“Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain; that whatsoever ye shall ask of the father in my name, he may give it you” (John 15:16).
“The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16).
The promise of the Father’s giving whatsoever we ask is here once again renewed, showing us to whom such wonderful influence in the council chamber of the Most High is to be granted. “I chose you,” the Master says, “and appointed you that ye should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain.” He then adds, to the end “that whatsoever ye,” (the fruit bearing ones) “shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.” This is nothing but a fuller expression of what He meant by the words, “If ye abide in me.” He had spoken of the object of this abiding as the bearing of “fruit,” “more fruit,” and “much fruit.” In this, God would be glorified and the mark of discipleship would be seen. He now adds that the reality of the abiding, as seen in fruit abounding and abiding, is the qualification for our praying so as to obtain what we ask. Entire dedication to the fulfillment of our calling is the key to effective prayer and the unlimited blessings of Christ’s wonderful prayer-promises.
There are Christians who fear that such a statement is at variance with the doctrine of free grace. But surely it doesn’t disagree with free grace rightly understood or the many express statements of God’s blessed Word. Take the words of St. John, “Let us love in deed and truth; hereby shall we assure our heart before Him. And whatsoever we ask, we receive of Him because we keep His commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight” (1 John 3:18-19,22). Or take the often-quoted words of James:”The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much” (James 5:16). This describes a man of whom, according to the definition of the Holy Spirit, it can be said, “He that doeth righteousness, is righteous even as He is righteous.” Mark the spirit of so many of the Psalms, with their confident appeal to the integrity and righteousness of the supplicant. In Psalm 18 David says: “The Lord rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands hath he recompensed me… I was also upright before him, and I kept myself from mine iniquity. Therefore hath the Lord recompensed me according to my righteousness” (Psalm 18:20,23). See also Psalms 7:3-5; 15:1-2; 17:3,6; 26:16; 119:121, 153). If we carefully consider these scriptures in the light of the New Testament, we find them in perfect harmony with the explicit teaching of the Savior’s parting words: “If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love”; “Ye are my friends if ye do what I command you.” The words are indeed meant literally: “I appointed you that ye should go and bear fruit, that, “then, “whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you.”
Let us seek to enter into the spirit of what the Savior teaches us here. There is a danger in our evangelical religion of looking too much at what it offers from one side, as a certain experience obtained in prayer and faith. There is another side which God’s Word puts very strongly, that of obedience as the only path to blessing. What we need to realize is that in our relationship to God He is the Infinite Being Who created and redeemed us. The first sentiment that ought to motivate us is that of subjection ,surrender to His supremacy, His glory, His will, and His pleasure.This ought to be the first and uppermost thought of our lives.
The question is not, however, how we are to obtain and enjoy His favor, for in this the main thing may still be self. What this Being in the very nature of things rightfully claims, and is infinitely and unspeakably worthy of, is that His glory and pleasure should be my only object. Surrender to His perfect and blessed will-a life of service and obedience-is the beauty and the charm of heaven. Service and obedience were the thoughts that were uppermost in the mind of the Son when He was on earth. Service and obedience must become the chief objects of our desires and aims, even more so than rest, light, joy, or strength.In them we will find the path to all the higher blessedness that awaits us.
Note what a prominent place the Master gives it, not only in this fifteenth chapter, in connection with the abiding, but in the fourteenth, where He speaks of the indwelling of the Trinity. John 14:15 says: “If ye love me, keep my commandments,” and the Spirit will be given to you by the Father. Then verse 21:”He that hath my commandments and keepeth them,he it is that loveth me.” He will have the special love of the Father and the special manifestation of Christ. Verse 23 is one of the highest of all the great and precious promises: “If a man loves me he will keep my words, and the Father and I will come and take up our abode with him.” Could words put it more clearly that obedience is the way to the indwelling of the Spirit, to His revealing the Son within us, and to His preparing us to be the abode, the home of the Father? The indwelling of the Trinity is the heritage of those who obey.
Obedience and faith are simply two parts of one act-surrender to God and His will. As faith strengthens itself in order to be obedient, it is in turn strengthened by obedience. Faith is made perfect by works. Often our efforts to believe are unsuccessful because we don’t assume the only position in which a large faith is legitimate or possible-that of entire surrender to the honor and the will of God. The man who is entirely consecrated to God and His will finds the power to claim everything that His God has promised to be for him.
The application of this in the school of prayer is very simple but very solemn. “I chose you, ” the Master says, “and appointed you that ye should go and bear fruit, ” much fruit (verses 5,8), “and that your fruit should abide, “that your life might be one of abiding fruit and abiding fruitfulness, “that” as fruitful branches abiding in me, “whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, He may give it you. ”
How often we’ve tried to pray an effective prayer for grace to bear fruit and have wondered why the answer didn’t come. It was because we were reversing the Master’s order. We wanted to have the comfort, the joy, and the strength first, so we could do the work easily and without any feeling of difficulty or self-sacrifice. But He wanted us to do what He said in the obedience of faith, without worrying about whether we felt weak or strong, or whether the work was hard or easy. The path of fruit-bearing leads us to the place and the power of successful prayer.
Obedience is the only path that leads to the glory of God. Obedience doesn’t replace faith or supply its shortcomings. But faith’s obedience gives access to all the blessings our God has for us. In the Gospel of John, the baptism of the Spirit (John 14:16), the manifestation of the Son (14:21), the indwelling of the Father (14:23), the abiding in Christ’s love (15:10), the privilege of His holy friendship (15:14), and the power of effective prayer (15:16), all wait for the obedient.
Now we know the great reason why we have not had power in faith to pray successfully. Our lives weren’t as they should have been. Simple obedience-abiding fruitfulness-was not its chief mark. We whole-heartedly approve of the Divine appointment of men to whom God gives the power to rule the world. At their request, He does what otherwise would not have taken place. Their will guides the path in which God’s will is to work. These men must have learned obedience themselves. Their loyalty and submission to authority must be above all suspicion. If we approve the law, that obedience and fruit-bearing are the path to prevailing prayer, we must with shame acknowledge how little our lives have exemplified this.
Let us yield ourselves to take up the appointment the Savior gives us. If we concentrate on our relationship to Him as our Master, we should no longer begin each new day with thoughts of comfort, joy, or blessing. Our first thought should be: “I belong to the Master.” Every moment I must act as His property, as a part of Himself, as one who only seeks to know and do His will. I am a servant, a slave of Jesus Christ. Let this be the spirit that animates me. If He says, “No longer do I call you servants, but I have called you friends,” let us accept the place of friends, because, “Ye are my friends if ye do the things which I command you.”
The one thing He commands us as His branches is to bear fruit. Live to bless others, to testify of the life and the love there is in Jesus. In faith and obedience give your whole life to that which Jesus chose us for and appointed us to-fruitbearing. Think of His electing us to this, accepting your appointment as coming from Him Who always gives us everything He demands of us. We will grow strong in the confidence that a life of fruit-bearing and abiding is within our reach. And we will understand why this fruit-bearing alone can be the path to the place of all effective prayer. The man who, in obedience to Christ, proves that he is doing what his Lord wills, will receive whatever he desires from the Father. “Whatsoever we ask we receive, because we keep His commandments, and do the things that are pleasing in His sight.”
Lord, teach us to pray.
Blessed Master! Teach me to understand fully what I only partly realize, that only by obeying the will of God can we obtain His promises and use them effectively in our prayers. Show me how bearing fruit perfects the deeper growth of the branch into the Vine, allowing us to experience that perfect union with- God in which we can ask for whatever we want.
O Lord! Reveal to us how with all the hosts of heaven, with all the saints here on earth, and even with Yourself on earth, that obedience to God is the highest privilege. It gives access to oneness with the Father Himself in that which is His highest glory-His all-perfect will. And show us how, if we keep Your commandments and bear fruit according to Your will, our spiritual natures will grow to the full stature of a perfect man, having power to ask and receive anything.
O Lord Jesus! Reveal Yourself to us! Through Your purpose and power, make Your wonderful promises the daily experience of everyone who completely yields himself to You and Your words. Amen.