John 15:1-6 ESV
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
Jesus Christ compared his relationship to his followers and their relationship with him as a vine is to its branches and as the branches are to the vine. As the branches, we draw our nourishment, our life from the vine, Jesus Christ. And because we are drawing our nourishment and life source from the vine, we are then, as his branches, able to bear fruit by our union with the vine. And that fruit is what is required of us, and that is that we die with Christ to sin, not just once, but daily, and that we walk (in conduct, in practice) according to the Spirit and not according to the flesh, i.e. not in sin.
But what about the branches that do not bear fruit? Well, if we read the whole of the New Testament, Jesus and his NT apostles made that abundantly clear. For, if we profess faith in Jesus Christ but then we continue in sin and not in walks of obedience to our Lord, we will die in our sins. We will not have eternal life with God. If sin is what we obey, it ends in death. But if obedience is what we obey, its end is eternal life. And if we do not continue in the faith, but we return to how we lived before, and if we do not repent, we can be cut off of the vine just like the unbelieving Jews were.
For Jesus and his NT apostles did not teach a belief in Jesus Christ which guarantees forgiveness of all sins and heaven as one’s eternal home based off a once in your lifetime confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. What the NT Scriptures teach is progressive faith and progressive salvation. We are saved (past). We are being saved (present active). And we will be saved (future) when Jesus Christ returns provided that we continue in putting sin to death by the Spirit and we continue walking in holiness and in obedience to our Lord and not in sin, until the very end.
So, if we believe in Jesus Christ and/or if we make a profession of faith in Jesus Christ, but then we are not bearing spiritual fruit for his eternal kingdom as we ought, then he will remove us from his vine.
And, again, this is taught all throughout the New Testament. For if we are not abiding in Christ (the vine) we cannot bear the fruit we must bear as his disciples. And to abide in him is to obey, follow, conform to and to act in accordance with and to comply with Jesus Christ and with his commands under the New Covenant. And it is to continue in these walks of obedience in living holy and godly lives, and not in walking in sin, until the very end.
For, if we do not abide in Christ and in his word, in accordance with his commands (New Covenant), not only will he remove us from the vine, but we will be cast off, thrown away, and we will be thrown into the fire and burned for eternity. And this is not teaching sinless perfection. But it is teaching that righteousness and holy living must be our practice, and sin must not be our practice, or we will not inherit eternal life with God.
Nonetheless, if we are in Christ and he is in us, and so we are bearing spiritual fruit for his eternal kingdom via walks of obedience to his commands, and via living holy and godly lives, and via not walking in sin, then he will prune us so we can bear more fruit. And that pruning process usually is painful, but necessary to keep us on course, because we are human beings and so we need his discipline to train us in holy living.
But we must abide in Christ, for apart from Christ we can do nothing. We can’t live holy and godly lives in the flesh. Some people may be good at faking it but it isn’t real unless it comes from God. Only in his power and strength can we abide in Christ and be those who are bearing spiritual fruit for our Lord and for his kingdom. So we have to keep obeying the Lord, and we have to keep saying “No! to sin and “Yes!” to God daily!
[Matt 7:21-23; Matt 24:9-14; Lu 9:23-26; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14,24; Rom 12:1-2; Rom 13:11; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; 1 Co 1:18; 1 Co 15:1-2; 2 Tim 1:8-9; Heb 9:28; 1 Pet 1:5; Gal 5:16-21; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-32; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:5-17; 1 Pet 2:24; Tit 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-9; 1 Jn 2:3-6,24-25; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 3:6,14-15; Heb 10:23-31; Heb 12:1-2; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]
Songs in the Night
An Original Work / December 18, 2013
“About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them.” Acts 16:25 NIV ‘84
Lord, I praise You forevermore.
You, my Savior, I now adore.
Hope in heaven awaiting me,
Because You died at Calvary.
I have been forgiven,
And I’m bound for heaven.
Jesus set me free from
All my sin, I say.
I will praise Him always!
Lord, I love You for all You’ve done:
Overcame death, my vict’ry won!
Jesus saved me, and now I’m free!
I rejoice in His love for me.
I will walk in vict’ry!
My sin is but hist’ry!
I am free to please Him
With my life today.
I will love Him always!
Lord, I thank You for giving me
A new life bought at Calvary.
Loving Jesus, I meet with Him.
Tender mercies now flow within.
Lord, I am so thankful;
Through my Lord, I’m able
To sit at His table;
Fellowship with Him.
I will thank Him always!
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