John 15:4-6 (ESV) Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
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.
Abide... what does 'abide' mean and why should we 'abide' in Jesus? To abide means to remain in Jesus. Jesus is not looking for people who want to visit every now and then, He is looking for people who will stay or remain with Him, no matter what else is going on around you. He is looking for a life-long commitment, not just an afternoon conversation.
So why should we abide in Jesus? So that we will stay connected to Jesus and bear 'much fruit'. The 'fruit' that we bear proves that we know Jesus... fruit such as attitudes like love, patience, humility, peace, and so forth. If we are not connected to Jesus, then we are not sharing this kind of fruit with those we see everyday. And if we are not sharing this kind of fruit, then we will face what is described in verse 6...
Everyone who is not committed to Jesus will be taken away and face eternity with God in a place of extreme torment. The Bible teaches about hell in many locations. It's not good. It's not temporary. It is forever and it will never ease up.
So please make sure that you know where you stand before the one true God who is holy and righteous. If you have not been saved by His grace, then ask Him to save you. Find someone to help you understand what it means to be converted. So let's abide in Jesus, amen?
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