One of the greatest stumbling
blocks which the Jews faced was what they thought that they knew.
After many years of being steeped in the scriptures, especially
Moses' Law, This outcome was prophesied by Isaiah when he
said, But the word of the Lord was unto them precept upon precept,
precept upon precept, line upon line, line upon line, here a
little and there a little, that they might go and fall backward,
and be broken, and snared, and taken. Now this result was obviously
not some fault which lay in the word of God, nor was it a bad
thing for them to read and study the scriptures. We know that
the reality was God had simply hid the truth from them, even
as the Lord exclaimed, I thank thee, O Father, Lord of heaven
and earth, because thou hast hid these things from the wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes. And as Paul
pointed out to the Corinthians, but even unto this day, when
Moses is read, the veil is upon their heart. This was also prophesied
by Isaiah, Behold, I will proceed to do a marvelous work among
this people, even a marvelous work and a wonder. For the wisdom
of their wise men shall perish, and the understanding of their
prudent men shall be hid. Due to the innate corruption
and natural darkness of man's understanding, it is impossible
for him to see even the clearest of truths found in the scriptures.
The more that men rely upon their own understanding, the cloudier
any grasp of truth is manifested. In this condition, the more that
they analyze and study the scriptures, the less likely they are to arrive
at the truth, except that the Lord should open their eyes that
they might then see the simplicity of those things which the Spirit
is pleased to hide from the wise and prudent and reveal unto babes. This passage in the Gospel of
John concerning the true vine and its branches is often misapplied
even though the language is quite clear as to who and what the
vine is as well as how the fruit is born on the branches. The
grace of God in His provision and work in His people is not
hidden here except to those who prefer the establishment of their
own righteousness and are not quite convinced that He does
provide everything that they need. I am always amazed when
some who profess to believe in salvation by grace nonetheless
feel compelled to complicate the simple message of the complete
salvation and provision of blessing which is given to the sons of
God by that grace and turn it into a system of conditional
blessing which depends upon their own activity. Christ is the vine
from which the branches receive their life and through which
all fruit bearing must come. The branches expend no activity
or effort. They do not seek out the vine,
nor do they have power to remain attached to the vine, or for
that matter to detach themselves from it. All work intending to
the vine and the branches is expended by the vinekeeper, and
all fruit is borne by the attachment of the branches to the vine.
The branches only serve as a place where the vine is pleased to
manifest the fruit which stems from the vine itself. The branches
can produce nothing of themselves, even as the Lord said, 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. The fruit is a demonstration
of the vine's viability, and not vice versa. All of the fruit
bearing which men claim to produce of their own will and determination
shall be shown to be as that house which is built upon the
sand, and is cast down when tested by that which is true. Judgment
also will I lay to the line, and righteousness to the plummet,
and the hail shall sweep away the refuge of lies, and the water
shall overflow the hiding place. Christ alone is the righteousness
of His people. The vinekeeper purges every fruit-bearing
branch that it may produce fruit in abundance. This is the very
purpose which he has ordained the creation and redemption of
his people for. For we are his workmanship, created
in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained
that we should walk in them. He will thus produce fruit in
those branches which he has grafted into the vine, and does sustain
continually unto this end. If you would like a free transcript
of this broadcast, email us at 4the4 at windstream.net.