(part one)

(John 15:4-8 NKJV) "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. {5} "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. {6} "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. {7} "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. {8} "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

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The Lord Jesus' teaching in John 15 is one of the most important lessons in the Word of God. I cannot think of another teaching that so clearly describes the nature of true Christianity. The teaching enforces all the other examples and lessons that are presented by Christ and the letters of the Apostles Paul, Peter, James, and John.

The lesson uses the metaphor of a grape vine and grafting process. This was a familiar example to the disciples since grape production was a very essential part of culture in Israel. Grafting is an fundamental part of vine dressing. When Christ declared, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser," they knew exactly to what He was referring.

To explain clearly why this lesson is so important, I must go into a bit of history concerning American grape production. When early Americans tried to make wine from indigenous grapes, they found them too sour, bitter, and strong in aroma. Thus, they tried planting European vines, but the vines were not hardy enough to survive. The main reason foreign vines cannot be grown in America is phylloxera, a tiny louse that kills grapevines by feeding on their roots. In fact, phylloxera was unwittingly introduce into France during the 19th century and wiped out nearly all of Frances vineyards. From France, it spread around the world destroying nearly every vineyard on each continent. Because grape vines indigenous to America were phylloxera resistant, rootstocks from America were shipped to France in order to save their vineyards. Currently, there are almost no grape vines in the world that are grown on their own rootstock. This is where the story gets fascinating for me.

American rootstock is phylloxera resistant, but European vines are most desirable for making wine. Therefore, Americans and Europeans graft the popular European vine, the Vitis vinifera scion, onto the roots of a resistant Vitis labrusca or other American native species. There are several grafting methods, so I will give only one example. The T-method involves cutting a T into the bark of an adult vine near the ground. Two Vitis vinifera scions are then inserted and wrapped with grafting rubber or some other wrap. The vine will bleed when it is cut, so two additional cuts are made below the grafting area in order to let the blood drain into the soil. Weeks later, when the grafts heal, the vine is sawed off above the grafts and thrown away. The grafts will then grow vigorously and rapidly into a strong fruit-bearing vine.

This is a fascinating event. The root has its main body cut off and thrown away. It is treated almost savagely, bled, cut, sawed, spliced, and yet will faithfully and unassumingly grow the foreign vine as if it were its own body. What an amazing example of Christ!

It is also important to notice that the Lord Jesus said abide in the vine. He did not say that we should abide on the vine. Next, consider that when He declared Himself to be the Vine, He was declaring Himself as the Rootstock.

(Isaiah 11:10 NKJV) "And in that day there shall be a Root of Jesse, Who shall stand as a banner to the people; For the Gentiles shall seek Him, And His resting place shall be glorious."

(Romans 15:12 NKJV) And again, Isaiah says: "There shall be a root of Jesse; And He who shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, In Him the Gentiles shall hope."

(Revelation 5:5 NKJV) But one of the elders said to me, "Do not weep. Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has prevailed to open the scroll and to loose its seven seals."

Jesus Christ, the Lord and Savior, is the Rootstock that is impervious to sin. We cannot grow in this world without Him as our Rootstock. Here is the mystery of Christ that is clearly revealed in the Bible. Israel, who was the indigenous branches, was cut off because they produced fruit unfit for consumption. We, who submit our lives to God, accept Christ as Lord and Savior, are grafted in. The Apostle Paul warns us not to boast about the process since we could also be cut off for the same reason as Israel was cut off.

(Romans 11:17-21 NKJV) And if some of the branches were broken off, and you, being a wild olive tree, were grafted in among them, and with them became a partaker of the root and fatness of the olive tree, {18} do not boast against the branches. But if you do boast, remember that you do not support the root, but the root supports you. {19} You will say then, "Branches were broken off that I might be grafted in." {20} Well said. Because of unbelief they were broken off, and you stand by faith. Do not be haughty, but fear. {21} For if God did not spare the natural branches, He may not spare you either.

What a blow to Once Saved, Also Saved, or Unconditional Eternal Security! In John 15, Christ Jesus gives the same warning as Paul.

(John 15:2 NKJV) "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.

In other words, if we are grafted in, and refuse to produce fruit, the Father, who is the Vinedresser, will cut us off. Much is said about God adding to the church those who are being saved, but little is said about His subtractions.

Our own rootstock is worthless because it was not resistant to sin. We were removed from it, but we retain some of its nature. In other words, we are still human. The nature of the new Rootstock affects the grafted branches. This is because the blood of the Rootstock flows into the grafted branches and governs the aroma. This is called the vigor of the rootstock by vinedressers.

(2 Corinthians 2:16 NKJV) To the one we are the aroma of death leading to death, and to the other the aroma of life leading to life. And who is sufficient for these things?

We are at the mercy of the Rootstock and the Vinedresser. If we are cut off, we cannot be grafted again into our old rootstock because it cannot survive in the sin-infested soil of the world system. No matter what doctrine one believes in, what denominational title he or she chooses to wear, or how many degrees are parked in front of his or her name, if there is no fruit production, there will be no connection to the Rootstock and no spiritual life.

It is any wonder that Christianity is dying today. There are multitudes cut off, withering and dead branches, who are either ignorant of, or unwilling to, produce fruit. Most professing Christians view the pastor, and a small number of people who work in the meetings, as the sole fruit producers. They believe that just struggling to the meeting each week, enduring the lecture, and racing to the restaurant for lunch, is a true cross. Otherwise, their lives are as empty and barren of fruit as a dead thorn bush. How can such people remain grafted into the Rootstock by mere profession of faith? Can their profession stand up at the Judgment Throne when God clearly calls for presentation of fruit?

The lesson in John 15 is explicit concerning true following of Christ Jesus. In addition, there is no ambiguity in any of the Gospels or in Paul's letters. However, most Christians have absorbed the gradual morphing of Christianity into a social event that occurs once each week. They have taught the secular world to agree with them. A common remark by secular individuals is, "religion belongs in the church." It is an ignorant statement, but one born out of the ritual of dead branches meeting in dead buildings.

When we surrender to God, we become His property. We are no longer on our own rootstock. We were bought with a price, grafted in, and are now His possession. We gave up the rights to follow our own whims and wishes. Now here is a clear picture of God dealing with His property. If we are truly grafted into the Rootstock, then either life must flow or we are dead branches. There is no other option. The next step is that we will either bear fruit or God will remove us as a dead branch is removed during vine dressing. When we bear fruit, we will be pruned so that we will bear more fruit. We must acquiesce to the will of God in all things. Retaining the right of self-possession is a refusal of the will of God, and a rejection of the Rootstock. It is an attempt to draw life from the Rootstock, but remain aloof and indifferent to His demands that we produce.

Abiding in the Rootstock means that we are connected to Christ. We will receive substance from the connection. We become one with Christ, albeit an extension of Himself. Our minds conform to His mind. The Divine Nature, which is the Holy Spirit, flows in us. We think and do His will, which is transmitted to us by the Holy Spirit. He thinks, "bear fruit," and we are supposed to bear fruit. Notice that the Rootstock does not bear fruit, but the branches. However, it is the Rootstock that holds all the essential substance for life and imparts it to the branches. The branches ask for leaves, the Rootstock gives them leaves. They ask for buds, and they get buds. They ask for growth so that they may broaden and increase the size of their leaves. They ask for blooms, for moisture during dry times, and the Rootstock supplies all their needs. Because they are connected, the Rootstock knows what they need before they ask. It is not a matter of positive confession, or even of much asking, but a matter of abiding. Abiding will cause a flow of continual substance necessary for spiritual life. If we are abiding, we will be a branch that receives substance so that we may produce fruit and represent the Rootstock properly. It will be our nature to do so.

Until there is a full surrender, there will be no abiding in the Rootstock. When God looks at us, He looks for His divine order. In nature, it is branches in the vine or root. With us, it is whether or not we are abiding in the Rootstock, lives hidden in Christ.