Grace Fellowship Church Pastor/Teacher Jim Rickard Thursday, April 8,

Doxology Praise God, from whom all blessings flow; Praise Him, all creatures here below; Praise Him above, ye heavenly host; Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.— Amen.

Memory Verse John 15:13, “Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.”

John 15:4 Abiding In Christ! Part 2

Application of Abiding in Christ is found in, 2 John 1:9-11.

We are told to separate ourselves from those who bring false teachings into our midst, including false doctrines, i.e., works for salvation, evolution, the homosexual agenda, etc.

We are not to host or even greet such individuals. Likewise, we are not to support them in any way.

Hosting and greeting includes what you bring into your home via TV, internet, video, radio, etc. With technology you bring far more evil into your home than was ever possible before.

OUK DUNATAI – Present, Middle Deponent, Indicative: “Cannot, not able, to have no power, powerless, etc.”

Not taking in and applying God’s Word nullifies the believer’s ability to produce Divine Good.

APH HEAUTOU - The believer cannot bear fruit from the source of itself. It must come from the source of God. This negates human works and efforts.

Principles: 1) The branch that does not abide in Christ is the source of non production.

2) It is not God’s or Christ’s fault that you do not produce, it is your own because of:

a) Your lack of fellowship with Christ.

a) Your lack of fellowship with Christ. b) The lack of your intake and application of God’s Word.

a) Your lack of fellowship with Christ. b) The lack of your intake and application of God’s Word. c) The lack of being filled with the Holy Spirit.

John 15:4b, “As the branch (believer) is not able to produce fruit (Divine Good) by means of itself.”

Principles: 1) The believer is not able to produce Divine Good from himself, that is, by his own human works or effort.

2) No believer in the Christian life can produce on the basis of his or her own ability.

3) We can only produce by the power of God operating within our souls.

4) Divine Good has to start in the soul and it has to be the thinking of Divine Viewpoint.

MENO - Present, Active, Subjunctive, Third Person, Singular.

MENO - Present, Active, Subjunctive, Third Person, Singular. Fifth class condition = “if A, then B.” - “Unless you abide in Me “A”, then you cannot bear fruit “B”.”

EN TE AMPELO – “in the Sphere of the Vine.” In the Feminine Gender?

1) The allegory uses a thing, just as a ship is a thing and we refer to ships as “she.”

2) This gives us emphasis in regard to Jesus Christ as the Word of God or what we call Bible Doctrine, which is referred to in the feminine in Proverbs 4.

3) We have the added emphasis of the Vine being the Word, Bible Doctrine, which is the standard by which we produce Divine Good.

So we have the Protasis, John 15:4c, “Unless it (the branch / believer) abides in the sphere of the Vine (Bible Doctrine).”

Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, April 8, 2010 Tape # Abiding in Christ, Part 2 Upper Room Discourse, Part 356 John 15:4; 2 John 2:1-11; Prov 4 Grace Fellowship Church Thursday, April 8, 2010 Tape # Abiding in Christ, Part 2 Upper Room Discourse, Part 356 John 15:4; 2 John 2:1-11; Prov 4 James H. Rickard Bible Ministries 2010