John 15:1-17
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If 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. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples. As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.
The analogy of the Vine and branches is very instructive. As how the branch remains in the Vine structurally and vitally, that is how we should remain in Christ, the true Vine. Though the branch is structurally attached to the Vine, it also needs the vital sap from the Vine to produce good fruit.
For the branches not bearing fruit, the Gardener will cut them off. These branches may be structurally attached but they are not receiving the vital sap through them so they are not bearing good fruit.
Even if we are to hold on to all the words of Christ, we need to receive the vital sap from the Vine – the sanctification by the Holy Spirit – to produce all the good fruit of the Spirit. So not only we need to abide in all the words of Christ, we must also allow His Spirit to do His sanctifying work in us. Though we are clean (justified), we have to remain in Christ.
Those who sear their conscience by ignoring the conviction of sin by the Spirit and His sanctifying work will be like those branches who deliberately stop this vital sap from flowing into them. That is what Scripture meant by quenching the Spirit of Christ all the time to their peril.
Our Lord Jesus clearly said that these people do not really remain in His love because they do not obey His commands.
So any believer, who deliberately trivialize obeying God’s commands and quench the Spirit of Christ by ignoring His conviction of sin and sanctifying work, does not remain in His love at all.