Remain

I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. John15:5,6

The word ‘if’ is very small, but has an enormous meaning. The dictionary defines ‘if’ as: on condition, provided, providing, presuming, supposing, and you can replace the word ‘if’ with any of these and keep the meaning and context the same. The verses are clear. We must stay close to Jesus in order to be able to bear fruit, or be productive. If we stray from Him, and these verses say that we can, we are in danger of hell fire. That is a loss of salvation, and I can see no other way to interpret or read these words of Jesus.

I don’t want to get into a theological argument, but instead want to emphasise the need for us as Christians to keep short accounts with our Saviour. Stay close. Be like Him. Remain in Him. To do otherwise opens us up to the dangers of a lost eternity, and let’s face it, none of us want that because we have the promise of heaven.

Jesus wasn’t talking to the unconvinced around Him, He was talking to those believers who were already committed to His ways, ie the disciples, and if they had to be counselled to remain in Him, then how much more we need to be careful how we treat our salvation. The prospect of heaven fills us with delight, but the very thought of hell is a serious matter. Jesus said it was serious, and I trust we don’t downplay the thought of hell as a bad joke or in a light and flippant manner.