If we remain in Christ, we will bear much fruit. If we do not remain in Christ, we will be “thrown into the fire and…burned” (John 15:6).
Those are scary words. A few questions immediately pop into my head. What does it mean to remain in Christ? How do I know if I’m not remaining in Christ? What does it mean to be thrown into the fire and burned? It doesn’t sound good, and I don’t want to be burned in any way whatsoever. I’m sure you don’t either. So what is this verse trying to tell us?
What I want to address is two different perspectives at work in this verse. I like to call them POSITION and PRODUCTION.
First, position.
Phrases such as “remain in,” “thrown into the fire,” and “are burned” describe a person’s position before the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Where we are positioned before Jesus here on earth will determine where we will be positioned for all of eternity. And I mean where we are truly, honestly, and spiritually positioned.
Scripture makes it clear that those who have trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of sins are saved (Romans 10:9-10). Salvation is not something that we work towards or earn nor is it something we fall into or casually approach. Notice that the words “abide” and “remain” are synonymous. It is those who trust in Jesus and persevere in trusting Him throughout their lives.
From the outside, we can look like the perfect Christians. Doing all the right things, saying all the right things, and refraining from all the wrong things. Volunteering, tithing, supporting, mentoring, giving, etc. We can be the picture of Christian propriety on the outside yet be modern day Pharisees on the inside. However, “God does not view things the way people do. People look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7).
It’s the position of our hearts that matters most. God knows our hearts. He knows whether we have a true saving relationship with Him or not. We can hide from one another, but we can’t fool God. He knows if we are truly connected to Him, the Vine, or just living in close proximity to Him.
A glaring example of this false position is Judas Iscariot. He was a close friend of Jesus, one of the twelve disciples. You can’t get more seemingly attached to the Vine than that. And yet…Judas betrayed Jesus. He walked with Jesus, talked with Jesus, saw first hand all the miracles that Jesus performed. But he sold Jesus out to the Sanhedrin for thirty pieces of silver. How is that possible?
Jesus said “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money” (Matthew 6:24). Judas was devoted to money more than he was devoted to Jesus. Though Judas heard Jesus, he didn’t obey Jesus. Though he was with Jesus, he didn’t truly know Jesus. And though he walked with Jesus, he didn’t follow Jesus.
He was not attached to and remained in the One True Vine. Physically, Judas was positioned as close to Jesus as one could be. But spiritually, his heart was as far as one could get.
So how do we know if we are attached to the One True Vine and remaining in Him? Ask yourself these questions. Have you trusted in the saving power of Jesus Christ and are continuing to trust Him daily? To whom or what are you devoted? Whom or what do you serve? Where are you truly positioned spiritually, regardless of where you’re positioned physically?
Jesus said “if you love me, you will obey my commandments” (John 14:15). Our love for Him is evidenced by our obedience to Him. Our obedience to Him is only possible when we are surrendered to His will. And we are only able to be surrendered to His will if we are remaining in Him and living by the power of His Holy Spirit in us. Our spiritual position with Christ is determined by our spiritual relationship to Christ.
Second, production.
The Bible says that apart from Him, we can do nothing. Some would argue that’s not true. But everything we do is a gift of God’s common grace at work in the world and in our lives. Even more than this, Jesus is saying that we can’t do anything of eternal value apart from Him. So where does that leave us?
We don’t bear any good fruit in and of ourselves. We are not capable of it. Furthermore, it’s not our job as Christians to bear fruit. There’s nothing we can produce that’s good enough for God. And God doesn’t need anything from us. He is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent, all powerful Creator of heaven and earth. We are “a puff of smoke that appears for a short time and then vanishes” (James 4:14).
While that truth may be hard to hear, there’s also another gracious truth. Though God doesn’t need us, He wants us. He wants to deeply know us and be known by us. He wants to walk with us, bear our burdens, provide for us, and give us hope and a future. And He wants to bear much fruit through us.
As Christians, we have a choice each day, each moment even, to live by our flesh or live by the Holy Spirit within us. We can remain in Him, attached to the One True Vine, and let His fruit spring forth in our lives as a result of His Spirit. Or, we can bear our own little, futile fruit by the works of our flesh.
Our production will be tested by fire, and its true source will be revealed on the Day of Judgement. If we are bearing fruit from our own source and not from the Vine, then as Jesus said, “the Day will make it clear, because it will be revealed by fire. And the fire will test what kind of work each has done. If what someone has built survives, he will receive a reward. If someone’s work is burned up, he will suffer loss. He himself will be saved, but only as through fire” (1 Corinthians 3:13-15).
Friend, if you have trusted in Christ for your salvation, you don’t have to fear the Day of Judgment. You have been made new and are cleansed with the righteousness of Jesus. The Holy Spirit lives in you to help you remain in the Vine.
If you have never trusted in Jesus for the forgiveness of your sins, today can be the day. You don’t have to do live on your own, striving for purpose and love. You have the opportunity today to know the One who loves you and gave His life up for you. Life abundant and eternal can be yours today. The choice is yours.
