5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned.”
In our verses for today Jesus is pristinely clear: abundant fruit is promised to those who choose to remain in Him which is in sheer contrast to the sure ruin of those who choose not to. The underlying foundation of Christianity is having a personal and passionate devotion to Jesus – attaching ourselves to Him as our sufficiency and strength. Contentment and peace and joy are discovered in abiding while darkest doom, death and destruction are the results of the withered – those who have willfully chosen to refuse the Life giving Sap.
“You have made us for Yourself and our hearts find no peace until they rest in You.” Augustine
Believers who are constant in the exercise of faith in Christ and love for Him are promised to bear much fruit – fruitfulness in this life and everlasting happiness in the life to come. Yet a branch without life is dead – it is worthless and therefore thrown into the fire and burned. This is a sobering Truth and one we should not take lightly.
“Faith is the root of works. A root that produces nothing is dead.” Thomas Wilson
The church has always had - and will continue to have until Christ returns - false professors of faith. Those who claim union with Christ but by the fruit of their lives demonstrate anything but being joined to Him. There must be about a man some appearance of professed faith in Christ or their union is not true rather fictitious. We are foolish if we do not examine our own lives to see if we are in the faith – we are to test ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5). Jesus is clear:
18 “A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” Matt 7:18-20 (NIV)
Indeed, we should not be surprised at this as one of our Lord’s own was a turncoat – one He had taken into His inner sanctum – one with whom He had shared the bread and cup with – one who had been privy to witness His miraculous works – one with whom He had had sweet communion – yet one who willfully chose for his heart to remain unchanged. Jesus speaks of the likes of these in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew:
21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!' Matt 7:21-23 (NIV)
"A tree is known by its fruit; a man by his deeds. A good deed is never lost; he who sows courtesy reaps friendship, and he who plants kindness gathers love." St. Basil
Is this not what John the Baptist was referring when he sternly repudiated Pharisaic Judaism by warning the Pharisees who approached him for baptism to produce fruit in keeping with repentance?
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matt 3:7-10 (NIV)
Let’s get this straight, God does not need us. Indeed, He can raise up stones to do His bidding – even the rocks split when our Lord was crucified. Our abiding is a demonstration of our eagerness to make our “calling and election sure” (2 Peter 1:10). Believers are not to be arrogant or boastful in our positions on the vine – as Gentiles we have been grafted in. We are not the natural branches as the Jews. This is why Paul states plainly in Romans regarding our attitudes as he writes of his people that he longed to come into the faith:
13 I am talking to you Gentiles. Inasmuch as I am the apostle to the Gentiles, I make much of my ministry 14 in the hope that I may somehow arouse my own people to envy and save some of them. 15 For if their rejection is the reconciliation of the world, what will their acceptance be but life from the dead? 16 If the part of the dough offered as firstfruits is holy, then the whole batch is holy; if the root is holy, so are the branches. 17 If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive root, 18 do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the root, but the root supports you. 19 You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I could be grafted in." 20 Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. 21 For if God did not spare the natural branches, he will not spare you either. Romans 11:13-21 (NIV)
You are reasonable people – think about this.