John 15:14 Explained
John 15:14 says, "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you."
This verse has been misapplied in many works salvation apologists' blogs and websites (especially by Roman Catholic apologists) that the verse supports salvation by works (which can either be taught as getting saved by works or staying saved by works, both are a sure road to Hellfire). However what does the verse really mean? First and foremost, it's always best to remember this statement, "It is impossible to be a saved person or who is called a Christian by the standards of God and not do good works as a result of salvation." It's the stand of this ministry that it is once saved, always saved and being saved means a new regenerate life- though as inconsistent but there will always be fruit as a result of Christian life. Of course, there are unbelievers who do good works but it's much different from Christian's good works- one strives to please God and is doing it out of pride, the Christian does it out of humility and obedience is only natural for him/her abiding in Christ. Again, this was in John 15 which summarizes the fact that without Christ, you are nothing.
So here's another part that may need to be put to explain this verse. Backtracking, John 15:6 says, "If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned." Abide is defined as:
v. a·bode (-bd) or a·bid·ed, a·bid·ing, a·bides
v.tr.
1. To put up with; tolerate: can't abide such incompetence. See Synonyms at bear1.
2. To wait patiently for: "I will abide the coming of my lord" (Tennyson).
3. To withstand: a thermoplastic that will abide rough use and great heat.
v.intr.
1. To remain in a place.
2. To continue to be sure or firm; endure.
3. To dwell or sojourn.
That means a man is in Christ, a Christian remains fully in place with Christ vs. the counterfeit which puts a mark between the believer (who may have backslid) vs. the apostate (Matthew 7:23, 1 John 2:19). Peter backslid when he denied he was a Christian but his being sorry for it proved he was still saved vs. to that of Judas Iscariot who was NEVER saved to start with. Christians well in Christ, they remain in place in Christ and they are in Christ so it's always impossible for them not to bear even one fruit for the Lord. This does not refer again to works salvation (whose proponents are fruit thieves because they steal the fruits of Christian living for their own glory) but rather it is a distinct mark of Christian living and being a saved person. On the other hand, many works salvation preachers display the attitude of being chaotic, paranoid and arrogant which shows again that they can't even keep their whole doctrine.