Turning again to God's Word,
in the chapter we read here in the Gospel of Qundas and John,
John 15, and I want to direct you to the Word that we have
here at verse 3. In John 15, 3, Christ says, Now
ye are clean through the words which I have spoken unto you,
Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you. The purifying words of the Lord
Jesus Christ is the subject really that we have here. In the context
of course the Lord is speaking of himself as that one who is
divine. We have these great passages
throughout this Gospel, the I Am statements of Him who is God
manifest in the flesh, the I Am that I Am. And amongst other
things He says, I Am the true Vine. Again at verse 5, I Am
the Vine. And in the context here of course,
We see Christ quite clearly exercising His prophetic office. He makes
reference to the word that He's been speaking and preaching,
"...now are ye clean through the word which I have spoken
unto you," He says. And, as you're aware, in these
three chapters, 14, 15, and 16, we have these discourses The valedictory discourses are
often called the end of Christ's ministry and he speaks profound
words here concerning especially his going away and the necessity
of that if he goes not away the comforter will not come but if
he goes if he departs he says he will send the Holy Spirit
to them. and he speaks of the ministry
of the Comforter here at the end of this chapter when the
Comforter is come whom I will send unto you from the Father
even the Spirit of Truth which proceedeth from the Father he
shall testify of me the Lord is about to go away and yet there
will be one who comes he will not leave them comfortless he
will not leave them as orphans that the Spirit was to come after
Christ had accomplished His great work. But as I said, here we
see Him more particularly in chapters 14 and 15 and 16 exercising
His ministry as that's one who is the Great Prophet, the greatest
of all the Prophets. In the Old Testament of course,
in many ways the the great prophet was Moses and the prophets would appeal
to Moses and the Lord of Moses Isaiah says to the Lord and to
the testament if they speak not according to this word it is
because there is no life in them but there in Deuteronomy 18 on
two occasions we read that God is going to send another prophet
and you'll be like unto Moses there in that 18th chapter of
Deuteronomy verses 15 and 18 as a repetition we read of the
prophet that was to come and that one of course is none other
than God's own eternal Son and the law was given by Moses but
grace and truth came by Jesus Christ but Christ is not only
revealed to us here as the Prophet, the Great Prophet, He's also
the Great High Priest. And we see how in the course
of this Gospel John moves on. He's speaking in these chapters
of Christ as the Prophet, and then when we come to Chapter
17, there's a transition. These words about Jesus, He's
been speaking to His disciples, And then we read, And lifted
up his eyes to heaven, and said, Father, the hour is come. Glorify thy Son, that thy Son
also may glorify thee. And so there he addresses more
particularly the Father. It's Christ as a priest, a praying
priest. And in that remarkable chapter
are we pleased concerning God's great purpose. all that had been
predetermined in the covenant of grace and when he's accomplished
that work he will return to heaven and there in heaven of course
we see him very much a praying priest able also to save unto
the uttermost All that come unto God by Him, says the Apostle
in Hebrews chapter 7. He's a praying priest. But previous
to that, of course, He's really a sacrificing priest. And that's
what we have recorded here in chapters 18 and 19, where the
record, John's record of all that transpired in the death
of the Lord Jesus Christ, a mockery of a trial. that he has to endure
before the Roman governor. He's a public person. It's a
judicial death and he's going to die. He's going to die for
the unjust to bring sinners to God and what detail we find recorded
then in chapters 18 and 19, he's a sacrificing priest. And as
a prophet at times he will speak of his priestly work but then
he's also a king. And as a king there will be the
application, the benefits of that work that he accomplished
is going to be made real in the souls of sinners. Or where the
word of a king is there's power. There'll be an application of
the truth to the souls of sinners. And isn't in some measure the
Lord speaking of that in the words of the text here he says
to his disciples now you are clean through the words which
I have spoken unto you all this this word that is so purifying
this word of the Lord Jesus Christ that that makes sinners clean
and so I want to try for a while to say something with regards
to this this word of Christ this evening. First of all, when we
consider the Lord's ministry, how it is very much a separating
ministry, a separating word that he speaks, and that really is
the context here. Speaks himself as the vine, his
father the husbandman, verse Five, I am the vine, ye are the
branches. And then he says in the second
verse, doesn't every branch in me that beareth not fruit, the
husbandman taketh away? And every branch that beareth
fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. There are different branches
here. There are branches that are fruitless and there are branches
that are fruitful. What does he represent? They're
all there, they're in a sense in some way or other still attached
to the vine, but some are living and some are dead. Here we have
that that might represent to us those who have an appearance
of being in Christ, but they're not really in Christ. They are
but empty professors. But there are others who are
truly, vitally attached to him. There are those who are living
branches as they are attached to the vine. It's interesting,
isn't it, when we go back to the Old Testament because Israel
is spoken of as God's vine. We sang just now in the Metricle
Psalm, the last part of Psalm 80 and it speaks of Israel as
God's vine. and that's not the only part
of the Old Testament. Remember also in the fifth chapter
of Isaiah we see again that Israel is God's vine. The Prophet says,
Now will I sing to my well-beloved a song of my beloved touching
his vineyard. My well-beloved hath a vineyard
in a very fruitful hill. and he fenced it and gathered
out the stones thereof and planted it with the choicest vine and
built a tower in the midst of it and also made a winepress
therein and he looked that it should bring forth grapes and
it brought forth wild grapes. Oh, time and again Israel so
miserably fails God's vine and yet they're not a fruitful people.
And it's not just in Isaiah, but others of the prophets. Ezekiel, the same you see there
in Ezekiel chapter 15. We read of the vine tree. And what does the Lord God say
at the end of that short chapter in Ezekiel 15? And verse 6, Therefore
thus saith the Lord God, As the vine tree among the trees of
the forest which I have given to the fire for fuel, so will
I give the inhabitants of Jerusalem. And I will set my face against
them, and they shall go out from one fire, and another fire shall
devour them. and ye shall know that I am the
Lord when I set my face against them and I will make the land
desolate because they have committed a trespass saith the Lord God."
All this is why Israel is so deceptive in the eyes of the
Lord. And the words of Christ himself
here In verse 6 he says, 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. It's the same language
as we have there in the 15th chapter of Ezekiel. And when we think of the ministry
of the Lord Jesus Christ, you see, as He speaks in this fashion
of the vine, Himself the vine, and the husband, and the branches.
and some branches that are real and true and fruitful and others that are dead, fruitless. And we know how in his ministry
the Lord many times speaks of those who would have an appearance
of having some relationship with him and yet they're not really
in him. when he tells the parable of the sower and his seed. Now
the sower goes forth and he makes a very broad cast of his seeds
and he falls on every manner of ground. Some falling on the
wayside and some on the stony ground, other on thorns and there
is that that will fall on the good soil. But three quarters
is wasted really. and the Lord interprets the parable
to his disciples and tells them, you see. The sower sows the Word
of God, the seed is the Word of God. And some fall by the
wayside. In the birth of the heir they
come and they take up the seed. And there are those, you see,
who hear the Word of the Lord Jesus Christ, it's just like
that, it never stays with them a moment. They might attend a
service, they might hear the Word, the preaching of the Word,
Now soon it's finished, it's gone. They've forgotten it. Never
comes to mind again with them. The wayside hearers, the stony
ground hearers. There of course there's no depth
of earth. There's no opportunity of the
sea taking roots. There are many like that superficial.
stony grounds others why that's the seed that falls amongst the
thorns and the weeds grow and they destroy any life that might begin
to germinate in that good seed that was sown the Lord speaks
about there are those who are overcome by the cares of this
world Oh, we have to be those then
who would be careful and prayerful with regards to our hearing of
the Word of God. All we see in Scripture are there
were those who at times had every appearance of being genuine,
and yet were they really genuine? Alas, it seems not, a man like
Simon Magus. We have a record of him there
in the 8th chapter of the Acts, and he's one with the disciples,
but what is it that impresses this man? It's the power to perform
miracles, and he wants this. It's his wonderful works that
make such an impression. He thinks, maybe you can buy
this from the apostles of the Lord. He can perform miracles.
He was not a true disciple of the Lord, Demas. Oh, what does
the Apostle say concerning that man? He was one who at some stage
seemed to be a real help to Paul. Demas hath forsaken me, having
loved this present world. Christ himself says, either challenge
you to the end. Either challenge you to the end.
The same shall be saved as not just a beginning, There must
be a beginning, there must be a good beginning, a right beginning.
And then there'll be a middle, and then there'll be an end.
But how many you see, fall away. Every branch in me
that beareth not fruit, he taketh away. We read here in the second
verse. If a man abide not in me, he
is cast forth of the branch and is withered. and men gather them
and cast them into the fire and they are burned what a sad mournful
end is that and the word of the Lord Jesus Christ you see is
very much a separating word he speaks to his disciples and he
says now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken
unto you but there was one wasn't there even one of the twelve
and elsewhere we see how the Lord speaks concerning that man
Judas Iscariot in chapter 13 the chapter wherein we see the
Lord so humbly washing the feet of his disciples and he comes
to Peter and typical Peter so impetuous, so impulsive Lord,
not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. Jesus saith
to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but
is clean every wit, and ye are clean, but not all. For he knew who should betray
him, therefore said he, ye are not all clean. And then later in the same chapter
we see how the Lord goes on to expose the betrayer, Judas. Verse 26, Jesus says, "...he
it is to whom I shall give a sop, when I have dipped it." And when
he had dipped the sop, he gave it to Judas Iscariot, the son
of Simon. And after the sop, Satan entered
into him. Then said Jesus unto him, that
thou doest do quickly. And then he, having received
the sop, went immediately out. And it was night. Oh, it was
night. What a dreadful night it was.
the betrayer had gone forth to betray the Lord when we consider that ministry
of the Lord then he is very much aware his ministry is such a separating ministry time and
again we have that in the scriptures he says that or it's recorded I should
say several times here in John's Gospel that there was a division
because of him or there was division because of his words the discriminating
ministry that was the mark very much the mark wasn't it of the
prophets as we read in Jeremiah Chapter 15 and verse 19, If thou
take forth the precious from the vial, thou shalt be as my
mouth. And that's what the Lord does,
He separates the precious from the vial. Divisions. John chapter 6, that great chapter
of the divisions, or the reductions, the multitudes. At the beginning
of that chapter here in this Gospel, The Lord performing the
miracle, feeding the 5,000. They would now take him, make
him king, but then the Lord begins to sift them. He's discriminating
ministry. He speaks plainly. He speaks
of the vital necessity of a real union with him, a communion with
him. We are to eat his flesh and drink his blood. not in any carnal sense, nothing
to do with Romish doctrines such as transubstantiation, speaking
of the true spiritual union with the Lord. And that's an offence
to men. And he goes on and speaks very
much in that chapter of the sovereignty of God. No man can come to me
except the Father which hath sent me draw him. And I will
raise him up at the last day and that's an offence to them.
And the multitudes begin to drift away and the Lord says, doesn't
he there, towards the end of that chapter to the 12 will you
also go away? and he knows that one of them
will indeed be going away all the Lord's ministry and as with
the Lord so also with his own disciples that's ministry that
they exercise is is really a continuation of his ministry What was true
of Christ and his preaching is also there in the apostolic preaching. Paul says to the Corinthians,
for we are unto God a sweet savour of Christ in them that are saved
and in them that perish. To the one we are the savour
of death unto death and to the other the savour of life unto
life. And who is sufficient for these things? How solemn! that God's Word has an effect.
It was John Owen who said, a man hearing the Word of God, hearing
the Gospel of Christ, is never the same man again. No one knows
something is taking place, it's one side or the other. Paul says here, we are not as
many which corrupt the Word of God, but as of sincerity, but
as of God, in the sight of God speak we in Christ. He is aware
of the Lord's own ministry. His ministry is going to be in
the same vein then. So discriminating. Why? What is it that these men are
handling? It's the word of God. Quick and powerful, sharper than
a two-edged sword, piercing to the dividing asunder of soul
and spirit and of the joints and marrow. A discerner of the
thoughts and intents of the heart. This is the Lord's word you see.
It is a separating word as it is a purifying word. And how important it is when
we see the context here. I am the true vine, says the
Lord. Are we those who are the true branches? How vital to be
truly in the Lord Jesus Christ. Verse 4. Abide in me, he says,
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. And then there at the end of
verse 5, without me ye can do nothing. Is that where we are?
We feel it. We can do nothing. We're nothing.
Wasn't that Paul's confession there in 2nd Corinthians 12? Though I be nothing. Nothing of ourselves. all we
are and all we have is by the grace of God well what is the evidence of
us being those who are truly in Christ those branches that
are really united to him who is the true vine well this word
as it is a separating word so it is also a sanctifying word
and that's what I want us to turn to in the second place how
it is a sanctifying word think of the basic meaning of
that word sanctify we know what it means literally it means to
to separate, to set apart and we have it there in the Old Testament
don't we? Aaron and his sons are the ones
who are sanctified to the office of the priesthood. Exodus 28
verses 40 and 41. Moses is commanded, that's what
he's to do, is to sanctify Aaron and his sons, Aaron and all his
sons, all his descendants, they are to occupy the office of the
priest. Now, all who are in Christ are priests. We're not sacrificing priests
like the priest of Aaron, but we... Well, Peter says we're
a kingdom of priests. And we offer up a sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving. We believe in the priesthood
of all believers. And if we're priests, as was
the case with the Aaronic priests, so with those who are priests
in the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, they are sanctified,
they are set apart. As a prophet, you see, we see
the Lord Jesus, He comes and He teaches, He speaks God's Word,
And as he speaks God's Word, what does he do? He calls out
to people to himself. He calls the disciples. We read
it in all the Gospels, how he calls these men. There's an effectual
call, isn't there? When the Lord speaks, they're
constrained. Where the word of a king is,
there's power. He is a king, as well as a prophet
and a priest. And thy people shall be willing
in the day of thy power. That's the promise. that the
Father has given to the Son in that covenant and so believers
are called out and separated from the world and when the Lord
is praying for his disciples there in that 17th chapter we
made some reference to chapter 17 where the Lord moves as it
were from exercising his prophetic and begins now to exercise the
priestly office see how he prays for his disciples Verse 14 he
says, I have given them thy words, and the world hath hated them,
because they are not of the world, even as I am not of the world. All the world hates them. He says it here in the chapter
doesn't he? verse 18 of chapter 15 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 hateth you the Lord's people then are sanctified
they are set apart and they are called out of the world and that's
what we believe, we believe that the church is a gathered church
it's the people that God has gathered to himself out of the
world there's a great chasm between the church and the world and
woe be the church, any church when the world begins to enter
into that church because it will soon cease to be any sort of
church at all and sadly such is the day in which we live where so many so-called churches seem
to have lost any distinctiveness at all. The God's church is made up of
those who are sanctified. And what does the Lord say here?
Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken unto
you. And I want to say As we begin
to draw to a conclusion, I want to say something with regards
to this sanctification, because there is a threefold sanctification
here in the Word of God. And not surprisingly, we see
it in relation to the great doctrine of the Godhead, the doctrine
of the Trinity. You see, salvation is of the
Lord. We know that It was not the Father
who was manifest in the flesh nor was it the Holy Spirit that
was manifest in the flesh. It was the Son of God who was
manifest in the flesh. Let us be clear on that. Christ is that One who has come
to be the Saviour. He is the Son of God. Unto us a Son is given. That's the Eternal Son given
unto us. A child is born. He has taken to himself a human
nature. That only thing that was conceived
in Mary's virgin womb is the body, the soul that is joined
to the person of the Eternal Son of God. But We're Trinitarians and we recognize
that all that God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost is involved
in salvation. The threefold sanctification
then. First of all, where do we see it? We see it in the Father's
decree of election and predestination. We see it in eternity. Before
ever time was created. Remember the opening words of
the epistle to Jude, that little epistle, that short epistle that
appears just before the book of Revelation. And of course
we find so often in these very short books of scripture quite
profound statements being made. They're just as much a part of
God's word to us as any of the larger books that we're more
familiar with. What do we read there at the
beginning of Jude's epistle? Well he speaks of those who are
sanctified by God the Father, preserved in Jesus Christ, and
caught. And there again we have the three
persons. They are sanctified by God the
Father. How are they sanctified? They
are set apart by God the Father. and they are set apart from all
eternity. Henry Cole remarks that that
decree of election is the chief form of sanctification really
when the father sets apart a people to himself and commits them into
the hands of his son. And the son says doesn't he behold
I am the children which God has given me. but they are sanctified,
they are set apart by God the Father, and even before ever
they are born again, before ever they are called by grace, they
are preserved in Jesus Christ. The Lord knoweth them that are
His. It's a wonderful thing, if the people have got to think
back how that in our days of unregeneracy, and we were so
much like any other, we were in that awful state of unregenerously
dead in trespasses and things, and yet being kept, preserved.
Preserved in Jesus Christ and called, says Jude. The appointed
time rolls on impatiently, not to propose but called by grace
to change the heart, renew the will and turn the feet to Zion's
hill. Oh there is you see a sanctification
in eternity. In the great purpose of the father
is predestinating the people onto himself. But what is purposed
in eternity has to be accomplished and it's accomplished in time.
And who is the one who accomplishes? the salvation. Well, as I've
already intimated, it is God the Son. When the fullness of the time
was come, God sent forth His Son. The Eternal Son, made of a woman,
made under the law to redeem them that were under the law.
And what does the Lord do? Well, He sanctifies them. He sanctifies them. Hebrews 13.12
Jesus also that He might sanctify the people suffered without the
gates. He's accomplishing their sanctification
now. He's making them what they should
be. Again Hebrews 10.14 by one offering He hath perfected forever. Them who are sanctified what
the Father has purposed must have its accomplishment. And
who is the one who accomplishes their sanctification? They don't
sanctify themselves. No, of Him are ye in Christ Jesus,
who of God is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and sanctification
and redemption. That as it is written, He that
glorieth, let him glory in the Lord. Christ is our sanctification. Christ is the sanctification
of His people. and how was he sanctified? well what does he say here in
the text? now are ye clean through the
words which I have spoken unto you and what had he been speaking
of? what is the theme of his ministry? well we know that after Peter
had made that great confession at Caesarea Philippi, thou art
the Christ, the Son of the Living God. It was after that that the
Lord began to speak of the deceased, his death, that they must go
to Jerusalem. And there he'd be delivered into
the hands of the Gentiles, into the hands of the Roman authorities
who had the authority to execute a man. and he would suffer and
bleed and die and the third day he would rise again the Lord
spoke to his disciples the word that he spoke concerned his dying
we see it here in the previous chapters in chapter 12 and verse
31 he says now is the judgment of this world now is the prince
of this world judged and I if I be lifted up will draw all
men unto me John says this he spake signifying what death he
would die. He was to die. This is the word
you see that sanctifies. You're praying through the word
which I have spoken. What's he been speaking of? He's been speaking of that work
that the Father had given him to do. Not only in chapter 12 but we
see it again there in verse 33 of chapter 13 little children
yet a little while I am with you ye shall seek me and as I
said unto the Jews whither I go ye cannot come so now say I say
to you he's going to go away they can't really take this in
he's going to die Even when we come to chapter 14 and this is
where really you see these are his valedictory discourses his
final ministry amongst his disciples. Let not your heart be troubled
ye believe in God believe also in me in my father's house are
many mansions if it were not so I would have told you I go
to prepare a place for you. He has a work to accomplish and
he will accomplish all that work and he'll go to heaven that he
might receive his people there for an ever-ending eternity these
are the things that the Lord speaks of now he's going to die
and sanctification will come by that the purchase of his sufferings but as there is the the purpose of the father in
eternity, and then what the son comes and accomplishes when he
makes the great sin atoning sacrifice. So there must also be an application
of these things. We see it in eternity, we see
it in time, but now it must also come into the soul of the sinner. Experimental really. We have
to have an experience. We see it, we can read it. We
can study the Word of God, but we want the Word of God to be
brought home to our souls. There must be some application
of these things. We don't just gather together
for Bible study. What is the point, the purpose
of preaching? He pleases God by the foolishness
of preaching to save them that believe. And what is the preaching
that's being spoken of there? It's in some way, he's obviously
speaking of the very action of speaking, but I think primarily
it's the message that's being preached. The foolishness of
the cross. We preach Christ crucified, says
the apostle. And he pleases God by the foolishness
of that preaching to save them that believe. There must be some
something more than just an understanding of the doctrine with our mind
and apprehending something of the truth of what's being said.
It's got to be experimental or it's nothing to us. But what
do we read? This is the ministry of the Holy
Spirit, isn't it? The application of these things.
Ephesians 5.25 Christ also loved the church and gave himself for
it that he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of
water by the words." It's a great statement. Christ loving the
church, giving himself for the church that he might sanctify
and cleanse it. How will he sanctify? How will
he cleanse it? With the washing of water by
the words. Now, I would if you have a copy of Dr. Gill's commentary read what he
has to say on those words there in Ephesians 5, 25 and 26 he
says the words that's being spoken of that he might sanctify and
cleanse it with the washing of water by the word he says the
word is the word of the gospel it is the gospel of Christ's substitutionary
death, the shedding of his precious sin-atoning blood. But the effect
that it has is the inward work of the Spirit, the sanctification
by the Spirit, the washing of water by the words. And then we think of Titus 3.5,
according to his mercy he saved us by the washing of regeneration. and renewing of the Holy Ghost
you see the connection the washing of water by the words and then what we have there in
Titus chapter 3 and verse 5 the washing of regeneration the renewing
of the Holy Ghost the Spirit the Spirit has to sanctify us
the Spirit has to sanctify us He must do some work in the soul
of the sinner. When we go back into the Old
Testament and think of Psalm 19 and that psalm doesn't it
celebrate the word of God? We have those various synonyms
used in reference to the word in Psalm 19 and amongst them
we read of God's commandment enlightening the eyes. The commandments
of the Lord enlighten the eyes, it says. How we need to have
our eyes enlightened. The eyes of your understanding
being enlightened. How we need that gracious ministry. The pure Word of God has that
effect, you see. When the Spirit comes, what does
He do? in that great work of regeneration there's new life
where there was nothing but deadness there's healing where there was
nothing but deafness there's sight where there was nothing
but blindness it is the spirit who brings life where there was
nothing at all previously but dead in trespasses and in sins it's the work of the spirit he
comes to do this great work by regeneration, then imagine
Christ is a new creature. That that is born of the flesh
is flesh, that that is born of the spirit is spirit. How are
these clean then? It's not that their natures are
in any sense changed. But now they've known that gracious
working of the spirit. Now, remember last Lord's Day,
I think we read in the evening services our scripture portion
Romans 15 and I remarked that in that 15th chapter Paul is
very much aware of his office as the apostle to the Gentiles.
He speaks much about the gospel going to the Gentiles. Amongst
other things we read there in Romans 15 verse 16 that the offering
up of the Gentiles might be acceptable being sanctified by the Holy
Ghost. The presentation of Gentile converts,
how is it made acceptable, sanctified by the Holy Ghost, how we need
that gracious ministry of the Spirit. The Lord then is the
one who sanctifies his people. In eternity we have the purpose
of the Father, in time we have the the purchase by the Son as
He pays the great price of redemption the ransom price that is owed
to the Holy Lord of God and then that blessed application by the
Spirit when He comes and works so graciously bringing new life
to those who are dead in trespasses and sins and now God continues
His work that's what the Lord is speaking of here Where there
is that life, what does the Lord do? Does He just leave the branch
that is truly united to the vine and it just grows and grows?
No, every branch that bears a fruit, He purges it. He purges it. Why? I'm told that
if you have a vine, if you want to make it a fruitful vine, when
you come to do the pruning, oh, be fierce with the knife, cut
it back, make it more fruitful. This is the Lord's ways with
His people, isn't it? He makes us His fruitful people.
He sanctifies us. And how does He sanctify us?
In the midst of trials and troubles. But He has that gracious end
in view. He will accomplish all His goodwill
and pleasure in the salvation of His people. I am the true
vine, He says. And my Father is a husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away. And
every branch that beareth fruit, He purges it, that it may bring
forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the
word which I have spoken unto you. 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. O God, grant that we might be
those who are abiders. abiding in our Lord Jesus Christ, and only so by the grace of God,
kept by the power of God, through faith, unto salvation, ready
to be revealed at the last time. May the Lord bless to us His
Word. Amen.