Apart From Me - Nothing

Cantate - May 14, 2006

John 15:1-8

Grace to you and peace from God our Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Are you a Christian because of how you live your life? There are many who would say that is true. They make the claim that they are Christians because they do certain things and don’t do certain other things. They claim that they are Christians because of their works, what they have done makes them Christians.

Some claim that it was their deeds, their works, by which they came to faith and are believers. It is by their own choice, by their own works, that they now live different and holy lives, some even claim that they are lives without sin.

Dearly beloved of God, it is not because of how you live your life that you are Christians. You are Christians because of who you are in Christ Jesus. That is what makes you a Christian. Not what you do, but whose you are, what He has done, and still does for you.

How you live your life, however, is reflection of the fact that you are a Christian. Or, as James informs us, your works are evidence of the fact that you are a Christian. In fact, our Epistle lesson, also recorded from God by John, informs us that we are to love not just in words or with tongue, but with actions and in truth.

Some people try to say this is a fine line of distinction, whether works are what makes a person a Christian or if being a Christian brings about good work, but it really isn’t. It is a matter of life and death.

Let me see if I can illustrate this for you. Let’s say that Josiah Herpolsheimer made an oak desk for me, from scratch, and gave it to me as a gift. It was unfinished, so I had to stain it and apply a polyurethane sealer to it. Now, some friends of mine from out of town come for a visit. They don’t know Josiah, and won’t be around long enough to meet him.

One of them admires the desk, saying that it was obviously hand made. So, thinking, ‘who can it hurt,’ I say, “Yeah, I made that desk myself in my free time.”

Josiah isn’t going to lose business, because my friends will never ask me to build them something like that. What is more, I really did finish it. Josiah will never really hear about it. But, what have I done? All of you would agree that I have lied. There is more to it than that. You see, I have taken unto myself, credit for something I never did. In other words, not only have I lied, but I have stolen.

That’s the connection to faith and works. Faith and good works flow from Christ in you, they are God’s work in and through you. They are not your works, but the works of God in you.

This whole idea of faith’s connection to works is one of the greatest areas of temptation to the pastor. It is so very enticing to want to claim some credit for the growth of the church. There are pastors who will play with numbers to try and show that their church is growing. Other pastor will change the message or do whatever is necessary to try and bring people into the church. They dabble with music, with programs, with whatever the world tells them will get people into the doors of the church. As if somehow, that once people come in, they are automatically believers.

It is very tempting for pastor to have that sort of attitude. Pastors, myself included, need to remember that they are simply the instruments by which God’s Word comes to people, and it is the Spirit which works faith. Pastors must be faithful in the preaching of that Word - God Himself provides the increase.

When pastors feel responsible for the growth of Christ’s Church, they are stealing from God. When Christians claim that it is because of what they have done that they are Christians, they are also stealing from God.

Christ informs us today of the relationship we have with Him, and the relationship of faith and works.

Dear friends in Christ, it is necessary that Christians do good works - or as our text says - bear good fruit. Those not bearing good fruit will indeed be cut off from God for eternity.

But, those branches not bearing fruit, are not doing so because they are not in the Vine. They are trying to go it on their own; they are relying upon themselves, upon their works. Of those who are going it on their own Christ says, “No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me... apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”

Good fruits, good works, are evidence of faith. Here is where a little knowledge about growing things can help us understand. Jesus Himself uses the illustration of vines and branches. Grapes grew abundantly in that region, and so branch to vine was visible daily evidence to them. A branch can only grow good fruit if it is a part of the vine. It is in the vine where the life and nutrients needed for the growing of fruit is provided to the branches.

This spring, there have been many branches picked up in every yard. Those branches were either burned in the fire, or disposed of in some other manner. Why did you destroy those branches? Well, some of them were already dead. Those that were not yet dead, would soon be dead. Why? Because they had been removed from that which was their source of life, the main body of the tree. Or, as in Jesus’ illustration, they were not in the vine.

In the same way, those who stay away from corporate worship, are removing themselves from the Vine. Avoiding where Christ feeds and nourishes the branches through Word and Sacrament is a sin against God. It is a form of suicide when a branch removes itself from the Vine. Those branches not in the Vine will ultimately die, and finally will be thrown into the eternal fire.

Apart from Christ, you can do nothing. Jesus says it this way, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” That is, you can do nothing that pleases God. As stated earlier, it isn’t what you do that makes you a Christian, but it is who you are united to that makes you a Christian - you are in Christ.

Last week I talked about the fact that God is the actor in all the life of the Christian. You know about how Christ was born, how He lived a perfect life, how He suffered, and died to free you from your sin. All this was done selflessly, He did all this to bring glory not to Himself, but to the Father. How different that is from the sinful glory seeking of our lives, how you try to take credit for things that you have not done, and in fact struggle against doing.

It was on the cross where Christ gave the glory to the Father for purchasing forgiveness for your stealing from God through feeling that it was your life, your works, or your action which either brought you to or grew your faith.

It was and still is all by God’s goodness and grace that you are a Christian today. God grafted you into the Vine. God united you to Christ, into His death and resurrection through the miracle of Baptism. It is in this intimate relationship - Vine to branch - Christ feeding and nourishing you, that you are made and kept in the Christian faith.

Apart from Christ, you can do nothing. So it is that Christ continues to provides all that you need to be a Christian. Christ is the vine. Today, it is the Vine which gives you the forgiveness He selflessly purchased, through the Word He is pouring into your ear this day. It is in the Word, in the Vine, that Christ strengthens your faith.

The Vine feeds and nourishes you, feeding you His own body and blood, building your faith and strengthening you unto all good works. Christ the Vine works in and through you, cleansing you of all sin, strengthening your faith, nourishing both your body and soul.

Remain in the Vine and give all glory to God the Father, for in His Son we are disciples of Christ - branches grafted into and secured in the true Vine. In that Vine, you can do all things, through Christ who strengthens you. Amen.

The peace of God which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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