To Be Least

"6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned."

      Notice that this passage says that the person that "does not remain in me" we will end up being thrown into the fire and burned. Earlier in this passage Jesus says "Remain in me, and I will remain in you." (v. 4) Now what exactly is "remain in me" mean?

3We know that we have come to know him if we obey his commands. 4The man who says, "I know him," but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him. 5But if anyone obeys his word, God's love is truly made complete in him. This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did. (1 Jn 2)

      Look closely at the last verse here, "This is how we know we are in him: 6Whoever claims to live in him must walk as Jesus did." So if we are to be in him, we must walk as Jesus did.

"10If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father's commands and remain in his love." (John 15)

      I just pointed out that we must walk as Jesus did to be in him. Jesus obeyed his Father's commands, and because he obeyed his Father's commands he remained in his love. All this aside, this verse clearly supports this idea of obeying God is a necessity to remain in him.

"16And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. " (1 John 4)

"6And this is love: that we walk in obedience to his commands. As you have heard from the beginning, his command is that you walk in love." (2 John)

      We have to live in love to live in God, we have to live in obedience to live in God. If we live in obedience to his commands God lives in us. How does God live in us? By the Holy Spirit. When we become Christians we receive the Holy Spirit.

      "If a man remains in me and I in him" (John 15:5) closely relates to 1 John 4:16 where it says "Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him." In order to be remaining in him you have to be living in him. To live in him you must be living in love. To be living in love is to be obeying God's commands.

      Obviously we have to live in love, live in obedience in order to live in God. Whoever "Does not remain in me" clearly does not live in obedience. God lives in us as long as we live in obedience to his commands just as Jesus did. If we do not live in obedience, if we do not remain in him and he in us, we will cut off and will be thrown into hell.