Tag: Forfeit Salvation

Oft Misused Scripture: Abide in Me

On By TimIn Fruitfulness, John 15Leave a comment

“I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that bears no fruit, He takes away. And every branch that bears fruit, He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean through the word which I have spoken to you. (

John 15:1–3

It hardly ever surprises me that this portion of the Scriptures is often used in a misleading way. I know. This was taught to me as a way to elicit fear and guilt. It was not until I started praying to God and reading the Bible on my own that clarity came. As to reading, it was really waiting for God’s instruction.

Let me tell you, this text has nothing to do with salvation. Well, except for verse 3 above, where Jesus declares His followers as already clean. Meaning they are already believers, and do not have to fear that their salvation can be lost, manipulated, forsaken, or even abandoned. That’s not in this text anywhere at all.

This text has everything to do with being useful for the Kingdom and producing fruit. Some folks produce much fruit, others struggle to do so. Yet, the only way to bear fruit is to be connected to the Vine. Which means that one must be serious about maintaining a personal relationship with Jesus.

One cannot bear fruit without knowing Him and He knowing them. It is two-way. Yeah, we are called to salvation and to bear fruit. To do both requires faith. It means letting the Vinedresser have His way.

Bearing fruit is not good works, either. Well, not in the sense that most grasp. It is duplicating oneself. That is duplicating oneself, discipling others in such a way as to ensure the fruit ripens. It begins with soul-winning, as the fundamentalists say. It is discipling others so that they may be saved and connected to the Vine. This is the place where they will bear the fruit the Vinedresser wants.

Remain in Me, as I also remain in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it remains in the vine, neither can you, unless you remain in Me.

John 15:4

The exhortation is to remain in Jesus. It is not a quid pro quo agreement. He remains in us forever, that is the promise He gave with the Holy Spirit. The exhortation is for each of us to reciprocate what He does. It is not a warning to keep believing so you can keep your salvation. He is in you, and He is not ever leaving. So, He wants people to be fruitful!

“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who remains in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without Me you can do nothing.

John 15:5

That is self-explanatory. It is a repetition of the truth Jesus wishes to convey to all. Remain in Him to bear much fruit.

If a man does not remain in Me, he is thrown out as a branch and withers. And they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, you will ask whatever you desire, and it shall be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.

John 15:6–8

The Vinedresser is responsible for dressing the branches to bear maximum fruit. Sometimes, there’s trimming. Other times, the branch doesn’t bear fruit, and tragically, it is removed.

Fruitless branches are removed and dry up, having no nourishment from the Vine. They are then gathered and burned. That’s not a metaphor for losing salvation. Being burned up is not an analog to Hell or perdition. It is removing them from the place of fruit-bearing, never to be able to go back. This physical life is the only place where each person can bear fruit. When a branch is removed, that’s symbolic of physical death. The burning of the branches finalizes the idea that they won’t come back.

The encouragement to remain comes with another promise. As one matures with Jesus, they will ask for things that are commensurate with His will, and those desires will be granted.

“As the Father loved Me, I also loved you. Remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, even as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. I have spoken these things to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.

John 15:9–11

This is not burdensome. Jesus wants you to have a full life. A full life is not pursuing personal programs, but His, as they become personal in us. This is the pursuit for all of us to learn what our Father wants, and then pursue that. It is the place of rest and joy.

This is My commandment: that you love one another, as I have loved you.

John 15:12

This is a simple command. One that John will reiterate through his writings. Jesus set the example to follow.

Greater love has no man than this: that a man lay down his life for his friends. You are My friends if you do whatever I command you. I no longer call you servants, for a servant does not know what his master does. But I have called you friends, for everything that I have heard from My Father have I made known to you.

John 15:13–15

Do you want to know something?

Jesus laid down His life for His friends. In other places in the Bible, it says that Jesus died for all of humanity. That is not just a one-off declaration. Jesus is the atonement (meaning satisfaction of debt) for the sins of the whole world. So, if you are human, He died for you and considers you a friend. I think that is awesome.

A friendship is reciprocal. Which means you have responsibilities. Jesus said to do His commands. He said you must first believe to become a new creation and be born again. A new creation moves us from being just servants to Jesus, but friends with Him.

You did not choose Me, but I chose you, and appointed you, that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that the Father may give you whatever you ask Him in My name. This I command you: that you love one another.

John 15:16–17

This part of the text can be confusing without thinking through the context. Jesus is speaking with His chosen twelve disciples. This is primarily to, for, and about them. In the greater scheme, some of these things apply to all believers. When Jesus says, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you.” That is specifically addressed to His immediate audience. They were the chosen twelve. He chose them for purpose, not salvation. The purpose is to go and bear fruit.

The Father gives what they would ask of Him. That does extend to us, as we tend to deny the spiritual reality of our warfare. We all need help every day, just as His twelve did.

And the hard thing… To love one another. This is the primary identification for saints. Jesus is repeating to them as if to underscore the importance. I think that is the most often overlooked detail for people to know that we follow Jesus. It is not something done too well. This is especially true in social media. It needs emphasis.

 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.”

John 13:34–35

In conclusion, it is the Vinedresser Who has that responsibility for dressing the vine. It amazes me how many self-appointed lords think they are the vinedressers and fruit inspectors. I will tell you that you have only One Vindresser.

The lesson is that the only way a believer may bear fruit is by remaining in Jesus. That’s not keeping oneself saved, nor doing good works to maintain salvation. One either has the gift of eternal life or they do not. There is no middle ground. There is no wavering back and forth. It is a One-Way door into the sheepfold.

Faith is a necessary part of life for the saint. It is not just for salvation, but for every single day. We have faith, believing in Jesus. It is Who He is and what He has accomplished that keeps us saved. One cannot bear good fruit without the constant nourishment from the Vine.

But many think of this backwards, that the branches on the vine are to generate their own nourishment by doing good things.

The important thing that John is teaching is not about behavior at all. It is remaining in a relationship with Jesus Christ… Not to stay saved, but to be pleasingly fruitful to the Father.

The Parable of the Sower

On By TimIn Apostasy, Luke 08Leave a comment

When a large crowd had gathered together and people were coming to Him from every city, He told this parable: “A sower went out to sow his seed. As he sowed, some fell along the path and was trampled down, and the birds of the air devoured it. Some fell on a rock. And as soon as it sprang up, it withered away, because it lacked moisture. Yet some fell among thorns. And the thorns sprang up with it and choked it. And other seed fell on good ground and sprang up and yielded a hundred times the amount sown.”

Luke 8:4–8 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I love the parables Jesus taught. The depths of meaning converted in a simple story, often are misunderstood. This is one example. Jesus explained the parable in detail… Even so, it is misunderstood.

Here is Jesus explaining the parable:

“Now the parable means this: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are those who hear. Then comes the devil, who takes away the word from their hearts, lest they should believe and be saved.

Luke 8:11–12 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I am going to stop here. This is the natural dividing line in the parable. In this part, salvation is mentioned. It is mentioned to be employed as a contrasting point. These folks hear, but the seed is never planted. Clearly, these are unsaved folk.

Now that the division is established, let’s move on.

Those on the rock are the ones who, when they hear the word, receive it with joy. But these have no root, for they believe for a while, then in the time of temptation fall away. That which fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with the cares and riches and pleasures of this life, and bring no fruit to maturity. But the seed on the good ground are those who, having heard the word, keep it in an honest and good heart and bear fruit with patience.

Luke 8:13–15 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

In the former explanation, the seed never was planted in the hearts of those who heard it. That is the person didn’t believe what he heard. Which means those are not saved. It follows that those who did hear received the seed (believed) and were saved.

These next groups are those who received the seed. These three groups are those who heard and believed. These are saved people. They receive the seed with joy.

The first group falls away. They apostatize. That English word comes from the underlying Greek word translated to fall away. The root of that word are where the English word apostatize has origins.

What does that mean?

Let’s see if we can glean some understanding of what apostasy means by examining the rest of the text of the parable.

The second group received the seed. It took root but was stunted by other cares. The end result of such is given, these bring no fruit to maturity. Jesus doesn’t say these lost or didn’t have salvation.

The next group received the seed, nurtured it, and through patience bore fruit.

To conclude, in this trio who received the seed and believed, we see various stages of fruit production from the seed planted. The first has no root and obviously bore no fruit. The second bore some fruit but it never matured. The last bore good fruit.

Apostasy doesn’t mean people lose salvation at all. It means they fell away from being fruitful and useful to God. They didn’t fall away from being saved.

Shipwrecked Faith and Disqualification

On By TimIn 1 Timothy 01, Eternal SecurityLeave a comment

This command I commit to you, my son Timothy, according to the prophecies that were previously given to you, that by them you might fight a good fight, keeping faith and a good conscience, which some have rejected and suffered shipwreck in regard to their faith. Among these are Hymenaeus and Alexander, whom I have delivered to Satan that they may learn not to blaspheme.

1 Timothy 1:18–20 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I am certain most of us have encountered this passage, either in our own readings, or most likely because it was employed to scare others about losing salvation. The phrase used is shipwrecked faith.

Without spending too much time in the original languages, suffice it to say the idea conveyed by the term shipwreck means to suffer loss by living through it.

But what does it really mean?

Consider a practical application. Shipwrecked ships are no longer suitable for the purposes that they were designed to be employed to do. Shipwrecked ships can no longer be used to convey people and goods. Shipwrecked ships cannot stay afloat keeping the cargo out of the water.

It’s the same way with your faith. If faith is shipwrecked, It’s no longer useful for its intended purposes. That is, it is useless to bear fruit for Jesus.

It doesn’t mean salvation is lost or forfeited. It cannot mean that, as persons live through such things as shipwreck and disqualification.

That’s an important concept to understand when reading the Bible. If a particular passage is about salvation, there is no ambiguity. When Jesus told Nicodemus, “You must be born again.” It’s a clear command.

In a similar manner, those important topics are unambiguous. The soul that sins, it shall die. Or men die once and then comes the judgment. The dangers of perdition are clearly presented.

When it comes to a topic such as losing salvation, are there clear passages?

I would say emphatically, no. The Bible doesn’t tell you emphatically, to be careful you will lose your salvation. Instead, the idea is derived from ambiguity and euphemism as if it exists.

With that concept, let’s examine another term Paul employed and is often misused in a similar way to shipwreck.

Do you not know that all those who run in a race run, but one receives the prize? So run, that you may obtain it. Everyone who strives for the prize exercises self-control in all things. Now they do it to obtain a corruptible crown, but we an incorruptible one. So, therefore, I run, not with uncertainty. So I fight, not as one who beats the air. But I bring and keep my body under subjection, lest when preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.

1 Corinthians 9:24–27 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

In this case, Paul is using the idea of running a race to teach self-control. Just as an athlete prepares for a race by disciplining his body, Paul extends that to the same discipline of self-control we ought to have as believers. Self-control, not because we might lose salvation, but self-control that we might remain eligible to receive a prize.

To each of us, we make think salvation is a prize won. It is not. It is a gift given to us by a gracious God. Running a race for the prize brings a reward for a job well done.

Lack of discipline can lead to disqualification. That can put anyone in a position of ineligibility to win that race.

Shipwrecked faith and disqualification are not metaphors for losing salvation. They are metaphors for unemployability in being fruitful for the purposes of God. I will say that most of the Bible teaches us to be employable for the purposes of God. The initial part of that is to be saved.

That moves us to the potter.

Paul outlines this idea in Romans 9. This passage is often misused to say something it doesn’t. This isn’t about salvation, but employability by God.

Does the potter not have power over the clay to make from the same lump one vessel for honor and another for dishonor?

Romans 9:21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

He uses the familiarity of a potter making vessels. In this case, it serves as a sort of analog to God making men for particular purposes. Humans are not pots. But they are vessels made for use. And they are made from the same clay. And each is made for useful employability by God in a specific way.

The honor and dishonor part speaks to the employability, not the particular usage of the vessel. Humans think a jar to hold wine has an honorable purpose, while a chamber pot made from the same lump of clay has a less-than-honorable purpose. To the potter, both have the same value inherent in their employability and usefulness.

Paul used this idea in another place.

In a large house there are not only gold and silver vessels, but also those of wood and clay; some are for honor, and some for dishonor. One who cleanses himself from these things will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, fit for the Master’s use, and prepared for every good work.

2 Timothy 2:20–21 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

From a human perspective, honor is measured by a different value than God uses. God measures honor by something being fit for the Master’s use. Can the vessel do the job?

Humans are not wine jars and chamber pots. Though like those, we are made for different purposes from the same material. The honor comes in our being sanctified, which is set aside and ready. That requires the discipline Paul spoke about. When we are in that position we are fit for the Master’s use. That is an honor.

But, wait! You might say, “I messed up. My faith is shipwrecked and I’m disqualified!”

I am going to tell you…

God gives mulligans.

Paul’s usage of the potter pays homage to something he would be very familiar with being an Israeli. It is the writing of the prophet Jeremiah.

“Arise and go down to the potter’s house, and there I will cause you to hear My words.” Then I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was making something on the wheel. Yet the vessel that he made of clay was spoiled in the hand of the potter; so he made it again into another vessel, as seemed good to the potter to make it.

Jeremiah 18:2–4 — Modern English Version (Thinline Edition.; Lake Mary, FL: Passio, 2014)

I do love this entire chapter. God calls Jeremiah to the potter’s house. He is called to watch. In the lesson, the thing being formed becomes marred in the potter’s hand.

Note something else absent from the text. The potter didn’t mar the clay. It became marred. The potter didn’t discard the clay. Instead, he reforms that clay into a vessel of another purpose.

Do-overs are available. Get the do-over, and couple that with some self-control. And God has a vessel set aside to be employed in honor as the Potter intends.