If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned." John 15

"There are "branches in the vine" which appear to be joined to the parent stem, and yet bear no fruit. There are men and women who appear to be members of Christ, and yet will prove finally to have had no vital union with Him.

There are myriads of professing Christians in every church whose union with Christ is only outward and formal. Some of them are joined to Christ by baptism and Church-membership. Some of them go even further than this, and are regular communicants and loud talkers about religion. But they all lack the one thing needful. Notwithstanding services, and sermons, and sacrament, they have no grace in their hearts, no faith, no inward work of the Holy Spirit. They are not one with Christ, and Christ in them. Their union with Him is only nominal, and not real. They have "a name to live," but in the sight of God they are dead.

Christians of this stamp are aptly represented by branches in a vine which bear no fruit. Useless and unsightly, such branches are only fit to be cut off and burned. They draw nothing out of the parent stem, and make no return for the place they occupy. Just so will it be at the last Day with false professors and nominal Christians. Their end, except they repent, will be destruction. They will be separated from the company of true believers, and cast out, as withered, useless branches, into everlasting fire. They will find at last, whatever they thought in this world, that there is a worm that never dies, and a fire that is not quenched.

...Where there is no fruit there is no life. He that lacketh these things is "dead while he liveth."" -J.C. Ryle

These are some burdensome words from the Scripture for sure. They need to be heard. And the ears that hear must listen with honest reflection.

I did this. I found myself troubled, because I know the pride, lusts, and selfishness in my life. But then, I found joy as well, because I know the truth of the Lord's Word as well: "...for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me." (2 Timothy 1:12)

The Lord saves and keeps all who come to Him in faith. And He establishes His love within us by His Spirit. And this same love is in an eternal process of learning to love Christ, and this love is the fruit which is produced through the vine unto the branches.

So be encouraged. If you love Christ, and rejoice in His truth (1 Cor, 13:7), then you are a Christian indeed. Even on your worse day when your heart condemns you, you can trust in His love, which is greater than your heart (1 John 3:19-20).

And if you don't love Christ, honestly, and genuinely, then confess to Him, and ask Him to to have mercy upon you, and receive His forgiveness for all your sins today in all humility and contrition. Believe that Jesus died as the only Savior in this world, and that He lives; for He rose from the dead on the third day after His death on the Cross. And, He has promised to never cast out any who come to Him in repentance and trust.