Commentary on the Gospel of John

                                   Chapter Fifteen

                                                                                                                                              Verses 15-17 continued

Jesus then commissioned His entire Church to produce its fruit by which He meant that His Church should preach the gospel to win others to salvation by His grace. Jesus also commissioned His Church to teach the Word of God and baptize in water in order to sanctify those who believe. Matthew 28:18-20. But only the Holy Spirit can bring conviction to sinners who hear or read the gospel that they need to repent and accept Christ as their Savior. John 16:7-11. Preachers never save souls. Only the Holy Spirit, who appoints the preachers to preach, can save by God's grace. But where preachers never preach, the Holy Spirit appoints Himself to bring every human under the conviction that they need a Savior. Colossians 1:23. But because of limitations in their spirits and understanding, those humans who become saved by the direct witness of the Holy Spirit do not become fully sanctified or fully understand who their Savior is until the Church comes to teach them the Word of God and baptize them in water to become members of a local church. Matthew 28:18-20; Acts 9:1-19.

Jesus also taught His disciples, and His Church, that whatever they asked their Father for in His name, He will give them whatever that ask for. Some unbelievers have charged that the Word of God cannot be true because sometimes God does not give believers what they ask for in Jesus' name. But these unbelievers forget that an eternal God provides eternal answers to the prayers of His saints. When saints pray for others to be saved, God saves them all either by His grace or in a great worship service near the end of the world. John 5:24; Revelation 5:11-14. When saints pray for others to be healed, God heals everyone in eternity. God does not answer prayers not prayed according to His Will. But God will give an eternal answer to every prayer that His saints pray according to His Will.

Jesus again commanded that His saints must love each other. The Church of Christ cannot be the light of the world that Jesus commissioned it to be unless His saints love each other as a witness to the world of their faith in Christ. The Church must demonstrate to the world what the power of God's Love can do. John 13:34-35; Matthew 5:14.