Faith in doctrine produces a life of fruit and prayer; John 15:16

Title: Faith in doctrine produces a life of fruit and prayer; John 15:16

 

John 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask of the Father in My name, He may give to you.

 

God has to give to the believer in grace before the believer can have a purpose. The believer cannot act until he understands what has been given.

 

That statement, if understood by all the Church, would quench religion once and for all. Learn your position first. Learn all that God has imputed by means of grace at salvation. Learn all that God has promised to continue to give directly and indirectly throughout your Christian life, and then do.

 

God’s grace policy: Receive, know, believe, love, recall, and then do.

 

To learn what God has done for you and then to not act upon those gifts is abnormal.

 

A branch that doesn’t produce fruit is abnormal.

 

A normal branch produces fruit, but why does it produce fruit? It does so because it abides in the vine. As remaining in fellowship with Christ, and standing at the Holy of Holies, you are learning what you have received from Him freely. In our analogy the nutrients and water are flowing up the vine and down the branch, from Christ, through His word, to you. After you have learned what was given in election and predestination then you can do.

 

To boast or pontificate about fruit bearing in ourselves or in others is misplaced and disingenuous since it is natural that the branch bears fruit.

 

Luke 17:10

when you do all the things which are commanded you, say, 'We are unworthy slaves; we have done only that which we ought to have done.'

 

Some have attempted to interpret this passage in a manner that suggests that the believer should do more than that which he ought to have done, but that is not the meaning here. How could you do more than you should have or more than all the things which are commanded you? Even when we are given the title of friend by Jesus Christ [John 15:15] we are still slaves. The meaning here is to never ever elevate yourself or others because you are living the normal CWL.

 

To attempt to do, before you know what was given, results in production that is not directed by the word of God and manufactured under false motivation, which is fruit that doesn’t remain; worthless.

 

Before we do anything we should have had a sufficient amount of time standing before the H of H.

 

HEB 10:22

let us draw near with a sincere heart [genuine heart] in full assurance of faith [confidence in the richness of doctrine], having our hearts sprinkled clean from an evil conscience [positional truth] and our bodies washed with pure water [filled wHS].

 

Fruit is produced in its season and the planting, pruning, soil maintenance are all in preparation for that season. And the believer must know that all is pointing to that season of fruit production, the production of divine good in thought, word, and deed. If there is no production then the branch is abnormal.

 

James 2:14 What use is it, my brethren, if a man says he has faith, but he has no works? Can that faith save him?

 

The answer to the second class condition is no, that faith cannot save him.

 

 “save” - sw,zw[sozo - aorist active infinitive] = to deliver. In this context it means to deliver from temporal death and the inevitable sin unto death for the reversionist.

 

Luther called this an epistle of straw because he could not see that sozo does not only refer to deliverance from the second death.

 

Why a reversionist? Verse 17. First James gives a very obvious example.

 

James 2:15 If a brother or sister is without clothing and in need of daily food, [cold and starving and you have plenty of clothing and food]

 

James 2:16 and one of you says to them, "Go in peace, be warmed and be filled," and yet you do not give them what is necessary for their body, what use is that?

 

A normal unbeliever would give food and clothes.

 

James’ point is that the words are there but the normal function of those words is not there.

 

You say you are a branch and it is winter, spring, or summer then you are growing up spiritually, or at least you are giving that impression. You could be healthy and ready to sprout or you could be diseased or sick. This is only known by you and God (you if you haven’t deceived yourself) and there are no fruit inspectors in the Church. Now, if you say you’re a branch and it is fall and you have no fruit - then something is wrong and whatever you professed to be doing in the other seasons is now dead. Your fall, the elapsed time in which the Sovereign will of God expects fruit is only known by Him and also you if you are humble enough to be corrected by doctrine.

 

You will never produce fruit if you are incapable of humbly receiving correction and reproof by God (not by the PT, but through the word as well as any intense discipline from God).

 

2 Tim 3:16-17

All Scripture is inspired by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness; that the man of God may be adequate, equipped for every good work.

 

HEB 12:6 For those whom the Lord loves He disciplines,

And He scourges every son whom He receives."

HEB 12:10 He disciplines us for our good, that we may share His holiness.

 

James 2:17 Even so faith, if it has no works, is dead, being by itself.

 

To be dead faith had to be alive at some point. Having no fruit shows that the believer has not taken advantage of grace and the faith they once had has died.

 

In other words, if the faith in doctrine and the power of the Spirit and the election and predestination of God do not result in production, the faith in those things that I once had will wane away and die. This is temporal death which if not corrected will eventually result in the sin unto death.

 

Temporal death means to be spiritually bankrupt and if this condition continues it leads to the sin unto death.

 

Yet, recovery from temporal death is always possible under grace - rebound and enforced humility under the teaching of the word of God.

 

As a second purpose clause, answered prayer does not depend upon fruit bearing but is simultaneous with it. Both are dependent on realizing the fullness of election through execution of predestination.

 

We have studied fruit bearing and we have studied prayer in a 14 hour series. When did we study prayer? October 6, 2011!

 

Review doctrine of prayer: Point 1 - Introductory principles.