Excellent points, and well said too, but what about the tree that sdoes not bear fruit being hewn down and cast in the fire?
John 15
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.
6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
there are two sorts of brances here
branches that bare fruit
_____
"
every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit"
"He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit"
and branches void of any fruit
____
"If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned"
"As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself"
this whole thing is largely an example of the power of CHRIST in His own
compared to the lack of power in fakers
dont you understand when this is being said?
what judas already did and what was about to happen?
.....
this is about two separate sorts of men/women who claim to be in Him and are part of the congregation
nothing to do with how to
earn salvation
(it is a gift by grace through faith)
nothing to do with the loss of salvation to one of His
void of any fruit what so ever would also mean no faith...
that would be a powerless tree
but men can't see all like God
man may say "where is this persons fruit" through a series of poor encounters
but God may know them and be working in them already
... even peter denied Jesus 3 times
there were men who could have clearly stated "he is not a believer"
but God knew better