Part 2 –Israel’s Program Under the Law

This Article is part of a multi-part Study Series called Are We Eternally Saved or Not?.

Under Israel’s Law program, faith was proven by their “works of the Law” that it was to produce. James, wrote to Israel saying faith without works is dead” (cf. Jas 2:14-26). JEHOVAH God aimed to ultimately create an Israel as His literal, physical, visible, nation on earth with genuine earthly good works. This all starts by being, as Jesus said, “in me” (15:2 above), in union with Him and His Spirit of life.

‘On earth’ means something is physically seen. The spiritual ultimately produces the physical expression. There is to be fruit-bearing among the believing spiritual Jews (as James 2 says). But those works are really the result of God working IN the believers, rather than unbelievers struggling in themselves to be justified before God. This same confusion abounds in Christendom today, even among some of “the Church, the Body of Christ.” Genuine righteous living is only the result of God’s ongoing work in the hearts of believing men. Paul wrote of God’s work applying to the members of “His body,” the Church today.

“For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13 (KJV)
“Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:” (Philippians 1:6 (KJV)

Now to John 15:3, “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.” This is linked to the purging’ of verse 2. God cleanses the Messianic Jews by using “His Words,” which Jesus said “Are Spirit and they are life.’ Jesus spoke God’s Words to Israel so Israel would have a chance to be clean, that is, to become Father God’s righteous servants on earth. (cf. Jn. 17:1-26). Paul says we today are similarly to “mortify the deeds of the flesh” “By The Spirit (Rom. 8:13) ... which accompanies His “Words.”

Israel could have borne the fruit that He wanted them to produce in them long ago, when they came out of Egypt under Moses, but, due to their unbelief, He would not accept their “wild fruit” (Isa. 5:2). Man’s works by human reason are but the sparks of fruitless self-effort.

Behold, all ye that kindle a fire, that compass yourselves about with sparks: walk in the light of your fire, and in the sparks that ye have kindled. This shall ye have of mine hand; ye shall lie down in sorrow.” (Isaiah 50:11)

So, the LORD had to create a ‘new Israel,’ a born-again Israel, a nation as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3, a spiritually nation born of Him instead of one ‘born of Satan.’ (see Jn. 8:44, 1 Jn. 3:1-15)

Moving on to John 15:4, 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 (unless) ye abide in me.”

Jesus Christ is speaking here as relates to the whole nation Israel. He sent out His 12 Apostles (not Judas Iscariot, but later Matthias) to convert the Apostate Jews. These unbelievers of Israel must be told to ‘abide in Jesus Christ, as He will ‘abide in them.’ He is “the true vine,” the life supply, and they are “the branches.” Without Him, they will not be able to bear fruit that God could accept. Until Israel comes to faith in Jesus Christ as Messiah, they will not become the nation God wants.

The “vine” (Christ) provides the branches with the necessary nourishment. It is “the vine,” not the branches, that is directly attached to “the root,” which also is Christ as the self-sustaining “root out of dry ground.”

“For as the Father hath life in himself; so hath he given to the Son to have life In Himself;” (John 5:26)

Religion, even the God-given religion of Judaism, will not help these lost Jews. The externalities of performance-based religion with not do what faith can do; they need to believe and be ‘in union with Christ: they must come to Jesus by faith in Him as their ‘Messiah,’ in order to become God’s earthly people!

Jesus then says in John 15:5: 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.” This points back to verses 1 and 4. Jesus Christ is “the true vine,” of the true nation Israel that Paul refers to as “The Israel of God” (Gal. 6:16).

If Israel is to ever be the nation God intended, they must be in Jesus Christ.” They have to come to a personal relationship with Him… by faith. ‘Whoever abides in Him, and He in them, they will bring forth much fruit.’ It is not that they will simply produce fruit; they will produce a lot of fruit. Without Him, they cannot do anything. The branches depend on the life of the Real Vine, and so the believing Jew must rely upon Jesus Christ. One day all those of Israel who will believe, will at His 2nd coming.

“And I will pour upon the house of David, and upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the spirit of grace and of supplications: and they shall look upon me whom they have pierced, and they shall mourn for him, as one mourneth for his only son, and shall be in bitterness for him, as one that is in bitterness for his firstborn.” (Zech. 12:10)

Good “works” are not the primary issue for Israel; faith is first and foremost… then good works become their demonstration of that faith. Go back to our comments about a “literal, physical, visible, earthly” Israel having “literal, physical, visible, earthly” works to do. Remember, there is a day coming when God will put His Spirit in those of Israel and cause them to walk in His statutes.

I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.” (Ezekiel 36:27)

Finally, we come to our key verse, John 15:6, the supposed problem verse:

“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.

This warning is not to the Apostles of the believers in Israel, but to the people to whom the Apostles will minister. The “little flock” Apostles must caution their unsaved Jewish brethren of the dangers of not abiding in Christ. The unbelievers among Israel will be cast forth as a withered branch, thrown into the fire and burned along with all the lost Gentile souls. This is the all-consuming fire is to be seen at Christ’s 2nd coming (cf. 2Thes. 1:7-9, Matt. 13:30, 37-43), giving way to the 2nd death in the “the Lake of Fire.” (Rev 20:14)

John 15:6 is not a threat against genuine believers, neither the Messianic Jews of the “little flock” or us Christians today during “the dispensation of the Grace of God.” It has nothing to do with working to stay saved or wind up in “the Lake of Fire.” There is nothing in John 15 about Christians losing salvation, justification, or losing eternal life. It’s a warning to the unsaved audience of the Twelve Apostles, those Apostates of Israel who the Apostles are to warn when they begin their ministries in the Book of Acts.