“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.” (John 15:1-6 ESV)

I believe this passage of Scripture somewhat parallels what Paul wrote in Romans 11 with regard to God cutting off the natural branches (the Jews) who did not believe in Jesus Christ, because of their unbelief. There the message is that they can be grafted in again by faith in Jesus Christ. But he also warned the Gentile Christians against being prideful because God had grafted them in. So he let them know that they had to continue in the grace (kindness) of God, or else they could be cut off, too (Romans 11:1-36).

The warning there and here is for us to not take God’s grace for granted. All throughout the New Testament writings, we who profess faith in Jesus Christ are warned against taking God’s grace for granted and assuming that God is going to let us into his heaven despite how we live on this earth. For we are told that if we claim that we are in fellowship with God but while we walk in sin, we are liars. And if we claim to know God but we do not obey his commands, in practice, then we are liars (1 John 1:5-10; 1 John 2:3-6).

So many people today are teaching that we can make a once-in-a-lifetime decision to “believe” in Jesus Christ, and that all our sins are now forgiven (past, present, and future), and that heaven is secured for us, and that nothing can take that away from us, but regardless of how we live, or with no requirements at all for the forsaking of our sins and walks of obedience to our Lord in holy living. But the Bible says we must die to sin, in practice, and walk in obedience to our Lord, or we will not inherit eternal life with God.

And that is basically what John 15:1-17 is all about. If we do not bear fruit (outgrowth, results) in keeping with repentance and according to the teachings of the Scriptures which are for us who profess faith in our Lord, we can be cut off from the Lord. And the only way in which we will bear this fruit is if we are abiding in Jesus Christ, who is the vine. And to abide in him means to remain in him, steadfast in our walks of faith and obedience to him and to his commands, no longer to live as slaves to sin, but to God.

For to abide in Christ is to continue with him, but not just in status, and not just in profession, and not in lip service only, but in word and in deed. For to remain and to abide and to continue in him is to participate with him in his work of grace in our lives by obeying him and his commandments, in his power and strength, by the grace of God. And it involves us adhering to, complying with, keeping to, conforming to, and upholding the truth of his gospel which requires death to sin and walks of obedience to our Lord.

Now this is not claiming that we will be absolutely perfect in every way or that we will never sin again or that we will not fail at some point and time to be all who God wants us to be (see 1 John 2:1-2). But we must pay close attention to what Jesus taught and what his NT apostles taught, for they taught that if we continue to walk in sin, making sin our practice, and if righteousness and obedience to our Lord are not what we practice, that we will not inherit eternal life with God, regardless of what our lips profess.

And this is one of the reasons that our Lord prunes (disciplines, chastises) us in our walks of faith so that we might continue in him, steadfast in faith, and that we might continue to bear fruit (results, outgrowth) consistent with the teachings in the New Testament given to the church for our instruction, encouragement, exhortation, and urgings in holiness and in righteousness. For when we suffer, we might learn obedience, like Jesus did. And it humbles us and keeps us close to the Lord if we respond as we ought.

So, don’t take God’s grace for granted. Don’t assume that he is going to let you into his heaven just because you profess him as Lord and Savior of your life. For Jesus said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one DOING the will of God the Father. For he said that if anyone would come after him, he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin and to self) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to living in sin and for self, we will lose our lives. But if for Jesus’ sake we die to sin and live to his righteousness, then we have eternal life.

[Matt 7:21-23; Lu 9:23-26; Jn 6:35-58; Jn 15:1-11; Rom 1:18-32; Rom 2:6-8; Rom 6:1-23; Rom 8:1-14; 1 Co 6:9-10,19-20; 2 Co 5:10,15,21; Gal 5:16-24; Gal 6:7-8; Eph 2:8-10; Eph 4:17-24; Eph 5:3-6; Col 1:21-23; Col 3:1-11; Titus 2:11-14; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10; Heb 10:23-31; 1 Co 10:1-22; Heb 3:1-19; Heb 4:1-13; Rev 21:8,27; Rev 22:14-15]

Oh, to Be Like Thee, Blessed Redeemer

Lyrics by Thomas O. Chisholm, 1897
Music by W. J. Kirkpatrick, 1897

Oh, to be like Thee! blessèd Redeemer,
This is my constant longing and prayer;
Gladly I’ll forfeit all of earth’s treasures,
Jesus, Thy perfect likeness to wear.

Oh, to be like Thee! full of compassion,
Loving, forgiving, tender and kind,
Helping the helpless, cheering the fainting,
Seeking the wandering sinner to find.

O to be like Thee! lowly in spirit,
Holy and harmless, patient and brave;
Meekly enduring cruel reproaches,
Willing to suffer others to save.

O to be like Thee! while I am pleading,
Pour out Thy Spirit, fill with Thy love;
Make me a temple meet for Thy dwelling,
Fit me for life and Heaven above.

Oh, to be like Thee! Oh, to be like Thee,
Blessèd Redeemer, pure as Thou art;
Come in Thy sweetness, come in Thy fullness;
Stamp Thine own image deep on my heart.

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