John 15

Verse 1 - "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman." Vines are plants with long, long stems that make their way by clinging to or twining around a support. Jesus is the True Vine (ampelos - vine as coiling about a support). His support is the Holy Spirit. The Father is the husbandman (argon - farmer, toil, effort, labor, work). The Father oversees or nurtures the True Vine with the support of the Holy Spirit. The spiritual picture presented in this scripture is the Trinity working together to produce a chosen people - the body of Christ.

Verse 2 - "Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit." This verse follows Matthew 13:12 - "For whosoever has, to him shall be given, and he shall have more abundance: but whosoever has not, from him shall be taken away even that he has". The words 'has' and 'has not' speak of righteous fruit. The branches that do not bear righteous fruit are taken away, while the branches that bear righteous fruit are purged (kathairo - which means prune) so that they produce more fruit.

In the parable of the sower, Jesus reveals this same pattern. Seed (the word of God) was planted into two types of recipients: fruitful and unfruitful. "Some (seed) fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth: And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away. And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them". (Matthew 13:5-7) The unfruitful were born again (became branches of the True Vine), but then became unfruitful by yielding to the influence of the world. "But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold." (Matthew 13:8) The fruitful were likewise born again and became branches of the True Vine, but continued to follow the Holy Spirit and allowed themselves to be pruned by the Father to produce more righteous fruit.

"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God: on them which fell, severity; but toward you, goodness, if you continue in his goodness: otherwise you also shall be cut off. And they also, if they abide not still in unbelief, shall be grafted in: for God is able to graft them in again." (Romans 11:22-23) There is no way for the world to have any part in the Lord. Those that produce righteous fruit are those who walk by faith; they believe. They are in this world but not of it. Those that become unfruitful and bear no righteous fruit are those who are drawn by the world and allow an evil heart of unbelief to manifest in them; thereby departing from the living God. The good news is that if those who were taken away no longer abide in unbelief, they can be grafted back into the True Vine.

Verse 3 - "Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." The word that Jesus is speaking to His disciples in this verse is the revelation of how we are to relate to the Lord and the work that He will do to change us into His image. "It is the spirit that quickens; the flesh profits nothing: the words that I speak unto you, they are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63) There is no life apart from Jesus Christ. You may exist in the kingdom of God, but you have no life unless you seek to make Jesus Lord of your life. We are cleansed, made whole, as we receive wisdom, revelation, knowledge and understanding from Him. We can only receive if we have ears to hear. We can only have ears to hear if we abide in Him and allow the Father to continually purge all that is of the world out of us. This is the way that leads to life which few find. The servant is not greater than his Master. We must be crucified with Christ and die to all that is of this world in order to be raised up in the power of His resurrection and know Him.

Verse 4 - "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me." In this verse Jesus is revealing another step along the way that leads to life. He says "I in you". "Even the mystery which has been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest to his saints: To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory". (Colossians 1:26-27) The Lord cannot overcome the world in us if He is not in us. He knocks at the door of our souls, and if we are wise we will open the door and invite Him in. "Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hears my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will sup with him, and he with me. (Revelation 3:20) We must allow Him to sit on the throne of our hearts. If He is our Lord, our Master, and our King, then He will manifest in us to shine His light in us and through us. This is the meaning of Matthew 5:16 - "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven." The light that must shine is His light in us. His light will drive out the darkness in us so that we may be used by Him to drive out darkness in others.

Verse 5 - "I am the vine, you are the branches: He that abides in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing." Jesus is repeating that He is the vine and we are the branches. We must abide (meno - stay, remain, dwell) in Him to receive the life that flows from Him. He is also repeating "Christ in you, the hope of glory". It is through His vessels of honor who He has matured that He will use to manifest His glory in the earth. He also states that "without me you can do nothing". Jesus is speaking of Matthew 18:3 - "Except you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven." Only those who abide in the True Vine, who are dependent upon the Lord for everything (nothing excluded), who are like a little children that are dependent upon their parents, will see the kingdom of heaven. These are the fruitful, whom the Father prunes with affliction, suffering, persecution, and rejection in order to make them broken, humbled, and fit for His use. "For whom the Lord loves he chastens, and scourges every son whom he receives. If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chastens not? But if you be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are you bastards, and not sons." (Hebrews 12:6-8) "Now no chastening for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yields the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby." (Hebrews 12:11) Fruitful believers are those who learn to embrace the chastening of the Lord.

Verse 6 - "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." Those who fall prey to the deceitfulness of sin, who depart from the living God through unbelief, and who are drawn way by all that is of the world (the lust of the eyes, the lust of the flesh, and the pride of life) will not see the kingdom of heaven. These are the unfruitful; those whom the Father takes away. "But that which bears thorns and briers is rejected, and is nigh unto cursing; whose end is to be burned." (Hebrews 6:8) "My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction." (Proverbs 3:11)

Verse 7 - "If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you." As we mature in the Lord and allow Him to be Lord of our lives we are changed. We are transformed by the renewing of our mind. Our desires change as we learn to seek the will of the Lord; laying down our will as we learn that He works all things together for our good. We learn that He has our best interest at heart. We learn to trust Him with all our heart. We learn to stop trying to figure things out on our own and seek Him to give us understanding. We become dependent upon Him in all things. He becomes our life.

In this process of maturing us, the Lord places His will in us. He gives us the desires of our heart; meaning His desires become our desires. "Delight yourself also in the Lord; and he shall give you the desires of your heart." (Psalms 37:4) We come into agreement with His will and desire to do His will. We can now ask whatever we want because our desires are now in accordance with His will. "He that has the Son has life; and he that has not the Son of God has not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may believe on the name of the Son of God. And this is the confidence that we have in him, that, if we ask any thing according to his will, he hears us: And if we know that he hears us, whatsoever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desired of him." (I John 5:12-15)

Verse 8 - " Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples." The Father is glorified (doxazo - esteemed, honored, magnified) as we are changed and show forth righteous fruit. We show forth God's handiwork and put it on display for the world to see. This is true evangelism; not 'doing witnessing' (which is of the carnal mind), but being witnesses. We become witnesses of the goodness of God as we mature and learn to be led by the Spirit. The Holy Spirit that exudes from us can minister to those around us and set the captives free. We are His disciples (mathetes - learner, pupil) and He will continue to work in us to bring us to fruition, perfection, and we will walk as He walked this earth because it will no longer be us but Him in us as we manifest as sons of God.

Verse 9 - "As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you: continue you in my love." "For the Father loves the Son, and shows him all things that He himself does: and he will show him greater works than these, that you may marvel. For as the Father raises up the dead, and quickens them; even so the Son quickens whom he will." (John 5:20-21) Jesus is revealing that He relates to us the same way the Father relates to Him. The Father shows Him all things that He does and the Son does likewise. The Lord will show us all things that He does that we may do the same things, or rather, the things He will do through us. Jesus is the fullness, we are vessels that He brings forth to contain His fullness. If we continue to follow Him, i.e., continue in His love, He will reveal great and mighty things which we don't know. "Call unto me, and I will answer you, and show you great and mighty things, which you know not." (Jeremiah 33:3)

Verse 10 - "If you keep my commandments, you shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love." We cannot find life apart from Jesus. He will lead us if we will follow. To follow is to obey whatever He commands us to do. In order to obey, we must first hear what He is saying. We will hear if we put aside our agenda, be still, and seek to know His will. Our focus must be upon Him. "For the commandment is a lamp; and the law is light; and reproofs of instruction are the way of life." (Proverbs 6:23) His word to us is guidance. His word to us is life and that more abundant. If we are obedient to Him we will abide in Him. We will live in fellowship with Him. We will know Him and He will bring us to enter into His rest. "But as it is written, Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God has prepared for them that love him." (I Corinthians 2:9)

Verse 11 - "These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." It is His joy that is our strength. "The Lord your God in the midst of you is mighty; he will save, he will rejoice over you with joy; he will rest in his love, he will joy over you with singing." (Zephaniah 3:17) But we must also understand that His strength is made perfect in our weakness. We must die to the things of this world. We must decrease through the fellowship of His sufferings. We must be brought to the end of ourselves if we are to attain the fullness of Christ. The Lord sustains us through all His chastening and scourging to bring us forth as His image. We can have His joy as we are brought through His process if we seek to see things from His perspective, not our fleshly perspective. "And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for you: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong." (II Corinthians 12:9-10(

Verse 12 - "This is my commandment, That you love one another, as I have loved you." "That he would grant you, according to the riches of his glory, to be strengthened with might by his Spirit in the inner man; That Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, May be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth, and length, and depth, and height; And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3:16-19) The love of Christ knows no bounds. It is according to the same measure that we should love one another. We cannot love this way in and of ourselves. It is the plan of God to bring us to be filled to the overflowing with His Spirit that we may love one another as the Lord loves us. It is not we that love, but the Lord in us that loves with His love that knows no bounds. We can only have true fellowship, true love for one another, if we walk in the light as He is in the light. "But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:7) We must allow Christ to be in us that He may fill us and work through us. He must be Lord.

Verse 13 - "Greater love has no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." This verse speaks of Jesus, but also of us. It is the same with John 12:29 - "Truly, truly, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abides alone: but if it dies, it brings forth much fruit." It was the plan of God for the Word to become flesh and lay down His life as a ransom for many. It was the plan of God for Jesus to leave us an example that we should follow. It is the plan of God for us to be crucified with Christ, be raised up in the power of His resurrection, and enter into His rest so that He may work in us and through us to do the works He did on this earth.

If we enter into His rest we cease from our works. Jesus, who now fills us, will work through us to open the eyes of the blind to see the truth, make the deaf to hear His voice and follow Him, make the lame to walk in a manner worthy of His calling, make the dumb to speak and declare the word of the Lord, and set the captives free. It is the plan of God to use us as vessels of honor to build His kingdom and destroy the works of the devil. We are called to lay down our lives so that we and others may live. We are called to follow the example of Christ - "But God commends his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us." (Romans 5:8) There is no greater love than that which is of God, and no greater manifestation of His love than that which He will execute through us if we will choose to lay down our lives and allow Him to overcome the world in us and become His image.

Verses 14 and 15 - "You are my friends, if you do whatsoever I command you. Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knows not what his lord does: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you." We become His friends (philos - associate, neighbor, fond friend) if we obey Hm. Jesus learned obedience by the things He suffered. "Though he was a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered." (Hebrews 5:8) We learn obedience the same way.

We start out as servants, offering ourselves as living sacrifices. Through the suffering we experience, we are broken and humbled if we do not allow our hearts to be hardened through despising His chastening. We are pruned by the Father to produce fruit. This process continues until we enter into priesthood and meet the Lord and follow Him. As we continue, we decrease as He increases in us and we develop ears to hear what He is saying. We become as sheep who know the voice of our Master and the voice of the stranger we will not follow. We come to know the Lord and His ways. We become obedient to Him. We become His friends and He shows us great and mighty things which we know not.

Verse 16 - "You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you." The first disciples were chosen, not because of any sterling qualities they offered, but what was in their heart. We are chosen the same way. "For you see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: But God has chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God has chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty." (I Corinthians 1:26-27) The Father showed Jesus (for He was in the flesh and led by the Holy Spirit) who He should choose, for the Father knew the hearts of these men.

"For many are called, but few are chosen." (Matthew 22:14) Those that are chosen are those who will continue on to know the Lord and not be drawn away by the world. Jesus said that He ordained (tithemi - placed, appointed, conceived) them and that they should go forth and produce fruit. These were men who, after being born again (John 20:22) and being endued with power from on High (Acts 2:1-4). turned the world upside down and were used mightily by God to lay the foundation for His church. He told them that their fruit would remain, meaning that they would continue to be faithful and that the fruit that was produced in them would be as seed that would reproduce after its kind in others. All who are chosen will be used mightily by God in a similar way. Our God is a God of increase.

Judas was also chosen - for that which was in his heart. The Father knew the decisions that Judas would make, and it suited His purpose that Judas would decide to betray the Lord. It was purposed by God that Jesus would be the Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Judas did not do what he did because God forced him. Judas made every decision on his own. His heart was not right before God; it was fleshly and self centered. He depended upon himself and his understanding, and made all the wrong choices. So it is with those who walk after the flesh. Those branches that do not continue to abide in the Vine are taken away because they produce no good fruit. "Jesus answered them, Have not I chosen you twelve, and one of you is a devil?" (John 6:70) "The Son of man goes as it is written of him: but woe unto that man by whom the Son of man is betrayed! it had been good for that man if he had not been born." (Matthew 26:24)

Peter was also chosen by God, but his thinking differed greatly from the thinking of Judas. Peter had a different heart. He loved the Lord and stayed as close as possible to Him. He was one of the three 'innermost confidants' of the Lord, along with James and John, that were invited to witness deep things of God, such as the transfiguration. Peter was the one who was given the revelation of Jesus being the Christ. "He said to them, But who do you say that I am? And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God. And Jesus answered and said to him, Blessed are you, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, but my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 16:15-17)

Peter was weak when he was not with the Lord. When Judas brought the soldiers to take Jesus away, he followed at a distance to see what would happen. When he was recognized as one of Jesus' disciples, he denied the allegation. "Now Peter sat outside in the palace: and a damsel came to him, saying, You also were with Jesus of Galilee. But he denied before them all, saying, I know not what you say. And when he was gone out into the porch, another maid saw him, and said unto them that were there, This fellow was also with Jesus of Nazareth. And again he denied with an oath, I do not know the man. And after a while came unto him they that stood by, and said to Peter, Surely you also are one of them; for you speech betrays you. Then began he to curse and to swear, saying, I know not the man. And immediately the cock crowed. And Peter remembered the word of Jesus, which said unto him, Before the cock crows, you shalt deny me three times. And he went out, and wept bitterly." (Matthew 26:69-75)

Judas was also repentant for what he had done, but chose to deal with his remorse in a way that seemed right in his eyes, according to the flesh. "Then Judas, which had betrayed him, when he saw that he was condemned, repented himself, and brought again the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, Saying, I have sinned in that I have betrayed the innocent blood. And they said, What is that to us? see you to that. And he cast down the pieces of silver in the temple, and departed, and went and hanged himself." (Matthew 27:3-5)

Peter was filled with anguish, but handled it differently than Judas. I believe he cried out to God for forgiveness over and over. He chose to stay with the disciples and was fishing with them when Jesus appeared on the shore. "Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he wrapped his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea." (John 21:7) Peter was overjoyed to see the Lord. At that moment, nothing else mattered to Peter more than being with the Lord. His love for the Lord overcame his shame.

"So when they had dined, Jesus said to Simon Peter, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me more than these? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my lambs. He said to him again the second time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? He said to him, Yes, Lord; you know that I love you. He said to him, Feed my sheep. He said to him the third time, Simon, son of Jonah, do you love me? Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, Do you love me? And he said to him, Lord, you know all things; you know that I love you. Jesus said to him, Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, When you were young, you prepared yourself, and walked where you would: but when you shall be old, you shalt stretch forth your hands, and another shall bind you, and carry you where you would not. This spoke he, signifying by what death he should glorify God. And when he had spoken this, he said to him, Follow me." (John 21:15-19)

Peter came to understand that Jesus was restoring him when He asked him three times if he loved Him. He received revelation of all things that Jesus had spoken while he walked with Him as he was empowered by the Holy Ghost. He gave arguably the greatest evangelistic oration in history on the day of Pentecost. He was obedient. He followed the Lord. He obeyed His commandments. He was powerful beyond measure because of his love for the Lord. He was chosen because the Father knew what choices he would make. Peter's denial of the Lord became the source of His greatest strength - the Lord's strength. God's strength is made perfect in our weakness as He diligently works in us to bring us to perfection: the end of ourselves and the manifestation of Christ in us.

Verse 17 - "These things I command you, that you love one another." If we love Jesus, we will obey His commandments. "And now I beseech you, lady (the Bride of Christ), not as though I wrote a new commandment unto you, but that which we had from the beginning, that we love one another. And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as you have heard from the beginning, you should walk in it." (II John 1:5-6) If we love Him, we will embrace Him as our Lord and allow Him to have His way in us. We cannot love in and of ourselves, we must allow Him to fill us that He may love through us.

Verses 18 and 19 - "If the world hates you, you know that it hated me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love his own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hates you." Darkness hates the light. Light dispels darkness and exposes it for its evil. Te desire of darkness is to remain hidden so it may keep all in bondage through deception. Light desires that the truth be made manifest so that all may be free through the knowledge of truth. There is no common ground between light and darkness. Light brings condemnation to darkness.

"And this is the condemnation, that light is come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil." (John 3:19) "For every one that does evil hates the light, neither comes to the light, lest his deeds should be reproved." (John 3:29) If you walk after the Spirit, you walk in light. If you walk after the flesh, you walk in darkness. If you walk after the Spirit, you walk on the path that leads to life. If you walk after the flesh, you walk on the broad path that leads to destruction. It is not a matter of being born again, it is a matter of your heart. It is a matter of whether you love Jesus or you love the world. If you love the Lord, the world and the carnal church will hate you because you are not of them.

Verse 20 - "Remember the word that I said to you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also." When the Word was flesh, He showed us what it is to be led of the Spirit; what it is to be a Son. He left us an example that we should follow. His example was obedience even unto death. "And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross." (Philippians 2:8) We are not greater than our Lord, If we are His, we will follow Him. if we follow Him, we will follow Him to the Cross and be crucified with Him; dying to this world and all that is in it through the renewing of our mind. "But God forbid that I should glory, save in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified unto me, and I unto the world." (Galatians 6:14)

"But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanses us from all sin." (I John 1:2) Those with whom we have fellowship walk after the Spirit and therefore walk in the light. We love one another, for we love the Lord and love the godly character we see manifest in each other. We have agreement with one another and will seek to encourage and exhort one another. We have peace with each other through our Lord Jesus Christ.

It is not so with those who walk after the flesh. They will persecute you; they will condemn you as a heretic because you do not agree with them. They will hate you without cause, just as they hate the Lord. Be not deceived by carnal christians who honor the Lord with their lips but their heart is far from Him. Satan seeks those whom he may devour, and carnal christians are very useful to him to deceive with flattering lips and a lying tongue. Be sober and vigilant by keeping your eyes on Jesus, that you are not brought into Satan's deception where he sows his leaven that turns the truth into a lie. Beware the traditions of men which make void the word of God.

Verse 21 - "But all these things will they do to you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me." "Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the Lord delivers him out of them all." (Psalms 34:19) It is the Lord's purpose to allow suffering and affliction in our lives. He is the Potter, we are the clay. He shapes us through His chastening to bring us forth as vessels of honor, fit for His use. "Beloved, think it not strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened unto you: But rejoice, inasmuch as you are partakers of Christ's sufferings; that, when his glory shall be revealed, you may be glad also with exceeding joy. If you be reproached for the name of Christ, happy are you; for the spirit of glory and of God rests upon you: on their part he is evil spoken of, but on your part he is glorified." (I Peter 4:12-14)

The Lord uses Satan to buffet us, to attack us, and to steal and destroy. He would kill us if he could, but he lacks that power. Satan only has power to deceive. His purpose is to bring us into fear and to react in our strength and understanding. In so doing we feed the flesh and use the carnal mind. Satan wants us to be self dependent. If we are self dependent then we cannot be dependent upon the Lord.

The Lord's purpose in allowing Satan to buffet us is for the exact opposite purpose of Satan's purpose. The Lord's purpose is for us to become as little children; dependent upon Him in every way. Our provision, protection, guidance, and understanding must come from Him. If our dependence is upon Him, then it matters not what the circumstances appear to be. We will trust Him with all our heart and will not enter into fear. We will simply wait upon the Lord to see how He will take care of us in whatever situation we may find ourselves. "And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose." (Romans 8:28)

"And you, son of man, be not afraid of them, neither be afraid of their words, though briers and thorns be with you, and you do dwell among scorpions: be not afraid of their words, nor be dismayed at their looks, though they be a rebellious house." (Ezekiel 2:6) Throughout the word of God, the Lord gives us great and precious promises of His provision and protection of us if we will choose to trust Him and follow him. There is no need for fear. Fear is pf the flesh. Faith is of the Spirit.

Verse 22 - " If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have had sin: but now they have no cloke for their sin." The Word that became flesh came to reveal the kingdom of God. He taught the people and gave them greater understanding of the law; the spiritual meaning of the law. "But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter." (Romans 7:6) The letter of the law kills; it brings forth death in those who try to obey it in their own strength. The spirit of the law brings forth life as the Holy Spirit frees us from the bondage of serving the law, but serving the Lord who is the fulfillment of the law. "Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." (Matthew 5:17)

"For circumcision truly profits, if you keep the law: but if you be a breaker of the law, your circumcision is made uncircumcision." (Romans 2:25) It is profitable to be a Jew; if you keep the law. The problem is, if you fail to keep the law perfectly, then you are a breaker of the law and are judged by the law. No man is able to keep the law in and of himself. Only Jesus kept the law and was the perfect sacrifice to deliver us from the bondage of sin. We cannot overcome sin ourselves; only He is able to overcome sin in us.

"For he is not a Jew, which is one outwardly; neither is that circumcision, which is outward in the flesh: But he is a Jew, which is one inwardly; and circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter; whose praise is not of men, but of God." (Romans 2:28-29) Circumcision of the flesh is only an outward sign. The inner man, the heart of man, must be circumcised so that the influence of the flesh can be cut away to make way for the influence of the Spirit as we walk after the Spirit and not after the flesh. He will make us overcomers of sin if we are faithful to follow Him. Sin remains in those who fail to receive the revelation of the Lordship of Jesus Christ and walk after the flesh.

Verse 23 - "He that hates me hates my Father also." Those that hate the Lord are in total darkness and the darkness hates the Light. Those that are lukewarm, who honor the Lord with their lips but their heart is far from Him, are even worse. "I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot: I would you were cold or hot. So then because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will spue you out of my mouth. Because you say, I am rich, and increased with goods, and have need of nothing; and know not that you are wretched, and miserable, and poor, and blind, and naked:" (Revelation 3:15-17) Those who are lukewarm also walk in darkness for they walk after the flesh. They love the world more than Jesus. They are as whited sepulchers; beautiful on the outside, but inwardly full of dead men's bones.

God is three persons; the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. The Spirit speaks only of Jesus so that He may reveal Jesus and lead and guide us to know Jesus. Jesus only speaks of the Father so that He may reveal the Father and lead and guide us to know Him. If we enter into His rest, Jesus will take us behind the veil to meet the Father. It is then we truly know God. "Believe you not that I am in the Father, and the Father in me? the words that I speak to you I speak not of myself: but the Father that dwells in me, he does the works." (John 14:10) "Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leads unto life, and few there be that find it." (Matthew 7:14)

Verse 24 - "If I had not done among them the works which no other man did, they would not have had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father." Jesus (and the Father) were hated by those who lacked understanding. Many were offended by Him. They sought to accuse Him and even to kill him because they were of the wrong spirit. Their eyes were blinded to the miracles He performed. "But though he had done so many miracles before them, yet they believed not on him:" (John 12:37) They were of their father the devil. "You are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father you will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaks a lie, he speaks of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." (John 8:44) Most in the church today are like these men; justified in their own eyes by the pride and self righteousness in their heart. They are blinded to the truth by the father of lies.

Verse 25 - "But this comes to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause." "For the mouth of the wicked and the mouth of the deceitful are opened against me: they have spoken against me with a lying tongue. They compassed me about also with words of hatred; and fought against me without a cause. For my love they are my adversaries: but I give myself unto prayer. And they have rewarded me evil for good, and hatred for my love." (Psalms 109:2-5) There is no justification for rejecting the Lord. In Him is light and no darkness. His goodness is His glory. "O taste and see that the Lord is good: blessed is the man that trusts in him." (Psalms 34:8) His love knows no bounds. "And to know the love of Christ, which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fulness of God." (Ephesians 3:19) He is our Creator. We owe Him everything.

We are, however, a product of our choices through the gift of free will. To those who trust in themselves, Jesus is a stone of stumbling and a rock of offense. "And a stone of stumbling, and a rock of offense, even to them which stumble at the word, being disobedient: whereunto also they were appointed." (I Peter 2:8) It is the pride of man, which manifests in many ways, that is the source of wrong choice. Pride leads to destruction. "Pride goes before destruction, and a haughty spirit before a fall." (Proverbs 16:18) Pride drives man along the broad path that leads to destruction. Pride is a leviathon that will swallow you whole.

"When you (the wicked) cry, let your companies deliver you; but the wind shall carry them all away; vanity (pride) shall take them: but he that puts his trust in me shall possess the land, and shall inherit my holy mountain; And shall say, Cast you up, cast you up, prepare the way, take up the stumblingblock out of the way of my people. For thus says the high and lofty One that inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy; I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones." (Isaiah 57:13-15)

Verses 26 and 27 - "But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceeds from the Father, he shall testify of me. And you also shall bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning." On the day of Pentecost, the Comforter, the Holy Spirit came to testify of Jesus. "And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance." (Acts 2:1-4)

The disciples who were present were endued with power. They were filled with the Holy Ghost. He gave them remembrance and understanding of all Jesus had said. Those that had walked with the Lord and followed Him were used by the Holy Spirit to lead others to follow the Lord. They were in one accord (in agreement) for they followed the same Spirit. They revealed the nature and character of the Lord through the purity of their lives.

Today's church is nothing like the early church. God built the early church. Carnally minded men have been leading today's church and making God a commodity to enrich themselves with worldly goods, all with a spiritual facade to deceive the people into thinking they are serving God. The Lord is raising up a remnant that is obedient and seeks to do His will. These will be used to expose the corruption of the present day church system (the Harlot) and lead many to come out of her. These will overturn the tables of the moneychangers and be leaders who are about God's business. They will lead many to righteousness and set the captives free. God will again build His church through the faithful who have bowed the knee to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.