Decisions

"Anyone who does not remain in me will be thrown out like a branch and wither; people will gather them and throw them into a fire and they will be burned. If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask for whatever you want and it will be done for you. By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and become my disciples." - John 15:6-8

At vineyards, branches that were trimmed were often hung up to dry out - later to be used as kindling. Jesus is continuing on in his vineyard example, describing what happens when we do remain in him (we bear great fruit), and when we don't (we wither and die, and are destroyed).

While there's some similarities between what happens to those who don't believe and the common perception of hell (e.g. fire) - I don't think Jesus was trying to describe what hell is like. Rather, I think he's trying tell us that we will return to the dust (from which we came), should we choose not to follow him. Only by remaining him - believing, trusting, and carrying on his mission - can we hope to have everlasting life.

So while choosing not to believe is a scary prospect, we're fortunate that Jesus is making it quite clear as to the consequences of our decision - and to remind us that, in fact, it is our decision to make.