“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 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. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. 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. 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. John 15:1-6
Bear Fruit or Die?
Please, please, please take note. John 15:2, ‘Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away,’ does not mean that if a Christian isn’t bearing fruit, God lops off that branch and casts it into the fire. A more accurate definition of the Greek word used here in this verse (airo) means to lift or raise up–the phrase ‘take away’ is an erroneous translation. That’s important, because ours is a loving God, a God of second chances and beyond. The reality is this: if you are a Christian and you are not producing fruit, God the Vinedresser, will lift you up and do whatever it takes for you to be fruitful. Consider this parable found in Luke 13:
He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ” Luke 13:6-9
This is how a loving Father treats His children. The fact of the matter is this: if a person who claims to be a Christian is not producing fruit after all is done to promote growth, then that person was not a part of the Vine to begin with. In other words, this person is not abiding in Christ. It’s this unattached branch that gets tossed into the fire.
Fear Not
Are you fruitless? Be certain first that you are abiding in the Vine that is Jesus Christ and then know that the Father will make every effort to lift you up, nourish you, and prune you back so that you will come to fruition. Do not struggle against the Lord’s efforts and you will bear fruit. You might be unfruitful, but God does not want you to remain that way.
He Dwells -- The B'log in My Eye 