John 15:5,6. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
1Preached in Dingwall on 30 July 1882.
In this we have the relation of Christ and His people to each other, and the fruitfulness of true believers; also the end of the unfruitful.
The Vine.
Christ is the Head of the everlasting covenant.
This He is by the Father’s will and appointment.
The roots of this vinestock are deep down in the Godhead.
He has to see to the sufficiency of His covenant arrangement.
The sufficiency of the vinestock is the infinite grace of God.
Through Him alone this flows into all the branches.
The Branches.
They do not have their own distinct roots.
They have no stock in themselves, but receive from day to day.
It is through Christ alone that any grace can reach believers.
They are inserted into Him through His death.
Thus from His fullness they receive, and grace for grace.
There must be a continued sense of dependence.
Fruitfulness.
This can only be by abiding in Christ.
It is fruit from His own grace in the heart.
It is a contrast to what they were before.
Their fruitfulness glorifies the Father.
This is much in the estimation of Christ.
Fruit of practical conformity to the law and example of Christ.
Unfruitfulness.
The believer cannot be united to Christ and yet fall finally.
Those who so fall never had vital union to Christ.
The stony-ground hearers take gospel comfort apart from Christ.
They are hurried with work to keep up the delusion.
They become withered, only fit for the fire.
Angels at the final separation shall place them on the left hand.
Application.
This demands self-examination.
It calls for humiliation and thanksgiving.
It sounds a loud warning.