John 15:9-17. The Privileges of being a Christian
God made human beings with strong inbuilt emotions, as well as a robust concept of truth. He intends that both should be satisfied. In this section Jesus highlights how our emotional needs are met through faith in him. John began his first letter by stressing that he had written this to give all God’s people ‘joy’.
“We write this to make our joy complete’ 1 John 1:4
Jesus is continuing his final teaching to his disciples, telling them about what the future holds for them. The important thing they, and we, have to remember is that we have been chosen to produce fruit, both in ourselves as we become more like the Lord Jesus in character and purpose and in others as we point them to the world’s Saviour. He has reminded them that to be fruitful requires that we are pruned and that is not comfortable, but the ends make this worthwhile. We will work together with others who have also been called to glorify the Lord Jesus. If a person does not have this outlook it is questionable whether they are yet Christians.
In today’s churches there is wide belief that if, in your mind, you have accepted the tenets of the Christian faith and have passed through the formalities of your church then you are saved. However true faith must result in a changed life.
When Paul was on trial before Festus and King Agrippa he gave his testimony about how God had called him to his service. He then recited what Jesus had said to him on that Damascus road,
“I am sending you to open their eyes and turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a place among those who are sanctified by faith in me.” Acts 26:17-18
Paul is here confirming, when on trial for his life, that forgiveness of sins, being made holy, is only possible to those who have faith in Jesus. He then continues to explain how a genuine faith can be found. It is only by making a lifelong commitment to follow and obey the Lord Jesus.
“I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.” Acts 27:20
This is the repeated message of the apostles. True Christian faith will always result in a lifelong change of direction. James stressed the same feature that is seen whenever there is genuine faith.
“What good is it, my brothers, if a man claims to have faith, but has no deeds?” James 2:14
For a person to be saved, God must first open his eyes both to his own need and about who Jesus Christ really is. Then it is only through a personal commitment to follow Jesus Christ that forgiveness of sins can be found. Such faith will inevitably result in a changed life, where we do things for Christ. Paul wrote,
“For it is by grace that you have been saved, through faith - and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God – not by works, so that no-one can boast. For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
When the word ‘belief’ is used in the Bible it means having a love for Jesus which is seen in how we live for him. Our word belief is derived from the old English word ‘lieben’ which meant ‘to love’. When we become Christians we receive all of the Holy Spirit into our lives but that does not mean we have given him complete control or that our experience of him is complete. There are some Christians who, having been taught that they have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit, consider that there is nothing more to seek as they ‘have it all’. Dr. Martin Lloyd-Jones, the famous twentieth century preacher, once said to such a person,
“Got it all? Well if you have ‘got it all’, I simply ask in the name of God, why are you as you are? If you have ‘got it all’ why are you so unlike the Apostles, why are you so unlike the New Testament Christians?”i
Peter also recognised that although God ‘has already given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him,’ (2 Peter 2:3) we are still at risk of being corrupted by evil desires that the world is full of (2 Peter 1:4). Peter continues,
“For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness; and to goodness, knowledge; and to knowledge, self-control; and to self-control, perseverance; and to perseverance, godliness; and to godliness, brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness, love. For if you possess these qualities in increasing measure, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in the knowledge of our lord Jesus Christ” 2 Peter 1:5-8
It is because we have been given God’s Spirit that we have the power to become more and more like Jesus Christ.
In his final address to his disciples in the upper room he now emphasises the privileges that his disciples have all received.
Forgiven
Forgiveness of all our sin, being credited with being ‘righteous’, is always the first and greatest benefit Christians receive. He had just told the disciples,
“You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.” John 15:3
What a wonderful state to be in, to know that we have been forgiven, that we are clean, because the Lord Jesus has taken the penalty for our sin on himself.
Yesterday I visited a dying Christian man. He was barely conscious, but as the words of Psalm 23 were read to him a great smile came to his face. He knew that he had a Good Shepherd who will accompany him through the ‘valley of the shadow of death’ because the list of all his sins has been erased by the Lord Jesus.
When my dear Christian mother was dying, the last words I read to her were those that Paul could say about himself as he faced imminent execution,
“ . . . the time has come for my departure. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day – and not to me only, but to all who have longed for his appearing.” 2 Timothy 4:6-8
A crown of righteousness is waiting for us all who are committed to living for the Lord Jesus because God now sees us through the filter of Jesus. We will really be crowned with his righteousness simply because we belong to him.
However this removal of our sin is not just a legal status we have been given. It is also an active process today and involves a commitment to living righteously, this is one of the reasons why all Christians have been given God’s Holy Spirit. This new life is impossible without him.
There was an ancient custom of the natives in New Guinea. They had rituals, songs, and dances in which they worked themselves up into a frenzy and the ritual culminated in what are called “the murder songs.” In these they shouted the names of the people they wish to kill. When the natives became Christians, they retained these rituals but with a difference. In the murder songs, they no longer shout the names of the people they hated, but the names of the sins they hate, and call on God to help them to destroy them. In this way a pagan custom had been taken over by Christ.
Loved
The question many of us regularly ask is, ‘Do I love the Lord enough, do I really love him?”
This was a question that the same John answered in one of his letters. He reminds his readers that this loving relationship was initiated by the Lord himself.
“This is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins.” 1 John 4:10
How encouraging this is. Our salvation is not dependent on how much we love God but on how much he loves us. He asks us to reciprocate the ever-continuing love he has for us that was demonstrated when he died on that horrible cross.
Jesus reminds his fickle disciples of this fact,
“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love.” John 15:9
How thrilling this is, to know that we are each loved by Jesus with the same love that God the Father has for his only Son. All children rebel against their parents at times but they are still loved. God’s love for us is even more persistent. However we have failed him and rebelled in the past, his arms are wide open to welcome us back into a close relationship with him. What wonderful good news this is.
This love that Jesus has for each of us must overflow to others around, especially those within his church.
“My command is this. Love one another as I have loved you.” John 15:12
This is not a theoretical love, but very practical. It means being willing to put ourselves out. When church members really support one another in practical ways, others notice. John expands on this teaching in his first letter.
“We should love one another.” 1 John 3:11
“If anyone has material possessions and sees his brother in need but has no pity on him, how can the love of God be in him.” 1 John 3:17
“Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue but with actions and in truth.” 1 John 3:18
Love for one another is no substitute for our love for God, this is presupposed. The Lord Jesus has shown his love for us by being willing to go to that cross for us. This is why we should give our lives back to him.
“Greater love has no-one that this, that he lay down his life for his friends.” John 15:13
The experience of feeling loved does depend on our behaviour, just as a naughty rebellious child may not feel loved by their parents for a while. The enjoyment of that love does depend on how we have responded to him. Jesus’ experienced the love of God because he always obeyed his Father. Jesus had repeatedly taught that obedience was what satisfied him.
“ ‘My food,’ said Jesus, ‘is to do the will of him who sent me and to finish his work.’” John 4:34
“For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me.” John 6:38
“The one who sent me is with me; he has not left me alone, for I always do what pleases him.” John 8:29
“The reason my Father loves me is that I lay down my own life – only to take it up again.” John 10:17
“Now my heart is troubled, and what shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this hour?’ No, it was for this very reason I came to this hour. Father, glorify your name!” John 12:27-28
“ . . . but the world must learn that I love the Father and that I do exactly what my Father has commanded me.” John 14:31
This was true for Jesus so it must be true for each of us.
Friends
How we all cherish and benefit from having good friends who stick by us in all circumstances. What greater privilege can there be than to have the Lord Jesus call us his friend?
“You are my friends, if you do what I command.” John 15:14
In the Bible there are a few people, such as Abraham, Moses and Lazarus who are called ‘friends of God’ but this is not to put God on the same level as these great people. He does not demean himself but he does love his people and satisfy their deepest needs at great cost to himself.
Again this is conditional – being a friend of Jesus necessitates a commitment to living with Jesus as Lord of our lives and that means obeying all that he says.
“I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you.” John 15:15
One feature of any close friendship is an openness. It is the same with God. Just as Jesus’ Father shared what was wanted of him, so Jesus has shared his word with us with us, his people. He has made known to us how he wants us to live.
Children of God
This passage goes even further. We will not only be called ‘friends of Jesus’, we become children of God and have the right of calling God our Father, just as Jesus did.
“In the Old Testament, the Israelites did not individually address God as Father. As far as we know, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David, or Daniel never fell to their knees in the solitude of their chambers and dared to address God that way. Yet in the New Testament, God is called Father at least 275 times, and that is how we are instructed to speak to Him. All that a good father wants to be to his children, Jesus told us, God will be to Christians who approach Him in prayer. We can pray as children.” ii
Joy
So many Christians live flat, joyless lives of duty and seem to know little of the joy and excitement we can experience as we live for Christ. The road to enjoying life, that our relationship with Jesus should bring, is to live uncompromisingly in the way he wants. Jesus teaches us that there is a very strong link between God’s love for me, my love for God and his people, obeying what he teaches and experiencing great joy in life.
“Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands you will remain in my love . . . I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:10-11
The word ‘joy’ comes 326 times in the New Testament, 40 per cent of which are in Paul’s letters. One commentator wrote,
“So Paul can well be regarded as the theologian of joy, as he undoubtedly was that of grace . . . It is significant that the most common cognates for joy (chara, “inner joy” and charein, “to rejoice”) are derived from the same root char– as is the Greek word for “grace” charis. There is a close connection between the two concepts. iii
Paul used the word “joy” in its various forms sixteen times in his letter to the Philippians. This letter emphasises that God wants all his people to experience this joy.
George Bernard Shaw recognised that the source of real joy is living for a cause bigger than oneself.
“This is the true joy in life, the being used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one: the being thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap, and being a force of nature instead of a feverish selfish little clod of ailments and grievances, complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy.” iv
Jesus said this first but was clear what this ‘cause greater than oneself’ should be. He taught that we will be completely fulfilled and experience complete joy when we live for him.
“If you obey my commands you will remain in my love . . . I have told you this so that my joy may be in you and that your joy may be complete.” John 15:10-11
Peace
A little earlier Jesus had emphasised that he wanted all his people to experience great peace.
“Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27
It was Jesus’ own obedience to his Father that was the grounds fort his joy and it is the same for us.
Remain in my love
Jesus keeps reminding us that his love for us must be actively reciprocated. We must ensure that Jesus is the focus of our lives and remains so. Just as a couple will make the effort to write, telephone and contact each other frequently, so all Christians must develop the habits of regular communication with our Lord, through prayer and reading his Word to us., and doing those things that we know will please him.
The reason we experience this love and security
The last verse of this section reveals that being emotionally satisfied is not an end in itself; there is a purpose behind our being given this strength.
“You did not chose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last.” John 15:16
The Greek phrase translated ‘appointed’ is etheka which literally means ‘set them apart’. This same Greek word is also used in verse 13 where it has been translated ‘lays down’ his life. Jesus ‘set apart’ his life for us. The same Greek word is used in Acts 13:14 where Paul and his companions ‘set apart’ into the synagogue to share the gospel with them.
There is no doubt that the fruit Jesus is talking about is new converts to Christ. Don Carson, in his great commentary on John agrees saying,
“The focus on evangelism and mission is truly central.”v
Summary
The lesson is clear, God equips his people both emotionally and with a knowledge of God’s truth so that we can effectively and robustly go out into the world to share the gospel with all we can. For this ministry to be productive needs the power of the Holy Spirit to go before us to convict the world about its need and God’s remedy. This is why we must pray. Jesus said,
“He will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the son may bring glory to the Father.” John 14:12-13
“If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” John 15:7-8
BVP
i Westminster Record, Sept 1964 Vol 39 No 9
ii Haddon W.Robinson, ‘What Jesus Said About Successful Living: Principles from the Sermon on the Mount for Today,’ Discovery House Publishers, Grand Rapids, Michigan: 1991 p. 190.
iii Morrice, William G., “Joy” in Dictionary of Paul and his Letter, Gerald F. Hawthorne (et al) Downers Grove: InterVarsity Press, 1993.
iv George Bernard Shaw, quoted in Courage: You Can Stand Strong in the Face of Fear, Jon Johnston, 1990, SP Publications, p. 171.
v D.A.Carson, ‘The Gospel According to John,’ Inter-Varsity Press, Leicester, England, 1991, p. 523
