Bearing Fruit

John 15:16 (NIV)

16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

There was a recent news item recently of a Pajero that fell to the sea at the Bredco port.  When they pulled it out inside were a man and woman - what they were doing in the Bredco port at night, well, we can only guess.
Someone asked me a question - assuming that there was sin involved, where did they go, heaven or hell?

The safest answer anyone can give is always "only God knows", which biblically is correct.  Only God knows those who are His.
2 Timothy 2:19 (NIV)
19 Nevertheless, God's solid foundation stands firm, sealed with this inscription: "The Lord knows those who are His," and, "Everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness."

But notice the second part of the verse - "everyone who confesses the name of the Lord must turn away from wickedness".  Here is another biblical truth that needs serious consideration.  Many claim to be Christian, to be "children of God", but not many can claim to live lives that turn away from wickedness.

How does a Christian turn away from wickedness?  It begins with a choice.
Jesus said "you did not choose me, but I chose you...".  A truth that for some is hard to grasp - we did not choose God, it was God who chose us.  But some may say "but I prayed to receive Him".  Yes, that's true.  But that decision was made because of God's choosing you.  The reason we are Christian is because God chose us.  In other words, we chose God because He chose us.
Now what does this have to do with a walk of righteousness?

Jesus said "I chose you, and appointed you to go and bear fruit, fruit that will last".  Together with the choice of God was His appointment for us to bear fruit in our lives, the fruit that will last.  This is the fruit of the life of Christ, the fruit of the Spirit as later shared to us by the apostle Paul.  The fruit of righteousness.
This is why a Christian's life changes, grows, continually until the life of Christ is slowly molded into ours.  This is why we are able to walk in righteousness.  Because part of God's choosing us was the appointment to bear fruit in our lives.  There is no such thing as a fruitless Christian.

Those who receive Christ, who believe in Him as Savior, and those who display lives that turn away from wickedness, whose lives bear fruit, who know Jesus as Lord of their lives...these are the ones God has chosen to enjoy eternal life with Him.  It's a "package" deal for true believers - faith and fruit.
So it's not just those who claim to believe Christ who go to heaven, but also those whose lives display a change, a lifesyle of Christ-likeness.  The two work together, hand in hand.

So, back to the original question - the two who were found in a Pajero that fell into the sea at the Bredco port, did the go to heaven?  That's not for us to answer.  What we should be thinking of is ourselves.  Do we bear the signs of being true believers, chosen by God and appointed to bear fruit?