Commandments Archives -

Can a Christian be “cut off” from Jesus Christ? Perhaps one of the most explanatory passages on salvation is Jesus’ teaching on the vine and branches in John 15:1-14. Clearly Jesus said, “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6). This is hardly a picture of a Christian losing rewards in heaven (as Eternal Security teaches), but losing their salvation. Jesus said,

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. (John 15:1-3)

Jesus made these statements to His disciples; He addressed those who are “already clean.” The branches are His disciples or Christians. Yet again and again Jesus makes it crystal clear that those who are already clean must abide in Him by keeping His commandments (John 15:9-11) or they will be taken away, cast out as a withered branch and burned in the fire.
Jesus continued,

Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. (John 15:4-6)

Once again, branches are disciples. But if they do not remain in Christ, they are burned. Does this sound like God will say to them, “Well done, good and faithful servant” or “Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels”? Jesus also said, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:19). Nowhere does Jesus talk about being cast into the fire as a reference to eternal life. Yet burning in the fire is the consequence for those “once clean” or “once saved” CHristians who fail to abide in Christ by keeping His commandments (John 15:9-11). Burning is an obvious reference to judgment. It is impossible that Jesus is talking about a person who was never saved to begin with because the branch was once on the vine. A person who was never saved was never on the vine in the first place. A branch on the vine is a Christian in Christ. The branch that is burned is that disciple who was once in Jesus Christ, but they neglected to keep His commandments and ceased to abide in Him.

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Paul said, “A man is justified by faith,” whereas James said, “A man is justified by works.” These verses have confused many Protestants who have initially found James to be in contradiction with Paul. How do we harmonize Paul and James? We can start by looking at the context of each statement. The Apostle James wrote:

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar?Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God.You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? (James 2:21-25)

The Apostle Paul wrote:

Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith apart from the deeds of the law. (Romans 3:28)

Therefore, having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ (Romans 5:1)

knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified. (Galatians 2:16)

For as many as are of the works of the law are under the curse; for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who does not continue in all things which are written in thebook of the law, to do them.” But that no one is justified by the law in the sight of God is evident, for “the just shall live by faith.” (Galatians 3:10-11)

Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. (Galatians 3:24)

What do we make of this apparent contradiction between Paul and James? When Paul made those statements above, he was talking about the works of the Law of Moses, not obedience to Jesus Christ. He was never saying that a man is not justified by works of righteousness. James clearly says a man is justified by works, not faith only. When Paul talks about works, he is talking about “deeds of the Law” (Romans 3:28), or “works of the Law” (Galatians 2:16; 3:10). But when James is talking about works, he is talking about a different kind of works like feeding the hungry and clothing the naked (James 2:14-17). Our works do not save us; we are saved by grace. But the gift of salvation is conditioned on obedient faith.

Like Paul, James says that it was because of Abraham’s faith that God declared him righteous. James and Paul both cite the same passage Genesis 15:6 to make their points:

For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3)

Just as Abraham “believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” (Galatians 3:6)

And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” And he was called the friend of God. (James 2:23)

Paul and James quote the same passage, but they are making two different points. Paul is explaining how Abraham was declared righteous before he was circumcised (cf. Romans 4:1-12). Likewise, Mosaic Law observance and circumcision was the context of the epistle to the Galatians (cf. Galatians 2:11-21; 5:2,3). Abraham was not justified by works, i.e., the works of Mosaic Law such as circumcision. But James makes a different point entirely. Though James quotes the same passage in Genesis 15:6, he points out how Abraham was justified by works when he offered his son Isaac in obedience to God.

Was not Abraham our father justified by works when he offered Isaac his son on the altar? Do you see that faith was working together with his works, and by works faith was made perfect? And the Scripture was fulfilled which says, “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.”And he was called the friend of God. You see then that a man is justified by works, and not by faith only. Likewise, was not Rahab the harlot also justified by works when she received the messengers and sent them out another way? (James 2:21-24)

How was Abraham justified by faith, not works (according to Paul) and justified by works, not faith only (according to James)? Abraham was not justified by circumcision (says Paul), but Abraham was justified by offering his son Isaac (says James). These two works are not the same; circumcision is Mosaic Law and offering Isaac is obedient faith. Paul makes it clear that circumcision is nothing, but obedience to Jesus Christ does matter: “For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision avails anything, but faith working through love” (Galatians 5:6); “Circumcision is nothing and uncircumcision is nothing, but keeping the commandments of God is what matters” (1 Corinthians 7:19).

“And [Abraham] believed in the Lord, and He accounted it to him for righteousness” (Genesis 15:6). What does it mean that He accounted it to him for righteousness? King David celebrated the same truth:

David also describes the blessedness of the man to whom God imputes righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, And whose sins are covered; Blessed is the man to whom the Lord shall not impute sin. (Romans 4:6-8)

David’s sins of adultery and murder were not counted against him even though he committed those sins. In a similar way, Abraham’s faith was counted to him for righteousness even though he was not perfect. But Paul was never saying that Abraham was counted righteous when he was actually unrighteous. No, Abraham (and David) really were righteous men (cf. 1 John 2:29; 3:7). Paul was saying that God counted Abraham righteous apart from circumcision and prior to being circumcised (cf. Romans 4:10-12). God considered Abraham righteous even though he was not perfect. But Abraham was not an ungodly and disobedient man. “By faith Abraham obeyed” (Hebrews 11:8; cf. Genesis 26:4-5). Paul was never saying Abraham was justified as an unjust man (cf. Hebrews 12:23). Yet so often this how evangelicals interpret the passage: “But to him who does not work but believes on Him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is accounted for righteousness” (Romans 4:5). God does not justify the ungodly if they remain ungodly. Abraham was not an ungodly man. God counts righteous men as righteous even though they are not perfect.

In Ephesians 2:8-10, Paul describes how salvation is not by works, but by grace. He describes how saving faith is always followed with and characterized by good works: