THE WORD

               
John15:1-6

1  I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

 2  Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

 3  Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

 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 ye, except ye abide in me.

 5  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. note

 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.



The writings of the new covenant are letters and
Letters have a thought process. Don't break it.

Let us look at the above scripture in context.

Jesus said he is the vine and we are the branches. Notice that Jesus never called us the fruit!  As many people have said that we are meant to bear fruit based on evangelism. But we are not the fruit, but the branches. See this:
Matthew 3:7-10

7  But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 8  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance: 

 9  And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to ourfather: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

 10  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Then what are the fruits?
The fruits are physical expressions of your person. They are signs that tell us what you have on your inside and who you are. The religious leaders were asked to bring forth fruit meet for repentance.
What is the fruit of Jesus?

Jesus is the tree of life and the only fruit he bears is life. John10:10

So Jesus' fruits are life eternal. John3:16

Verse two of john15 says "every branch in me..." who was he referring to? He was talking to his disciples about the Jews.

Romans11:16-20
 16  For if the firstfruit be holy, the lump is also holy: and if the root be holy, so are the branches.

 17  And if some of the branches be broken off, and thou, being a wild olive tree, wert graffed in among them, and with them partakest of the root and fatness of the olive tree; note

 18  Boast not against the branches. But if thou boast, thou bearest not the root, but the root thee.

 19  Thou wilt say then, The branches were broken off, that I might be graffed in.

 20  Well; because of unbelief they were broken off, and thou standest by faith. Be not highminded, but fear.

It is clear now who he was talking about. The branches in him that would be cut out because they have refused to believe in him and be separate from dead fruits of the law. They were designed to be in him but they were cut off by unbelief.

Let's look at john15:3

Jesus said his apostles are made clean through the word he spoke to them. Which words?

If you study the context of the book of John Jesus' pointed to his death and burial and resurrection and that men should believe in him and be saved. That's was his message,  that his father sent him and that he was the Messiah that would take the sin of the world away. Believing in his message makes us clean

See john5:38
 38  And ye have not his word abiding in you: for whom he hath sent, him ye believe not.
39  Search the SCRIPTURES; for in them ye think ye have eternal life: and they are they which testify of me.

There is a difference between the word and scripture as we see in the scripture above.
Jesus is the word and he dwells in us by faith. He cleanses us by faith in him.

In verse 4 of john15 Jesus makes it clear that a branch can't bear fruit outside him. The branch has to be in him to bear fruit. So if the branch doesn't abide in him, the branch cannot bear fruit.

Verse 6 further explains it. Any branch that doesn't abide in him is cast forth.

You would notice that he didn't say to the apostles  that he would cast out any branch that bears fruit. We bear fruit simply because we are in him, just like verse 4 explained. Are you in Jesus? He won't cast you out.
2) the responsibility of bearing fruit was never put on the branches, Jesus put the fruit bearing responsibility on himself and his father. His father will prune you to bear more fruit. If you abide in him you will bear fruit.

From john5:38 we abide in him and he in us simply because we believe in him