John 15:1-6 (YLT)
`I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman; every branch in me not bearing fruit, He doth take it away, and every one bearing fruit, He doth cleanse by pruning it, that it may bear more fruit; already ye are clean, because of the word that I have spoken to you; remain in me, and I in you, as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, if it may not remain in the vine, so neither ye, if ye may not remain in me. `I am the vine, ye the branches; he who is remaining in me, and I in him, this one doth bear much fruit, because apart from me ye are not able to do anything; if any one may not remain in me, he was cast forth without as the branch, and was withered, and they gather them, and cast to fire, and they are burned;
G142 αἴρω airo (ai'-ro) v.
1. to lift up
2. (by implication) to take up or away
3. (figuratively) to raise (the voice), keep in suspense (the mind)
4. (specially) to sail away (i.e. weigh anchor)
5. (by Hebraism) to atone for sin
G906 βάλλω ballo (bal'-lo) v.
1. to throw
{in various applications, more or less violent or intense}
G1854 ἔξω exo (ex'-o) adv.
1. out(-side, of doors)
{literally or figuratively}
[adverb from G1537]
reminds me of:
1Cor 3:9-15 (YLT)
for of God we are fellow-workmen; God's tillage, God's building ye are. According to the grace of God that was given to me, as a wise master-builder, a foundation I have laid, and another doth build on it , for other foundation no one is able to lay except that which is laid, which is Jesus the Christ; and if any one doth build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw-- of each the work shall become manifest, for the day shall declare it , because in fire it is revealed, and the work of each, what kind it is, the fire shall prove; if of any one the work doth remain that he built on it , a wage he shall receive; if of any the work is burned up, he shall suffer loss; and himself shall be saved, but so as through fire.
and if anyone thinks this fire is only speaking about hell or purgatory then I remind them:
Gal 4:19-20 (YLT)
my little children, of whom again I travail in birth, till Christ may be formed in you, and I was wishing to be present with you now, and to change my voice, because I am in doubt about you.
we have no idea how many times we might be cast out and wither and be burned while alive in this earth, so that we might live unto Christ, even perhaps some of us end up being killed over our sin such as when:
Acts 5:1-5 (YLT)
And a certain man, Ananias by name, with Sapphira his wife, sold a possession, and did keep back of the price--his wife also knowing--and having brought a certain part, at the feet of the apostles he laid it . And Peter said, `Ananias, wherefore did the Adversary fill thy heart, for thee to lie to the Holy Spirit, and to keep back of the price of the place? while it remained, did it not remain thine? and having been sold, in thy authority was it not? why is it that thou didst put in thy heart this thing? thou didst not lie to men, but to God;' and Ananias hearing these words, having fallen down, did expire, and great fear came upon all who heard these things,
it may be he suffered being cut off to being able to "do good" in this life by "producing much fruit for God to please Him" but is still saved, God granting him and his wife such and such grace due to disobedience and yet God punished and perhaps prevented them from sinning even worse against God in the future and plus it put fear and obedience in many believers.
furthermore if you search the scriptures you will find that God uses many different kinds of "fires" to help us, some of them being quite unpleasant at the time, others being exceedingly joyful. truly the processes God has for each of us are past knowing, for His wisdom is so very much and we so very little. God is both gentle and harsh ( who likes spankings? ), but the end result is salvation from even greater pains and perfect love is what he leads us to and in the quickest ways possible. and it would be all the more quicker if we indeed do always abide in Christ and not be lukewarm/double-minded. not being blown about by every wind of doctrine, not having itching ears which causes us to fall into captivity of the doctrines of the demons, not being sometimes drunk up by the enemy who is a roaring lion. to never have the gates of hades prevail against us will show the proof that we have become worthy of the same things Jesus proclaimed to peter, but it only happens if we abide in Christ because peter was rebuked for his folly as well. a few verses later jesus said to peter `Get thee behind me, adversary! thou art a stumbling-block to me, for thou dost not mind the things of God, but the things of men.'. our eye must be single so that our whole body may have light! inasmuch as we are "spiritual peter" so shall the gates of hades not ruin us but inasmuch as we are "worldly peter" so much are we being of the kingdom of hades rather than the kingdom of God who is "Christ in you, the hope of glory".
