Cast them into the fire

John
{15:1} I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
{15:2} Every branch in me that beareth not
fruit he taketh away: and every [branch] that beareth fruit,
he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.


*******


We know that God is the Husbandman, that Jesus is the vine, and that we are the branches.
We know that we need to bear fruit as a result of this connection.
We know that we will be purged so that we bring forth more fruit.
These things are important to remember lest we believe we can produce fruit on our own. Of ourselves we are nothing. NOTHING.


John
{15:3} Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.


We are clean through the word Jesus speaks to us. We have to listen to the words of Jesus. It is through listening that we learn from the Vine, and all things coming from the Vine only do so through the will of the husbandman.


{15:4} Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.


Jesus says- abide in me and I in you.


We have to abide- to live in Jesus. Our lives are not our own. We can give our lives to Jesus and live in Him and He will live in us. It's a choice we make. Just as it's a choice you make where you abide physically, it's a choice you make as to where you will abide spiritually.


Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself.


You can cut off a branch from a vine and watch it and what will happen? It will wither and die. It will no longer bear any fruit at all. When we choose to separate ourselves from Jesus and go off on our own or attach ourselves to other evil vines, we will not bear the fruit of the Spirit. Any fruit we bear will be poison even if it's exterior has it looking like the perfect piece of fruit.


Jesus says- As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself except it abide in the vine, no more can ye, except ye abide in me.


He tell us how we produce fruit. We don't strive to produce fruit, we strive to be in Him and the fruit will come from that abiding.


{15:5} I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.


Jesus says- I am the vine, ye are the branches he that abideth in me and I in him the same bringeth forth much fruit for without me ye can do nothing.


He says it so perfectly. There can be no mistaking what He's saying. Without Jesus we can do nothing. People will scoff at that and go about doing all sorts of things, mocking God and saying 'See! I can to do all sorts of things without you! I don't need you!' And yet what they don't realize is that all those things they are doing are not good things. Again they shout, 'See all the good things I can do without you!' And yet they don't understand that the very fact they lay claim to what they do negates any goodness it holds. The very breath they breath is from God. The very body they have is from God. They would not exist without Him and to live as if that doesn't matter, as if they manage somehow to breathe breath into their own bodies and keep their own hearts beating. We can lay no claim, no glory to anything we do without first acknowledging it is by the Grace and Mercy of God that we are able to do anything. When we abide in Jesus and realize this truth then yes, much fruit can come from us through Him, only through Him.



{15:6} If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned


Yes, any branch not abiding in the Vine, not attached to the Vine and living as a result of that bond will die and will be burned away to nothing. It's true and so few realize how true it is.


We need this connection!


We need this abiding!


We need this relationship with our Lord and Savior, a relationship that is as viable as that of a plant with a vine and branches. A living growing, producing relationship.

May God our heavenly Father, be realized as the source of all life.
May Jesus our Lord and Savior, be realized as the Vine that is given life by the Husbandman and in turn gives us life.
May we in Christ produce the fruit of the Spirit, good fruit, much fruit.

By His Grace, by His Mercy.

In Christ,

Amen.