The Carlisle independent., 1917-05-10
LESSON FOR MAY 13
JESUS THE TRUE VINE.
,SSON TEXT-John 15:1-13.


 with his disciples from the supper ta- ble GA :31), and the remainder of his discourse may have occurred in an up- per room, or in the courtyard of the house before they left the city, or on the way to the garden of Gethsemane.
 l. THE ABIDING LIFE (vv. IA. Under the figure of the vine Jesus teaches spiritual truth by natural analogy. The vine is composed of roots, stem, branches, tendrils, and fruit. There is no separate life: the branches are one with the vine. Christ is the head of that body which is the church to it's least member. The life lived by the Christian is Christs life humanized, the purpose of which is fruit bearing. Discipline is in order to fruitfulness. "He (My Father, the vine-dresser) cuts away any branch on me which is not bearing fruit, and cleans every branch which does bear fruit, to make it bear richer fruit"
 Moffat's translation). Paul tells us that mo christening for the present seemeth to be. joyous but grievous: nevertheless. afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby" The Word is the cleansing agent f1:: ID. Verse four suggests a double abiding-we in him, and he in us the branch depending upon the vine for life, and the vine denending upon the branch for fruit. Jesus had just been talking about his approaching death. and his disciples were full of anxiety. He tells them not to be trou- bled, and by this figure assures them, that, though he would leave them, he would still be joined to them. AL though they had been made clean, they are taught that the only way to keep clean is by abiding" which is to be continued through the eternal spirit after his decease and ascent to the Father. "It is given to us to hold fellowship with both the root that twines itself about the cross and the tendrils which stretch upward to glory."-A. J. Gordon. So long as we think of ourselves, and not of Christ, as the source of power, we shall miss the secret of fruitfulness.
 II. The Fruitful Life (vv. 5-S). If we abide in him we will bring forth much fruit. Note the progression: fruit" "more fruit" "much fruit" If the branch does not bear fruit it is fit only for fuel (Isa. 27 ID. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you" (v. D. Our first fruit not consume the fruit which it pro- duces, though it does exist for it's pro- duction, thus glorifying God through it's fruit-bearing function. The Bible uses many figures to illustrate the in- innate relationship between root and fruit. Without me-" emphasizes Christ, i've can do nothing" The word" of verse three is equivalent to the word ''I'' of verse four. 'Now ye are clean through the word which have spoken unto you" (v. 3. Our fruit bearing is for Gods glory be- cause it is an expression of his grace and power, and 1t is made possible through our identification with his dear son. Our fruitfClness attests our Christian character. We have not yet attained perfection in our conduct. but we are making progress. Progressive deliverance from the power of sin is counterbalanced by corresponding fruitfulness.
 III. The Permanent Life (vv. 9-13).
 
 Even as the life of Christ has increas- ingly manifested itself through the ages, so our individual lives are to increase in the fruitfulness which as- similates them to his character and expresses his graces. AS the Father has loved him, so has he loved us, and this love he communicates to those who abide in him. The evidence of our abiding is manifested by our joy in keeping his commandments, just as he delighted in keeping his fathers commandments. Obedience and joy are correlated terms. The fuller the obedience the greater the joy. Bush- nell said: "Heaven is nothing but the joy of a perfectly harmonized being filled with God and his love-" Instead of minute, detailed instructions re- garding their conduct, the disciples are here presented with love, the gov erning principle. Love was to be the one sufficient impulse for both divine and human relationships. Our Lord would have the world know his serya/ ants by the fruit they bear.
 Three things are mentioned as re-S sulting from the abiding life; power to bear much fruit; transform lives and change circumstances through an- swered prayer; and fullness of joy-a "joy unspeakable and full of glory" The world with its poor commercials has nothing like it to give, but all of these gifts are contingent upon our abiding" in Christ, the source of ev- cry blessing. The personal pronoun suggests peculiarly intimate relation ships: My Father" (vv. 1, 8, 10); My love-" (v. 9); My disciples.r (v.