Discerning between the command and the promise

The bible stated in John 15:1-5..

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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

Some preachers like to interpret this verse in the way that if you do not bear fruit, you will be cut away. As a result of that people go away feeling condemned, thinking that they are not good enough because they are not bearing enough fruit. I believe that verse is misinterpreted. The focus was never on the fruit. If we are so focused on the fruit all the time, the fruit becomes the idol. If a focus is continually on growth, or success, then if you are not careful..you make growth and success to be the idol. I believe that was never God's intention.

The words, "takes away" or in some other versions "cut off" in the Hebrew meaning is really "lifted up". In Israel's vineyards, when a branch is not bearing fruit, the branch is lifted up to a higher position so that it can be exposed to more sunlight and bear fruit. That is the proper translation of the words "cut off". There would be preachers around that would say that you need to bear fruit, and use the negative experience of being cut off as a tool to get you to work harder. But that is not scriptually accurate. Therefore people who say things like we need to chop off those unfruitful has got it all wrong. Those unfruitful Jesus will lift up and edify so that they can be fruitful as you abide in Him.

We need to discern between the promise and the command. The promise is "bear fruit" and the command is "abide in me". As you abide in Jesus, you would bear fruit in the right season and at the right time. Therefore you are not working for the promise, but rather you are entering into a promise. We make bearing fruit to be a law, a system of rules and regulations if we focus that as the command. We turn the gospel of salvation upside down by saying that you need to bear fruit to be qualified. These are erroneous teachings that put people into bondage. 

Therefore in the same way, we are not blessed because we give to God but we are already blessed by God. This was the Abrahamic promise that was given thousands of years ago. A will once it is given, in this case a covenant, cannot be nullified. Therefore you are not working for the promise of the blessing but you are entering into that promise. 

In the right season, at the right time you will enter into these promises.