Effects of Abiding in Christ (John 15:7-11)

I once read what Arthur Pink wrote about Christian living: ‘There are four relationships which need to be distinguished. Life in Christ is salvation. Life with Christ is fellowship. Life by Christ is fruit-bearing. Life for Christ is service.’ It is the third of these relationships that we are thinking about from these verses.

The Lord Jesus continues to teach his disciples about abiding in him. He has already likened this relationship to branches abiding in a vine. But what are the evidences that a person is abiding in Christ? The Saviour mentions several throughout chapter 15, and we will consider in this sermon those he mentions in verses 7-11.

Effect 1 – The Word is absorbed

The first evidence that Jesus mentions is that his words abide in his disciples (v. 7). What does Jesus mean by this? We can begin by suggesting what he does not mean. He does not mean that his words merely are retained in our memories. Some people have very good memories and others have memories that don’t seem to recall very much. It is a great blessing to have a good memory. I recall reading somewhere that Frances Ridley Havergal learned the New Testament by heart because she thought she was going blind. That was a very good thing to do. It would not take long to learn the New Testament by heart. If we were to learn a few verses every day, it would take us about five years. Nevertheless, I suppose the devil also remembers what the Bible contains. A person could memorise the whole Bible without obtaining spiritual benefit.

What Jesus means is that our hearts become suitable places for his word to dwell. In other words, our hearts become clean hearts, holy hearts, hearts on which his law is written. Our hearts become teachable, submissive to his word. We delight to reflect upon his teaching, to meditate upon his instructions and promises. As we do so, we are renewed inwardly, and our attitudes and aims are changed. The priorities of Jesus become our priorities.

Effect 2 – Prayer

This effect of Christ’s word abiding in us is important in helping us understand the meaning of the second effect of abiding in Christ, which is prayer. Jesus assures us that our prayers can be heard. Although his promise is comprehensive (ask what we wish), there is a condition, which is that his words abide in us. This promise of Jesus indicates that our prayers are to be informed by his revealed will. For example, I may want God to give me a certain career or to give me a particular role. There are no details of Christ’s teachings that indicate he will answer such prayers in the affirmative. Another example is when we pray for good health. Again, Jesus has not promised that his followers will always have good health. These types of requests have to be offered in submission to his will, with the recognition that Jesus may not give them to us. There are many things that God’s people have earnestly prayed for that have not been granted. Indeed, a mature Christian, on looking back on his life, often thanks God that his most earnest requests were refused.

But there are other requests that we can make with the certainty that we will be heard. These requests have to do with spiritual progress, with sanctification, with fruitfulness. For example, we can pray with confidence that God will forgive our sins; we can pray with assurance that he will restore us when we repent; we can ask with certainty that he will bless to us the various providences we are experiencing; we can ask him with sureness to protect us from the devil. A principle worth remembering is that prayer for spiritual development will always be answered whereas prayers for social development in careers, in society, may not be answered.

Jesus says that this is what his people should focus on. The way to glorify the Father is for us to experience continual sanctification. Sanctification is not an automatic development. It will not happen unless the word of Christ is changing us inwardly and we are praying earnestly about it. The more we are taught by Christ, the more suitable our prayers will be. There is a real connection between little Bible reading and poverty in prayer. Sometimes we find ourselves not knowing what to say in prayer. This may be because we are overwhelmed by an experience and in such a situation the Holy Spirit helps us by giving to us appropriate groans. At other times, we don’t know what to pray because we have not been receiving sufficient input from the Word of God. Often we will find that the passage we are reading will guide us how to pray. Indeed we should use the Bible, particularly the psalms, as prayers.

‘Those that abide in Christ as their heart’s delight shall have, through Christ, their heart’s desire. If we have Christ, we shall want nothing that is good for us. Two things are implied in this promise:—First, That if we abide in Christ, and his word in us, we shall not ask any thing but what is proper to be done for us. The promises abiding in us lie ready to be turned into prayers; and the prayers so regulated cannot but speed. Secondly, That if we abide in Christ and his word we shall have such an interest in God’s favour and Christ’s mediation that we shall have an answer of peace to all our prayers’ (Matthew Henry).

‘Why is there so little power of prayer like this in our own times? Simply because there is so little close communion with Christ, and so little strict conformity to His words. Men do not “ abide in Christ”, and therefore pray in vain. Christ ’ s words do not abide in them, as their standard of practice, and therefore their prayers are not answered. Let this lesson sink down into our hearts. He that would have answers to his prayers, must carefully remember Christ’s directions. We must keep up intimate friendship with the great advocate in Heaven, if our petitions are to be granted’ (Bishop Ryle).

In what ways is the Father glorified by the fruitfulness of believers? One way is that the outcome of his pruning and cleansing is seen. When we see a hardened sinner turned into a Christlike saint, we give God the praise for the change in that person. We marvel at God’s wisdom, power, patience and love in dealing with him. Obviously the more fruitful a person is, the more praise is offered to God. It can also result in the conversion of other people, because they see our good works (fruitfulness) and glorify the Father in heaven (Matt. 5:16).

Effect 3 – Obedience

So two effects of abiding in Christ are teachable hearts and informed prayer. The third effect that Jesus mentions is comprehensive obedience. He tells his disciples that the way to abide in his love is to obey his commandments (vv. 9-10).

The Saviour makes an extraordinary comparison when he describes our relationship to his love. He says that his love to us is similar to the Father’s love to him, and as he continued in his Father’s love by obedience to his will, so we will remain in Christ’s love by obeying his commands. In order to understand what Jesus means here, we must discover what aspect of his love he is referring to.

Jesus is not alluding to his saving love in the sense that he is describing his sacrificial substitution. The benefits of that holy life and atoning death are not dependent on their ongoing obedience. When they fall into sin, they do not lose their justification before God. We get a clue to what Jesus means when we look at what he says about his relationship to the Father. Jesus remained in the Father’s love because of his obedience. He is not implying that he would lose it if he were disobedient (that was impossible). What he means is that he continued to give pleasure and delight to the Father. Several times, the Father stated that he was well-pleased with his Son. In a similar way, we give pleasure to Jesus when we are obedient and we also sense that pleasure and delight from Jesus. The love of Jesus has its enjoyments as well as its sacrifices; one of these enjoyments is watching his people endeavour to obey his teachings from the heart and asking for divine help to do so.    

As we think of our obedience to Jesus, there are three details connected to it that we should recall. First, our obedience should be comprehensive not selective; second, our obedience should be cheerful, not grudging; third, our obedience should be continuous, not haphazard.         

Effect 4 – Joy

The next feature mentioned by Jesus is joy. In verse 11, he says that his joy might remain in them, and that their joy would be abundant.  It is worth noting that Jesus says that one of the effects of his teaching is joy. Happiness and pleasure are sought by everybody, but the vast majority cannot find it because they do not look to Jesus for it. But believers know where to find it – in Christ and from Christ. In Christ they have the joy of salvation, the joy of forgiveness. From Christ, they have the joy of sanctification, the joy that comes from daily progress in their fellowship with him.

The joy that they experience is not a second-hand joy nor is it a joy that only arises from themselves. Rather it is a joy that has its source in heaven, in Christ. Nevertheless, there is a connection between it and their obedience to Jesus. Their lifestyles give him great joy, far more than they realise. And this joy is given to them.

A simple method

As we consider these four features of abiding in Christ, we can see that they make up a simple sequence. Each of them is a stage in a process that is logical and straightforward. First, we reflect on Christ’s teachings; second, we pray in connection to them; third, we discover that we are able to obey them; fourth, we experience great joy as a result. This is the case with everything that Jesus teaches.

Take the Lord’s Supper as an example. Jesus teaches that his disciples should remember him in this way. They read his instruction and pray about it, that they would be in a right frame of heart in doing so. Having prayed about it, they proceed to do take part in the Lord’s Supper and in doing so they not only find that they can do it but they also sense that Jesus is pleased with them for doing it. The outcome of their obedience is that they have joy in their souls.

The simplicity of Christian discipleship is very clear. There is no requirement to engage in a prolonged search of ourselves or any necessity to spend time in spiritual retreats in order to discover this simple way of life. It is not surprising that people heard Jesus gladly, given his liberating message.

A spiritual method

We also observed that in this Upper Room teaching Jesus is stressing the involvement of the Holy Spirit in the lives of his people. The Spirit is essential for each of these four stages to be realised. Jesus promised that the Spirit would instruct his people regarding his teaching; then the Spirit secretly prompts them to pray appropriately about what they have learned; then he enables them to obey their Master and also conveys to them the sense of Christ’s loving approval; then he imparts to them the joy of Jesus. Every moment of the Christian life is to be lived under the influence of the Holy Spirit.