Chosen for Fellowship with Christ. - Drew Goodman
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 abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you.”
I recently visited students in Uganda at African Bible University. I intended to use a projector to display notes aboutwonderful Christian truths. When I attempted to turn on the projector, I discovered it would not power on. After a few puzzling moments, I searched to find where the power cord was plugged into a power source. In Uganda the electrical sockets have an on-off switch; the whole socket was turned off. I was not able to project truths about Christ until there was the power to do so. Likewise, our lives can't project the light of Christ apart from his illuminating presence and power.
The Lord Jesus used another image to teach our total dependency on Him. He is the true vine, and Christians are branches in Him. Apart from Christ’s life-giving, fruit-enabling fellowship, we can do nothing. Thankfully, God knows our total inability and has done something wonderful about it. God has chosen his people to supply them with true life. That the choice of people belongs to Christ and that the gift of eternal life is his to give identifies him as our divine Creator. That he purchased this life at great cost identifies him as our Redeemer.
The life Christ gives has its origin neither on earth nor in the creation, but in our Creator. This life has come down from our Father in heaven, given in Christ by his Spirit. When Jesus says he is the “true vine,” according to John’s usage of the word “true”, he not only contrasts himself with Israel (which characteristically failed to live up to God’s purpose and produce God’s fruit); he also contrasts himself with all that is earthly, weak, and sinful. He is the heavenly vine. The life we receive in Christ is full of divine power and vitality. He is at the same time a perfect human representative. Through fellowship with him,sinful men are raised from spiritual death to share the life he freely gives. The Son became man so that naturally weak peoplecould live in the power of a miraculous life that comes from God. Only the true vine from heaven can grant such true life. Like the Father, the Son has life in himself (John 5:26). It is no wonder, then, that we can do nothing to express true life apart from Christ. But the good news is that Christ is such a true vine, to make what was once lifeless and barren alive and fruitful.
With this in view, will briefly consider three related points from John 15:16.
Chosen for Fellowship with Christ
Our text reads, “You did not choose me, but I chose you …” Our relationship with Christ is defined in every way by his lordship. There is of course a sense in which we choose to follow Jesus. Luther showed the problem. The problem is our will. Until we are set free from sin by Christ’s power, we are in bondage to sinful darkness. But when Christ lights upon our hearts to implant life within, we are enabled to leave the dark prison of sin. The command “follow me” (e.g., Matt 4:19) is accompanied by his power to free us and make us glad and willing. The one who found a treasure hidden in a field gladly abandoned all else to gain what he prized most. The love of Christ is the best of all loves; it is better than all else that could be obtained in life (Ps 63:3).
If anyone is learning to increasingly depend wholly on Christ, he or she has God to thank. Those who know and trust Christ have received this as a gift; it exalts him that such knowledge is his alone to give (Matt 11:27). John likewise writes: “But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave them the right to become the children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God” (John 1:12).
The truth of God’s choice of his people encourages perseverance. It is fitting that Christ who is the author of life should also be the author of our faith. This is a source of great comfort because he who brought us life is the one who will see it securely maintained amid our trials and brought to completion in glory. Spurgeon well said, “The sovereignty of God is the pillow upon which the Christian rests his head.” His sovereign choice means that whatever opposes us in our way does not truly close the way.
This truth also teaches us humility. See how low the Saviorstooped to raise us in life. He stooped to become man, even to the lowest depths of the cross and the grave. How much lower must we stoop before him, in our hearts, and devoted service to him and his people? What would you not do for the Saviorwhose choice of you committed him to such cost? What would you not do for his people, whose feet the Lord washed? If Christ’s life is in us, his humility seeks to displace our natural pride. Humility before God is expressed in self-denying service to others, even to “the least of these” (Matt 25:40). In the context of the greatest needs, we can give expression to a life of humble service.
This truth also calls for thankfulness. Psalm 103 begins by rehearsing God’s many benefits. The heart where Christ lives is a thankful heart full of praise. Paul describes a Christian as “rooted and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Col 2:7).
Chosen for Fruitfulness in Christ
The appointment to be fruitful in Christ is part of being called to belong to him. God chose us to be branches. A branch is not an ornamental appendage, but a functioning instrument through which the vine labors to generate fruit. The vine is at work through the branch, supplying it with everything it needs in this cause. The branch neither lives nor works apart from the vine; the vine which first produced the branches then proceeds to produce fruit through the branches. What is maturing is pruned, to stimulate yet more growth.
Thus Paul wrote, “It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me” (Gal 2:20) and “I can do all things through him who strengthens me” (Phil 4:13). Christ who was “with” his disciples is now “in you” by the Holy Spirit (John 14:17). Just as words and deeds express what is in the heart, deeds of faith and obedience express that Christ dwells in the heart. At Windsor Castle, a special flag is flown when the King of England is in residence. A growing faith and maturing obedience are signals raised that the King of kings is at home in the heart of a Christian.
To serve Christ, we must be cleansed and made ready for holy work (2 Tim 2:21). The OT priests were cleansed before serving in the holy places. As we commune with Christ, we seek to be washed in the Word, purified in our spirit, and renewed in our life. To paraphrase M’Cheyne, it is not so much great talent that God uses, as as much as great holiness.
Christ has said, “… and that your fruit should abide.” The only true fruit Christ produces in the lives of his people is that which abides. His life is real; his power is real; his grace is real; and these never end. He produces fruit that is real and eternally abiding. The essence of this fruit is faith in Jesus Christ and genuine love and obedience to God. This work, though begun in truth and power in this life, is not fully completed or perfected in this life. Yet, real Christian “faith working through love” is a foretaste of a more perfect, eternal harvest yet to come. To paraphrase Gurnall, faith contains no less certainty than full possession, though it is less sweet.
Chosen for Fullness in Christ
It glorifies God that we “bear much fruit” (v. 8; v. 5) as tangible indications that Christ’s gracious power is at work in us. Relationships, like gardens, are not static things; they need maintenance, care, and intentionality. This is true also of our relationship with Christ. Thankfully, God once again takes the initiative in this matter. The Vinedresser ensures we are not left to our own devices and so fail to produce what pleases God. He wisely prunes us, overseeing our souls and ordering all things. By his watchful care, he removes from us what is natural and barren to make room for what is heavenly and alive.
Even so, God’s sovereignty does not leave us without responsibilities also. Jesus points up that we need to be filled up with Christ, seeking Him through the sure ways of finding and obtaining him. Christ promised to be found in his “words” and his “commandments,” not only in their acceptance but also in their living application. To apply the teaching of Christ is to display his lordship over our lives. Likewise, encouragement is given, “whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you” (v. 16). The dependence upon God in prayer for things agreeable to his will is a means by which God builds us up and fulfills every need.
This description of communion points to a pattern of communion. Moody admitted he continued to need filling with the Spirit because he continued to “leak.” As long as we are in this world, we will leak and therefore need constant filling. God ordained regular patterns of worship, both public and private, to fill us up. Soil that produced corn needs to have its nitrogen replenished for future harvests. The life that yields fruit must be constantly replenished in grace to yield more. Jonathan, the son of Saul, grew weary in battle. He took sweet honey, and his eyes became bright again. When we are weighed down and weary in our Christian race, we can take from Christ an endless supply of sweetness to make eyes bright for seeing and legs strong for running.
In closing, let us consider this promise, “whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give it to you.” A praying Christian can be a confident Christian. When Jacob wrestled with God, God allowed man to take hold of his hand. Through his name, Christ allows us to take hold of the Father’s hand. This confidence is every reason to persevere. Take courage, Christian!
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