15:4-6 What does Jesus mean here that whoever does not abide in Him is cast forth as a branch that withers and is then gathered up and burned?
15:4-6 What does Jesus mean here that whoever does not abide in Him is cast forth as a branch that withers and is then gathered up and burned?
Jesus is teaching His disciples here that their fruitfulness is a result of His life being reproduced in them, but they have to abide, or remain in Him to be fruitful (CP Jn 14:12-14; 15:7-8, 16; 1Jn 2:24).
To remain in Christ means to be totally consecrated to the service of God and completely yielded to the authority of Jesus (CP Mt 7:21; 12:46-50; Ro 2:13; Jas 1:22-25 with Jn 8:31-32; 14:15, 21; 15:10, 14; 1Cor 7:19; 1Jn 2:3-6, 24; 5:2-3).
As the vine is the source of life for the branches, so too Jesus is the source of life for Christians. And as the branch that does not abide in the vine cannot bear fruit and is cast forth and burned, so too Christians who are not abiding in Christ can bear no fruit and are rejected by God. Cast forth means to throw away, reject (CP Mt 3:10; Lu 14:34-35).
There are some in the church who teach that Jesus was referring to merely professing Christians in Jn 15:6, not genuine Christians, but that is not correct as V2-3 clearly prove that He was talking to His disciples (CP V2-3). This includes us too. Christians who are not abiding in Christ will forfeit their salvation, and we cannot teach otherwise. Every question on a Christian's relationship to Jesus must be equated and evaluated in the light of Jn 15:1-6.
A parallel teaching to this is found in Jn 6 (CP V56-57). Jesus declares here that just as He derives life from the Father, in like manner all who partake of Him by faith will live by Him, and He will dwell in them and they in Him. This is essentially the same teaching as Jn 15:1-6
(see also comments on Mt 3:10, 7:13-14, 7:21, 12:30, 25:14-30; Lu 19:11-27; Jn 15:2 15:16; Ro 2:11-13; Jas 1:22-25, 2:14-16, and author's studies Conditions of Entry into Heaven in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 1), and Christian - Beware of Failing God's Grace and forfeiting your Salvation in his book Advanced Studies in the Christian Faith (Volume 2)).