A Useless, Withered Branch I Do Not Want to Be

There are false Christians as well as true ones.

• I do not want to be one of the "branches in the vine" which appear to be joined to the parent stem, and yet bears no fruit.  
• I do not want to be a woman who appears to be a member of Christ, and yet will prove finally to have had no vital union with Him.

I do not want to be one of myriads of professing Christians in every church whose union with Christ is only outward and formal.  

• I may be joined to Christ by baptism and church membership.  
• I may go even further than this, and be a regular communicant and a loud talker about faith.  
• But I do not want to lack the one thing needful.  

Notwithstanding services, and sermons, and sacrament, 

• I do not want to be found with no grace in my heart, no faith, no inward work of the Holy Spirit.  
• I do not want to be one without Christ, and Christ in me.  
• I do not want my union with Him to be only nominal, and not real.
• I do not want to only have "a name to live," but in the sight of God be dead.

Christians of this stamp are aptly represented by branches in a vine which bear no fruit.  

• I do not want to be useless and unsightly, a branch only fit to be cut off and burned.  
• I do not want to draw nothing out of the parent stem, and make no return for the place I occupy.  

Just so will it be at the last day with false professors and nominal Christians.  

• For I know that my end, except I repent, will be destruction.  
• I do not want to be separated from the company of true believers, 
• and cast out, as a withered, useless branch, into everlasting fire. 
• I do not want to find at last, whatever I thought in this world, 
• that there is a worm that never dies, and a fire that is not quenched.

Adapted Excerpt From The Gospel of John by J.C. Ryle