying the Psalms. This is why it is important to pray along with the Psalms. The Psalms are Christ\u2019s exact Words, they are Christ\u2019s prayers. If the Psalms are abiding in us, we can ask the Father, and He will answer. So this is not a blank check, but with the conditions that we abide in Christ, and His words in us.<\/span><\/p>\n

I like what Calvin says here, \u201cWhen he promises that he will grant whatever we wish, he does not give us leave to form wishes according to our own fancy. God would do what was ill fitted to promote our welfare, if he were so indulgent and so ready to yield to us; for we know well that men often indulge in foolish and extravagant desires.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

And Augustine here, simply put, \u201cFor abiding thus in Christ, is there anything they can wish but what will be agreeable to Christ?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

The Results of Not Abiding in Christ<\/strong><\/p>\n

Finally let us note the results of not abiding in Christ, of not bearing fruit, and of being outside of the vine that is Christ.<\/span><\/p>\n

Thrown away into the fire<\/em><\/p>\n

Now we may read verse 6 and think that it sounds straightforward enough to know that Jesus is talking about everyone throughout history who does not abide in Him…and that is true, but that is not all. Once again, as we have noted many times throughout our exposition of John, and not nearly enough times, Jesus is referencing the Old Testament here. We talked about how the imagery of the vine was an Old Testament reference, but here specifically in verse 6 Jesus is referencing Ezekiel 15:\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And the word of the\u00a0Lord<\/span>\u00a0came to me:<\/span>\u00a02\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cSon of man, how does\u00a0the wood of the vine surpass any wood, the vine branch that is among the trees of the forest?<\/span>\u00a03\u00a0<\/sup>Is wood taken from it to make anything? Do people take\u00a0a peg from it to hang any vessel on it?<\/span>\u00a04\u00a0<\/sup>Behold, it is given to the fire for fuel. When the fire has consumed both ends of it, and the middle of it is charred, is it useful for anything?<\/span>\u00a05\u00a0<\/sup>Behold, when it was whole, it was used for nothing. How much less, when the fire has consumed it and it is charred, can it ever be used for anything!<\/span>\u00a06\u00a0<\/sup>Therefore thus says the Lord\u00a0God<\/span>:\u00a0Like the wood of the vine among the trees of the forest,\u00a0which I have given to the fire for fuel, so have I given up the inhabitants of Jerusalem.<\/span>\u00a07\u00a0<\/sup>And I will set my face against them. Though\u00a0they escape from the fire, the fire shall yet consume them,\u00a0and you will know that I am the\u00a0Lord<\/span>,\u00a0when I set my face against them.<\/span>\u00a08\u00a0<\/sup>And I will make the land desolate, because\u00a0they have acted faithlessly, declares the Lord\u00a0God<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

This is powerful. What Jesus is doing is applying the Ezekiel 15 judgment against unfaithful Jews to Himself, in the sense that it is the Jew\u2019s relation to Christ that determines whether he or she is a true Jew or not. A true and faithful Jew to Jesus Christ is today a Christian. And Jesus says, those who are not faithful to me, will be judged and thrown into the fire. Israel had become a dead, fruitless, and dry branch, good for nothing in their apostasy but for kindling. And their rejection and murder of their own prophesied Messiah was the final filling up of their iniquity, to make them ready for the judgment of fire. Strong words from Jesus.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0Of course, this warning is not just for the first century Jews, but now all the world is to be judged in relation to Jesus Christ. There is not one who will escape the judgment of fire. You will either be outside of Christ and thrown into the fire as a dead branch to suffer for all eternity, or you will be united to Christ, where He faced the fire of judgment for you, and in Him you died, in Him you were crucified, and in Him, you rose.<\/span><\/p>\n

Conclusion<\/b><\/p>\n

Two Options: Fruit or Fire<\/em><\/p>\n

For each one of you sitting here today, and anyone who ever listens to this online, there are only two options for your life. Fruit or fire.<\/span><\/p>\n

As Augustine again simply puts it, \u201cThe branch is suitable only for one of two things, either the vine or the fire\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fruit or fire. You will abide in Christ and bear much fruit, or you will be prepared for the fire. And the way you bear fruit is not by looking at yourself and focusing on the fruit, but by looking unto Christ, and being united to Him by faith, and He will grow it in you. Jesus has done everything necessary to save us from the judgment of fire and preserve us in this life and the one to come, and He will do everything necessary to bring forth fruit in the life of each Christian. It was Jesus Himself who went through the fiery judgment of God\u2019s wrath on the cross for the sins of His people, yet He was not reduced to nothing. Jesus came out of the fire bearing forth fruit. He was consumed by the wrath of God for sinners on the cross, but up from the ashes rose a vine, The Great and True Vine that alone will bear fruit to fill the whole earth, with the fruit of His death and resurrection. Lose not heart Christian, Christ is the True Vine, you are the branches, every branch in Him will bear much fruit.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

4\u00a0Abide\u00a0in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.\u00a05\u00a0I am the vine;\u00a0you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that\u00a0bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":685,"featured_media":4364,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_genesis_hide_title":false,"_genesis_hide_breadcrumbs":false,"_genesis_hide_singular_image":false,"_genesis_hide_footer_widgets":false,"_genesis_custom_body_class":"","_genesis_custom_post_class":"","_genesis_layout":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"wds_primary_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22,27,30,32],"tags":[93,1493,274,500,527,557,678,679,687,699,765,932,1172,1486],"class_list":{"0":"post-4363","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-commentary","8":"category-gospel","9":"category-preaching","10":"category-theology","11":"tag-abide","12":"tag-branches","13":"tag-christ","14":"tag-fire","15":"tag-fruit","16":"tag-god","17":"tag-jenkins","18":"tag-jesus","19":"tag-john","20":"tag-joshua","21":"tag-lord","22":"tag-perseverance","23":"tag-spirit","24":"tag-vine","25":"entry"},"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/02\/vine-and-branches.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":4337,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-true-vine-in-gods-garden\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":0},"title":"The True Vine in God’s Garden","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"February 1, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"\u201cI am the\u00a0true vine, and my Father is\u00a0the vinedresser.\u00a02\u00a0Every branch in me that does not bear fruit\u00a0he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes,\u00a0that it may bear more fruit.\u00a03\u00a0Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. (John 15:1-3) Introduction Compared\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/02\/Vine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/02\/Vine.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/02\/Vine.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4366,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/the-pattern-of-heaven-on-earth\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":1},"title":"The Pattern of Heaven on Earth","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"March 2, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"9\u00a0As the Father has loved me,\u00a0so have I loved you. Abide in my love.\u00a010\u00a0If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as\u00a0I have kept\u00a0my Father's commandments and abide in his love.\u00a011\u00a0These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/heaven.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/heaven.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/heaven.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/heaven.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/heaven.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":3678,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/loved-and-assured-by-the-triune-god-1-john-413-16\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":2},"title":"Loved and Assured by the Triune God: 1 John 4:13-16","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"December 18, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"13\u00a0By this we know that we abide in him and he in us, because he has given us of his Spirit.\u00a014\u00a0And\u00a0we have seen and testify that\u00a0the Father has sent his Son to be the Savior of\u00a0the world.\u00a015\u00a0Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2018\/12\/books-reading-library-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4391,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/friends-of-jesus\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":3},"title":"Friends of Jesus","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"March 16, 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"14\u00a0You are\u00a0my friends\u00a0if you do what I command you.\u00a015\u00a0No longer do I call you servants,[a]\u00a0for the servant\u00a0does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for\u00a0all that I have heard from my Father\u00a0I have made known to you.\u00a016\u00a0You did not choose me, but\u00a0I chose you\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Commentary"","block_context":{"text":"Commentary","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/commentary\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/stars-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/stars-scaled.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/stars-scaled.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/stars-scaled.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/stars-scaled.jpg?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2021\/03\/stars-scaled.jpg?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":5997,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/seven-lamps-for-the-lampstand\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":4},"title":"Seven Lamps for the Lampstand","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"September 18, 2023","format":false,"excerpt":"Click HERE for sermon audio \u201cYou shall make a lampstand of pure gold. The lampstand shall be made of hammered work: its base, its stem, its cups, its calyxes, and its flowers shall be of one piece with it.\u00a032\u00a0And there shall be six branches going out of its sides, three\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Sermon"","block_context":{"text":"Sermon","link":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/category\/sermon\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/37\/2023\/09\/Zechariahs-vision-freebibleillustrations.com_-263x300-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":3634,"url":"https:\/\/themajestysmen.com\/joshuajenkins\/abide-in-him-commentary-on-1-john-218-29\/","url_meta":{"origin":4363,"position":5},"title":"Abide in Him: Commentary on 1 John 2:18-29","author":"Joshua Jenkins","date":"October 8, 2018","format":false,"excerpt":"Last week we looked at these same verses, but we focused primarily on the antichrist while this week we will focus on the Christian. Within this passage there is a contrast set up between the antichrist and the Christian. 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