Understanding the parable of the vine and its branches

John 15: 1-3 – “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 does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the words that I have spoken to you.  

Many people take verses about the fruitless branches being cut off and burned as indication that salvation might be lost. The misinterpretation of scriptures is that a person who was once in Christ may later cease to "abide in Christ" and become useless; that person is then severed and burned up.

If the parable of the vine and the branches were the only chapter that addressed the subject of eternal security, we might have reason to be concerned that salvation could be lost. However, this is not the only chapter in Scripture that concerns security and confidence, nor is it the only verse in John that tackles these issues. 

There are various passages in John that clearly guarantee the believer's eternal security. This is an issue that appears throughout the Bible. There are verses that speak explicitly of the believer's security, and others that make one wonder if salvation can ever be lost. More obscure passages should always be interpreted in light of clearer passages. Since John 15 is in the form of an allegory, it is best to let the clearer passages inform our understanding.
John 3:16-17 - “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but in order that the world might be saved

John 10:27-29 - My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of his hand

John 3:35-40 - Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst. ³⁶ But I said to you that you have seen me and yet do not believe. ³⁷ All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. ⁴⁰ For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

The context of Jesus' words in John 15 are most likely Old Testament imagery in which Israel is referred to as a vine or vineyard. (Isaiah 5:1-7)

However, it did not bear the expected fruit. Jesus takes the role of Israel as the "true vine." Unlike Israel, Jesus will bear fruit in all of the branches that are connected to Him. The metaphor of Jesus is that He will succeed where Israel failed. The believers only need to be connected to Him.

According to John 15, it is unthinkable that any branch who is connected to Christ will fail to produce fruit, and yet, according to the illustration, some branches “in Him” will not produce fruit and be taken away. There seems to be a contradiction within the illustration itself that would warn us not to press the details too far.

The obvious issue is the same as with all other passages in Scripture that warn Christians about falling away. Why warn about falling away if a real Christian cannot lose their salvation? The most plausible explanation is that these warnings are addressed at professing Christians who appear to be connected to the Vine, at least outwardly. There are branches near the Vine, but there is no connection to the vine.

Examples are J. Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Selenology, New Age Movement, and many more, and the Apostates, who claim to follow Jesus, but only with their lips, their hearts are far from him. They couldn’t bear fruit even if they wanted to. Judas Iscariot is a good example of a false professor. The parable of the seed and the soils in Matt 13

The book of Hebrews, has many warning passages directed at those who have made an initial positive response to Jesus but are considering turning back. They are like the children of Israel who left in the exodus with Moses but then refused to enter the Promised Land See Hebrews 3 They started out on the journey but didn’t complete it.

 Based on outward appearances at any given moment, it may be difficult to tell genuine believers (connected in vital unity with the True Vine) from those who have merely attached themselves to some of the trappings of Christianity. However, time will tell the difference, because the genuine believer attached to the True Vine will bear fruit.

A false professor appears to be attached but does not bear fruit, and it’s the lack of fruit that shows a branch is not receiving the fruit-bearing energy that comes from attachment to the Vine.

Regardless of how attached this branch appears on the surface, it lacks the one definitive proof of attachment....fruit! HELLO! That "branch" should not be comforted by false thoughts of attachment, for his lack of fruit bears revealing proof against him. In this situation, the branch was never truly linked to begin with. The vine and its branches' metaphor can only go so far.