The following "Question" was asked by a member of the congregation at Grace Community Church in Sun Valley, California, and "Answered" by their pastor, John MacArthur Jr. It was transcribed by David Lee of Malaysia, from the tape GC 1301-N, titled "Bible Questions and Answers Part 16."  A copy of the tape can be obtained by writing, Word of Grace, P.O. Box 4000, Panorama City, CA 91412 or by dialing toll free 1-800-55-GRACE.  ©1981. All Rights Reserved.

Questioner

In John 15 it talks about, and I’ve listen to your tapes, "that all Christian bear fruit," and in that, what does Christ mean when He says, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, I take away." Is that referring to something like in Colossians that He has created all things, and so every body is created in Christ?

John MacArthur's Answer

"And those branches that don't bear fruit are gathered together and thrown into the fire and burned."

Questioner

And He says, "in Me" though…so what’s the "in Me" mean?

John MacArthur's Answer

"In Me" is the key, but you don’t want to push the point.

I believe that the key to unlocking the fifteenth chapter of John, where Christ says, "The branches in Me that don’t bear fruit are cast into the fire." People say, Well does that mean you can loose your salvation? You'll be in Christ, and you are thrown into the fire because you are not fruitful?" You know, "You are lost forever?"

If you take the total of scripture, from the beginning to the end, does it teach that you could loose your salvation? No. So we know it doesn’t mean that in that passage, right? So we use what the reformed called, "The Analogy of Scripture," analogia scriptura, in another words we take the big picture. And we say the Bible teaches that once you are saved, you are saved forever. That salvation is forever, right? “Him that cometh unto to me I will in no wise cast out” Jesus said, and “all that the Father gives to me shall come to me and I have lost none of them.” Chosen in Him before the foundation of the world, right? And so forth.

Ok, so what does it mean? I believe the key to that passage is the context. And the context is the upper room, and the upper room scene was divided into two parts. There were the true branches and there were the false branches in the analogy. The true branches are represented by the eleven and the false branches are represented by Judas Iscariot. That whole thing flows out of the context of Judas’ betrayal. And at that point, the "In Me" simply means "identification." I don’t think you can push too much theology into that "in Me" and say that it means absolute conversion. It’s attachment at that point, that’s all. And I think you have a Judas branch, and I think what it’s saying is that there will be people who will attach themselves superficially to Christ but in evidence bearing no fruit at all, will ultimately be cut off and cast into the fire because they show they have no life, because if they are had any life at all, they would have fruit.

So I think it’s a graphic illustration of the whole context of what the disciples have just been through with them as compared to Judas.

Added to Bible Bulletin Board's "MacArthur's Questions and Answers" by:

Tony Capoccia
Bible Bulletin Board
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