32. Withered Branches—

John 15:6 (NRSV) — 6 Whoever does not abide in me is thrown away like a branch and withers; such branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.

There is such a thing as not abiding in Christ, which leads to withering up and burning. The cause of this not abiding is generally that the believer was not truly rooted IN Christ. We need to let the word Abide ring through the church and our lives until every believer has caught it—for there is no safety but in a true abiding in Christ.

Ask yourself … Is my life fresh, and green, and vigorous, 

bringing forth its fruit in its season?

Psalm 1:3 (NRSV) — 3 They are like trees planted by streams of water, which yield their fruit in its season, and their leaves do not wither. In all that they do, they prosper.

Psalm 92:13–14 (NRSV) — 13 They are planted in the house of the Lord; they flourish in the courts of our God. 14 In old age they still produce fruit; they are always green and full of sap,

Jeremiah 17:7–8 (NRSV) — 7 Blessed are those who trust in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord. 8 They shall be like a tree planted by water, sending out its roots by the stream. It shall not fear when heat comes, and its leaves shall stay green; in the year of drought it is not anxious, and it does not cease to bear fruit.

Let us accept every warning with a willing mind, and let Christ's "if a man abide not" give new urgency to His "abide in Me." To the upright soul the secret of abiding will become ever simpler because we are more conscious of the place in which He has put us—the childlike resting in our union with Him, and the trustful assurance that He will keep each one of us.