Charles Spurgeon Commentary John 15:4-5

"Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; so neither can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same beareth much fruit: for apart from me ye can do nothing." — John 15:4-5 (ASV)

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 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.

You know how the branch is in the vine; it is a component part of the vine. But do not forget that the vine is also in the branch—that the sap, which is the very life of the vine, flows into every living branch. So we are in Christ, and Christ is in us, and he says to us, as the marginal reading has it, Severed from me, ye can do nothing.

What! Not even a little, Lord? Can we not do something good, something acceptable apart from you? No; Without me, ye can do nothing.

As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches:

You are not the vine. Do not think that you are. And if God blesses you and makes you of some importance in the Church, yet do not dream that you are the Church, or that you are the very root and stem of it. Ah, no! At most, ye are the branches.