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06/08/08 - Dr Steve Hunter
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"Abiding in Christ, Part I" - John 15:1-19. |
John 15The Fruitful Life in Christ1 "I am the true vine and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not produce fruit He props up, and every one producing fruit He prunes so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it abides on the vine, so neither can you unless you abide in Me. 5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who abides in Me and I in him produces much fruit, since you can do nothing apart from Me. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown aside like a branch and withers. Then they gather such branches, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me and My words abide in you, you will ask whatever you wish and it shall be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit. So you will be My disciples. Christlike Love 9 "Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you. Abide in My love. 10 If you keep My commandments you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father's commandments and abide in His love. 11 "I have spoken these things to you so that My joy may abide in you and your joy may be complete. 12 This is My commandment, that you love one another just as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone would lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. 15 I don't call you servants any more, because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. But I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from My Father. 16 You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go out and produce much fruit and that your fruit should endure, so that whatever you ask the Father in My name, He will give you. 17 These things I command you, that you love one another. Persecutions Predicted 18 "If the world hates you, be sure that it hated Me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet, because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, the world hates you. |