Jesus starts off the chapter by saying, I am the vine, you’re the branches.
I’m not the vine, instead Jesus is the vine. He’s the vine and I’m the one who is bearing fruit. And if I’m fruitful, God keeps me. He might prune parts of me in order that I may produce more fruit, but if I’m unfruitful, if I’m not producing fruit for the God’s kingdom, I get cut off.
I don’t think you need to be concerned that you’re going to be cut off, but I do think you need to recognize that as a Christian, there’s a direct correlation between abiding in Christ and producing fruit.
The fruit of the spirit is love joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc (Galatians 5). In order for us to produce any fruit in our life, we have to be put into it environments where that fruit is necessary. The test of producing fruit comes in environments and situations where I want to do the opposite. So if God wants to produce patience in me, then he’s going to put me in a position where I need to be patient.
If God is trying to produce joy in me, then I might find myself in circumstances or situations where I’d rather grumble and complain and moan, but God is producing joy in me.
Whatever environment or situation you’re in today, where the temptation is to do the opposite of the fruit of the spirit, recognize that as God trying to produce that fruit in you, and he’s inspecting your branch, he’s inspecting you. And he wants to see fruit.
Lean on the power of the Holy Spirit today for joy, for love, for peace, for patience, for kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control, none of those things are possible apart from Christ.