This hard saying is found in John 15:16 (KJV)
Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
We've all heard the expression if we read very much of the bible and there are many hard sayings we may not understand. Here is my take on this one as we examine the context of the whole passage:
In John 15:1-8, prior to verse 16 we see that Jesus said,
1 "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. 6 If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
Ok, first we must understand that Jesus is the vine and we are his branches. We are in other words, an extension from Him. The fruit we bear, I believe are our works. In another passage we read the "faith without works is dead." This seems to expound on the verse above where He describes the branch withering. Why did the branch wither and not produce fruit? Because it somehow didn't stay connected to the Truevine.
In laymen's terms, It found another agenda, purpose, or lifestyle that was outside of the vine we know as Jesus. Some may say this person backslid or fell from grace. I do believe a person can choose to stay in Christ or choose to turn away from Him, but that is another blog. This individual described as withering I believe became a corrupt tree with corrupt fruit eventually or simply bore no fruit, either way he will not have any fruit that remains and is lost himself for he left the truevine, Jesus Christ!
I know some believe that you can never lose your salvation. I personally believe that salvation is more of a life process than a one time experience. I do believe it begins with the one time experience of accepting Christ, repenting from sin, and giving your life to Him, thus making Him your Lord and Savior. However, I don't believe one can live like Hell and not go there. It's not a gamble I'd want to make anyways.
Yes, I believe we will give an account of the fruit we've created while on earth, but only the saved will have this opportunity. This, I don't believe will differentiate whether we go to Heaven or Hell because it is by Faith we are saved through Grace, not of works lest any should boast according to Ephesians. If our works could ever merit our salvation then it lessens the purpose of Jesus dying for our sins for it is implied there is another way to heaven.
In Summary:
Jesus - The truevine
Believers - His branches
Withered branches - The backslidden
Fruit - Our works
Fruit that remains - Good works by the actual believers that are one day tried by fire as in this passage:
Note: Although some believer's works (fruit) will be destroyed by fire they will actually be saved themselves. It is only the withering vines that are not saved according to the analogy of them being burned in verse 6:
If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.
One must abide in Christ! Another take on this would be that even if your works be good - you built an orphanage, fed the homeless, etc.. you would still go to hell when you died if you were not within the truevine which is Christ! There are good people in hell and bad people in heaven due to the simple fact that it is not our works that save us, but rather being born again through Jesus Christ!
1st Corinthians 3:9-15
9 For we are God's fellow workers; you are God's field, you are God's building. 10 According to the grace of God which was given to me, as a wise master builder I have laid the foundation, and another builds on it. But let each one take heed how he builds on it. 11 For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. 12 Now if anyone builds on this foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, 13 each one's work will become clear; for the Day will declare it, because it will be revealed by fire; and the fire will test each one's work, of what sort it is. 14 If anyone's work which he has built on it endures, he will receive a reward. 15 If anyone's work is burned, he will suffer loss; but he himself will be saved, yet so as through fire.
One must be born again. We must come to Jesus on His terms. Perhaps you are a good person, but good people go to hell every day because they have rejected Jesus. Give your life to Him, live on His terms, do good works, and see your reward in Heaven one day for this is the fruit that will remain.
