If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.
In this passage, Jesus is speaking to his disciples. He is speaking Truth, with a capital “T”. This means it is also true for you and me. He has already told us that branches that bear no fruit will be cut off (Verse 2). Then he tells us in verses 4 and 5 that we must remain in Jesus to bear fruit, or even to be able to do anything at all. Now he describes what happens to people-branches who do not remain in him.
The disciples remained with Jesus even when the going got tough. When Jesus leaves them, they remain together trusting in his promises. Then Jesus sends his Holy Spirit and they remain faithful to his Word, his Spirit, and their mission.
And what is the mission God has given us? In John 13: 34 Jesus says, “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” This is easy when things are going well. When believers remain in Jesus, their hearts are soft and they reciprocate in the kind of love (agape) that Jesus is referring to. It gets more difficult when believers do not remain in Jesus. Then hearts get hard and priorities get confused.
This is an encouraging but also terrifying passage; to know that we can actually abide in Christ and produce fruit, but that branches that do not are thrown into the fire.
NMOP3PISdn
Thank you for your comment! Jesus’ words are certainly something to think about. This principle of abiding in Jesus is important. Yet we are not saved by our own power to abide in Christ. If that were the requirement, who could be saved? A living relationship with Jesus is one that wants to abide in Him.
Jeff,
Thanks for the reply and I completely agree. I am certainly not inferring a works based salvation although I see how I did not make things clear. I was trying to be more concise so thanks for clarifying. I was raised in that error of thinking being brought up Catholic from my youth. I think of 2nd Corinthians 13:5:
“Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates?”
You are either born again in Christ or you are not. I think the startling thing is just how many will presume upon this and in the end will be found wanting. Christ ties it to our works (could be cited in many other verses too), not because that’s what saves or condemns us, but because these unequivocally reveal what is in our hearts. The mercy of God is great, but the finality of his justice is also terrifying from a human perspective. It says in the proverbs that wicked men understand not judgment. I understand it to a degree, but it is yet terrifying to know how many of those that we think “mean well” will not partake in the second life. I guess I was just trying to share the polarity of extremes that verse had me feeling.