John 15:7-11

1. Our Lord declares, “If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.” This is a distinct promise of power and success in prayer.
2. Our Lord declares, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” The meaning of this promise seems to be that fruitfulness in Christian practice will not only bring glory to God, but will supply the best evidence to our own hearts that we are real disciples of Christ.
3. Our Lord declares, “If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love.” The one who makes conscience of diligently observing Christ’s commands is the one who will continually enjoy a sense of Christ’s love in their soul.

"Why is there so little power of prayer like this in our own time? Simply because there is so little close communion with Christ and so little strict conformity to His will."

"People are content with a little Christianity, and a little fruit of the Spirit, and do not labour to be holy in all kinds of conversation. They must not wonder if they enjoy little peace, feel little hope and leave behind them little evidence. The fault lies with themselves. God has linked together holiness and happiness and what God has joined together we must not think to put asunder."

"By the grace of God we may make Christ’s laws our rule of life and show daily that we desire to please Him. So doing, our gracious Master will give us a constant sense of His favour and make us feel His face smiling on us like the sun shining on a fine day."

Questions:

1. Jesus declares that if we abide in him, and his words abide in us, we will ask and he will answer. Ryle points out that answers to prayer hinge on close communion with Christ which he describes as to always lean on him, resting on him, pouring out our hearts to him, and using him as our Fountain of life and strength, our chief Companion and best Friend. How close do we commune with the Lord Jesus Christ? How can we grow in this today?
2. Jesus declares that the Father is glorified when we bear much fruit and prove to be disciples. Ryle highlights the misery of always doubting and fearing, and shows that this saying of Jesus gives us the path forward. If we would know we are on the road to heaven, we must strive to bear much fruit in life, habits, temper, words, and works. He warns that little peace and little hope, and thus little evidence flow from being content with only a little Christianity, little fruit and no labors to be holy in all kinds of conversation. If we struggle with this doubting and fearing, could it be tied to contentment with little Christianity and little striving after Christ?
3. Jesus declares that if we keep his commandments, we will abide in his love. Ryle warns of many who will hear this statement and think it is tantamount to legalism. Yet, if that was true, then Jesus would be a legalist when he declares that he obeys the Father's commands and abides in His love! Would we desire to sense more of Christ's love in our lives? Then we must aim to have Christ's commands before us and, by the Holy Spirit, strive to walk in them with a desire to please Him. Will we not strive to put the commands of our Lord before us because He has so graciously saved us? What is the first step we will take in doing this?