Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 15:3

"Already ye are clean because of the word which I have spoken unto you." — John 15:3 (ASV)

Now you are clean [purged] through the word which I have spoken to you.

The Word is often the knife with which the great Husbandman prunes the vine; and, brothers and sisters, if we were more willing to feel the edge of the Word, and to let it cut away even something that may be very dear to us, we should not need so much pruning by affliction. It is because that first knife does not always produce the desired result that another sharp tool is used by which we are effectually pruned.

Now ye are clean—

For so it should be.

Through the word which I have spoken to you.

While Christ was with His disciples, He kept His vine continually pruned by the word which He spoke. That word cut off the non-fruit-bearing branches, for we read that after that saying there were some that went back and walked no more with Him, for they said, 'This is a hard saying; who can bear it?' That was the word pruning off the useless branches.

And there were others who were grieved by His Word. These were good people, and it did them good. It was a godly sorrow that led to bringing forth fruits meet for repentance.

Now ye are clean –

Those to whom the Saviour spoke: Now ye are clean –

Through the word which I have spoken to you.

That is the great purger. Affliction is used, but it is rather the handle of the knife than the knife itself.

Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.

That was a word which had sorely grieved them and cut them to the quick, so that the Saviour had to say to them more than once, Let not your heart be troubled. (see John 14:1, 27).

They had felt the sharp edge of the pruning knife, so Jesus said to them, Now you are clean (purged or pruned) through the word which I have spoken to you.

Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.

Christ had so dealt with his disciples that he left them like a pruned vine, ready and prepared for fruitfulness.