John 15:2 “Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 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 ye abide in me.”
The Lord had just told His Apostles “Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away” (John 15:1), now He tells them “ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you”; that is, just like I explained to you, “Now ye are clean”. In context, they were not “clean” (John 13:11) until He had Commanded “Judas” to depart their company (John 13:27). “Now” they were “clean” for He had purged out “Judas” from amongst them, much like a husbandman purges his vine. Now, our Lord tells His Apostles and us that “the branch cannot bear fruit of itself”; that is, when a “branch” is separated from the vine, it immediately begins to wither and it will soon die, and it certainly cannot bear “fruit” in its dying and dead state. When folks begin to drift away from the Lord’s Church, they will soon begin to wither and deteriorate[JS1] [JS2] into loneliness, depression, anxiety, heartbreak, etc. and will soon find themselves among the living dead; that is, they become dead (separated from) to the blessed joys and spiritual provisions of the Lord and His Church, leaving them in great misery. The Lord further explains that, “He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.” (John 15:5)! Our adversary uses many “devices” (II Corinthians 2:11) and “wiles” (Ephesians 6:11) to draw us away from our Lord’s Church, those who are drawn away, soon find themselves in a most miserable state, much like a withering branch that is separated from its vine! Being warned, we are Commanded to “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.” (Ephesians 6:11)!