Tag Archives: much fruit

JOHN’S GOSPEL…THE SAGA OF THE SEED – 22a

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“I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener…Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

‭‭John‬ ‭15‬:‭1‬, ‭4‬-‭5‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Fruit! What is the purpose of a vine? Much has been preached and taught about the union between the vine and the branches as the analogy of the union between Jesus and His followers…but what about the fruit? After all, viticulturists only grow vines for their grapes. 

What would the world do without grapes? Apart from delicious fruit, a world without wine would be unthinkable. Jesus’ first miracle recorded in John’s gospel happened because the wine vats were empty! Wine forms the centrepiece of the Lord’s Supper. There is no other fruit that can substitute for wine with all its symbolism. 

So, Jesus did not say “I am the apple tree and you are the branches…” or something like that. The vine also forms an important part of Old Testament imagery for Israel.  For example, God saw Israel as the choice vine He had planted and tended, only for them only to bear inferior grapes. 

“I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut out a winepress as well. Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only bad fruit.”

‭‭Isaiah‬ ‭5‬:‭1‬-‭2‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Jesus picked up on the picture, significantly to teach the men, who would form the nucleus of this “vine” of the New Covenant, a very significant lesson. Their union with Him would guarantee that the fruit they bore would reflect the nature of the vine…Jesus Himself. 

How could this happen? 

First, be sure to be in the true vine. 

The original vine, Israel, failed. Membership of the nation of Israel, however much they prided themselves on being the covenant people of God, could never guarantee that the fruit of that union would be good. Their history was nothing but rebellion and failure. 

“It is not as though God’s word had failed. For not all who are descended from Israel are Israel. Nor because they are his descendants are they all Abraham’s children. On the contrary, “It is through Isaac that your offspring will be reckoned.” In other words, it is not the children by physical descent who are God’s children, but it is the children of the promise who are regarded as Abraham’s offspring.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭9‬:‭6‬-‭8‬ ‭NIV‬‬

There is an exclusive section of Abraham’s offspring that are the fruit of faith…a union established with Jesus, the real vine, brought about by the power of God. This is God’s “vine” towards which all His energies are concentrated. 

Second, the vine  exists for one purpose…to bear fruit. Everything else about the vine will go up in flames when the vine no longer bears fruit. Jesus said that every branch that bears no fruit will be pruned from the vine. There is no place in the vine for useless branches. 

Fruit is the natural extension of the vine. Jesus said that a tree is identified by its fruit. A tree cannot say, “I am an apple tree,” when the fruit is obviously lemons. So too with the fruit that grows on our “tree”! 

Third, the fruit a tree bears is not an end in itself. Inside the fruit is hidden its most precious part…the seeds that reproduce its kind. The fruit’s purpose is to nourish the seed in the ground until the environment in which the seed grows takes over the task. 

Now, let’s return to Jesus’s teaching. 

A branch can only produce fruit when it is connected to the vine. The Father, the gardener, carefully tends the vine for one purpose…fruit…because fruit has in it the seeds that guarantee the vine’s continued reproduction, of the same quality as the vine that produced the fruit. Seedless grapes, for example, are pleasant to eat but have no further value for the gardener. 

What is Jesus intending to convey? Unbroken union between the branch and the vine is the only way to bear fruit. The fruit must be of the same quality as the vine to reproduce itself faithfully. The Father’s pleasure is in the fruit since the fruit guarantees the continuation of the vine. 

What is the nature of the “fruit” that pleases the Father?

To be continued…

JESUS SAID – 8

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Jesus stated another truth that many of His children either don’t understand or ignore.

John 15:5 NLT
[5] “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing.”

“Apart from me, you can do nothing,”… a categorical statement that has no conditions, no “ifs” and “buts”.

Why is this statement true?

Unlike any other religious system in the world, including Judaism, being a believer in Jesus is far more than adhering to a belief system. Being a Christian is not and can never be a religion as compared with other religions, which are, at best, self-help efforts to gain acceptance with a deity invented by human imagination.

Being a Christian involves a dynamic partnership between Jesus, the Son of God, and me. When I took the step of believing the truth about Him, that He is Lord, and that He rose from the dead, a miraculous change happened to and in me.

Romans 10:9-10 NLT
[9] “If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [10] For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.”

I was saved from myself and joined to Jesus in a faith-union, brought about by the Holy Spirit who came to live in me, that radically changed many things.

  1. I was spiritually dead because of sin, but the Holy Spirit made me spiritually alive to God.

Ephesians 2:1, 4-6 NLT
[1] “Once you were dead because of your disobedience and your many sins….
[4] But God is so rich in mercy, and he loved us so much, [5] that even though we were dead because of our sins, he gave us life when he raised Christ from the dead. (It is only by God’s grace that you have been saved!) [6] For he raised us from the dead along with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ Jesus.”

  1. I was supernaturally born into God’s kingdom and now live under His rule.

John 3:3, 5 NLT
[3] “Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”…
[5] Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.”

1 Peter 1:23 NLT
[23] “For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God.”

  1. I was transferred from Satan’s dominion to God’s kingdom where I am free from Satan’s power to influence me or to keep me in slavery.

Colossians 1:13-14 NLT
[13]”For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, [14] who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”

  1. I died to sin when I was identified with Jesus in His death on the cross and rose with Him to a new life.

Romans 6:1-4 NLT
[1]”Well then, should we keep on sinning so that God can show us more and more of his wonderful grace? [2] Of course not! Since we have died to sin, how can we continue to live in it? [3] Or have you forgotten that when we were joined with Christ Jesus in baptism, we joined him in his death? [4] For we died and were buried with Christ by baptism. And just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glorious power of the Father, now we also may live new lives.”

  1. I was given a new nature, God’s nature, so that I can live a new life of holiness, separated from sin to God.

2 Peter 1:4 NLT
[4]”And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires.”

  1. The Spirit of Jesus lives in me to teach and guide me in my new life in Christ.

John 16:13-14 NLT
[13] “When the Spirit of truth comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own but will tell you what he has heard. He will tell you about the future. [14] He will bring me glory by telling you whatever he receives from me.”

1 John 2:27 NLT
[27] “But you have received the Holy Spirit, and he lives within you, so you don’t need anyone to teach you what is true. For the Spirit teaches you everything you need to know, and what he teaches is true—it is not a lie. So just as he has taught you, remain in fellowship with Christ.”

  1. I have been delivered from the fear of death and I anticipate a perfect life in God’s presence forever.

Hebrews 2:14-15 NLT
[14]”Because God’s children are human beings—made of flesh and blood—the Son also became flesh and blood. For only as a human being could he die, and only by dying could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death. [15] Only in this way could he set free all who have lived their lives as slaves to the fear of dying.”

  1. My destiny was eternal separation from God and all that God is… but God changed my direction, towards Him and eternal life.

John 3:16-17 NLT
[16] “For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him.”

  1. Jesus changed my life from a meaningless and purposeless existence to an abundant life.

John 10:10 NLT
[10]”The thief’s purpose is to steal and kill and destroy. My purpose is to give them a rich and satisfying life.”

And so much more…

Can you now understand why we can do nothing without Jesus? Apart from all that Jesus has done for us through His life, death, and resurrection, our union with Him as branches in a vine, provides all the nourishment and strength we need to bear the fruit of His life in us. He provides the truth of His Word that sets us free and grows His character in us as we stay joined to Him by faith.

God’s goal for all His children is that we become replicas of His Son. Only as we protect and foster our union with Jesus in our everyday lives through the Holy Spirit in us, can we become who He has created us to be.

Romans 8:29 NLT
[29] “For God knew his people in advance, and he chose them to become like his Son, so that his Son would be the firstborn among many brothers and sisters.”

So, Jesus said,

John 15:4-5 NIV
[4] “Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. [5] “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.”

THE ABIDING BRANCH – 19

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John 15:7-8 NLT‬
[7]”But if you remain in me and my words remain in you, you may ask for anything you want, and it will be granted! [8] When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

I’ve heard much preached about abiding in the vine, how we remain in the vine, what abiding in the vine means, etc., but, in my experience, no one says much about prayer and the abiding branch.

Jesus coupled abiding and answered prayer and the outcome, gloryifying the Father, together as one event.

Fruit! No one plants a vine just to enjoy the beauty of its shape or colour. Grapevines have only one purpose… grapes. What people do with grapes can only happen if grapes grow on the vine.

In the same way, people’s lives are intended to bear fruit. Everyone inevitably bears fruit, good or bad. Good fruit benefits those around us; bad fruit spoils and poisons others. Fruit also identifies the nature of the plant.

‭Matthew 7:15-18 NLT‬
[15] “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. [16] You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? [17] A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. [18] A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit.”

‭Hebrews 12:15 NLT‬
[15]”Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.”

What is it that causes a bitter root to grow?

‭‭Deuteronomy 29:18 NIV‬
[18] “Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.”

When we allow self to control, feeding grudges, with resentment and bitterness, we become our own idol. Self-pity is the poisonous root of bad fruit.

Idolatry! Letting anyone or anything else take the Lord Jesus’ place in our souls to nourish our lives….is a bitter root that will produce bitter fruit.

If good fruit is what Jesus wants of us, how do we bear good fruit? If we go on living in the flesh, making no effort to produce good fruit, we WILL bear bad fruit…

‭Galatians 5:19-21 NLT‬
[19]” When you follow the desires of your sinful nature, the results are very clear: sexual immorality, impurity, lustful pleasures, [20] idolatry, sorcery, hostility, quarreling, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambition, dissension, division, [21] envy, drunkenness, wild parties, and other sins like these. Let me tell you again, as I have before, that anyone living that sort of life will not inherit the Kingdom of God.”

Wow! What a basketful of poisonous fruit!

There is an antidote to this poison that flows from self-dominated lives – union with Jesus.

Problem is that that vine’s branches, drawing nourishment from the world, are destined for the fire. The same thing happens to the branches that are disconnected from the true Vine.

‭John 15:6 NLT‬
[6] “Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.”

So, the first lesson in bearing good fruit is to maintain an intimate connection with Jesus.

‭1 John 1:5-7 NLT‬
[5]”This is the message we heard from Jesus and now declare to you: God is light, and there is no darkness in him at all. [6] So we are lying if we say we have fellowship with God but go on living in spiritual darkness; we are not practicing the truth. [7] But if we are living in the light, as God is in the light, then we have fellowship with each other, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, cleanses us from all sin.”

When we remain joined to Jesus by humble and honest living, we keep drawing our nourishment and life from Him and His blood keeps cleansing us from ALL sin. The fruit that results, through the work of the Spirit in us, is in harmony with the nature of Jesus.

‭Galatians 5:22-23 NLT‬
[22]”But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

So, where does prayer fit into the process of fruit bearing?

The only way to stop the poison that flows from selfish lives is to cut off the flow and reconnect to the source of divine life. God’s plan is for us to participate in the divine nature, i.e., to be transformed into the image is Jesus. We do this by plugging into God’s promises.

‭2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV‬
[3] “His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. [4] Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

How do we do that?

‭2 Corinthians 1:20 NIV‬
[20] “For no matter how many promises God has made, they are “Yes” in Christ. And so through him the “Amen” is spoken by us to the glory of God.”

And “amen” to God’s promises is the essence of New Covenant prayer! Everything God wants to do in us has already been accomplished because the operative word in the New Covenant is “Done!”

It’s all so simple! We make such heavy weather of prayer because we think that the energy we put into prayer influences God’s answers. No, Jesus put all the energy into prayer at the cross, releasing to us all that God has promised in the New Covenant. All we must do is say the amen… agree with God!

‭Romans 8:32 NIV‬
[32] “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?”

Does God need our prayers to help Him to run the universe? No, because He has put the universe in Jesus’s capable hands.

‭Philippians 2:9-11 NIV‬
[9]” Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name, [10] that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, [11] and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. “

‭Hebrews 1:3 NIV‬
[3] “The Son is the radiance of God’s glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.”

‭Psalms 2:4-12 NIV‬
[4]”The One enthroned in heaven laughs; the Lord scoffs at them. [5] He rebukes them in his anger and terrifies them in his wrath, saying, [6] “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” [7] I will proclaim the Lord’s decree: He said to me, “You are my son; today I have become your father. [8] Ask me, and I will make the nations your inheritance, the ends of the earth your possession. [9] You will break them with a rod of iron; you will dash them to pieces like pottery.” [10] Therefore, you kings, be wise; be warned, you rulers of the earth. [11] Serve the Lord with fear and celebrate his rule with trembling. [12] Kiss his son, or he will be angry and your way will lead to your destruction, for his wrath can flare up in a moment. Blessed are all who take refuge in him.”

Rather, every time we say “Amen!” to God’s promise, Jesus says, “Done!”. Our union with Him grows stronger, the fruit of His character grows in us..
and the Father is glorified.

‭John 15:7-8 NIV‬
[7] “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. [8] This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”

It’s that simple!

BEARING FRUIT

Christian Life, ,

BEARING FRUIT

It seems that bearing fruit is something important to God, so much so that Jesus said that our bearing fruit glorifies the Father.

“When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father.”

John 15:8 NLT

If fruit-bearing is so important to God, then we should know and understand what the Bible means by “fruit-bearing”.

SEED PRODUCES NEW LIFE

First, God’s Word is a seed. Therefore, any fruit we bear in our lives must come from the seed that has been sown in our hearts.

“This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is God’s word.”

Luke 8:11 NLT

“The rain and snow come down from the heavens and stay on the ground to water the earth. They cause the grain to grow, producing seed for the farmer and bread for the hungry. It is the same with my word. I send it out, and it always produces fruit. It will accomplish all I want it to, and it will prosper everywhere I send it.”

Isaiah 55:10-11 NLT

God’s Word produces the “new birth”, therefore, the first fruit we bear is the new life that comes from believing the Good News about Jesus and what He has done for us.

“For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.”

1 Peter 1:23 NIV

Hearing the message about Jesus gives birth to faith in our hearts, and begins the process of bearing fruit in our lives.

“So, faith comes from hearing, that is, hearing the Good News about Christ.”

Romans 10:17 NLT

New life in Christ, then, is the first shoot that grows from the seed of God’s Word. However, every plant, every tree, doesn’t grow for the sake of growing. It grows to produce fruit in which the next generation of seed forms to reproduce itself.

So it is with the believer. New birth is not static. Like a newborn baby, it needs food and time to grow, mature, and reproduce. Therefore, we desire God’s Word, and Jesus, the Living Word, and we satisfy these desires by feeding on God’s Word .

“But Jesus told him (Satan), “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”

Matthew 4:4 NLT

SEED REQUIRES NOURISHMENT TO GROW

However, to return to the metaphor of a seed, without the correct soil and  nourishment, the new seedling will die. For the seed to germinate, grow, mature, and bear fruit, it must have sunshine, water, and nutrients, and a weed-free environment in which to flourish.

So, for the spiritual fruit that God desires in our lives, we must provide the environment for growth. We do this by nourishing the soil of our hearts with right living, right company, right spiritual food, and an environment free of ungodly company and temptation to do wrong.

How do we keep our hearts pure?

“I am the true grapevine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more. You have already been pruned and purified by the message I have given you.

John 15:1-3 NLT

Again, Jesus provides the answer in the metaphor of the vine.

Remaining in Him as a branch is attached to the vine keeps the life of the vine flowing through the branches. His life in us overshadows the pull of the flesh and keeps moving us towards maturity.

NEW LIFE PRODUCES FRUIT

The purpose of new life is to grow into a mature plant that will produce fruit in which seed will grow. Fruit nourishes the present generation while the seed in the fruit produces the next generation. So, the cycle of life continues.

FRUIT REVEALS THE NATURE OF THE SEED

Fruit is the delicious, edible part of the plant which identifies the plant’s nature.

“Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.”

Matthew 7:20 NLT

Just as fruit is the expression of the tree’s nature, so our mouths reveal the nature of our hearts. Out of our mouths comes the evidence of what’s inside.

“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad…. A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart.

Matthew 12:33, 35 NLT

“The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.”

Proverbs 18:21 NIV

FRUIT HIDES THE SEED OF THE NEXT GENERATION

The final purpose for fruit-bearing is to produce the seeds that will reproduce the plant. What the plant or tree is, the new plant will become, and so, when the tree or plant has finished its work and dies, it will not be lost.

NATURE’S LESSONS

How wonderfully God illustrates spiritual truth in the natural world! Jesus often used parables about nature to teach His disciples the deeper truths of His life in them.

Two lessons emerge from this metaphor regarding fruit-being.

1. The character of the believer – the fruit of the Spirit in him/her.

Since the fruit reveals the nature of the tree, what kind of fruit grows in the lives of those who are connected to the True Vine?

Paul answers the question in Galatians 5:22-23.

“But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!”

Galatians 5:22-23 NLT

Since God’s focus is always on people and relationships, the Spirit produces fruit in us that fosters loving and harmonious relationships in three directions….

With God – love, joy, peace – Jesus’s legacy to His disciples before He died (read John 14 to 16).

God’s love is an unconditional guarantee that nothing can ever happen in our lives that He has not filtered through His love for us. We can be so sure of that love that we rest in the security that He is working, in all things, for our good.

The Holy Spirit pours God’s love into us so that we, in turn, can love Him and His people with the love He has for us.

Living in the love of God produces such joy and peace that we are free to worship Him in everything we do with continuing thankfulness.

“And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful.”

Colossians 3:15 NLT

“And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father.”

Colossians 3:17 NLT

“You love him even though you have never seen him. Though you do not see him now, you trust him; and you rejoice with a glorious, inexpressible joy.”

1 Peter 1:8 NLT

With others – patience, kindness, goodness…

Harmonious relationships with one another depend on attitudes that reflect God’s nature in us. God gave us His nature and the potential to live it out, through His promises.

“His divine power has given us everything we need for a godly life through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature, having escaped the corruption in the world caused by evil desires.”

2 Peter 1:3-4 NIV

When we are patient, kind, and good to others especially when they treat us badly, we are displaying God’s nature and grace working through us.

With ourselves – faithfulness, meekness, and self-control…

These are qualities that show to what  extent we have control over our old sinful nature. Where selfishness still reigns, the old nature still dominates. There is an ongoing war between flesh and spirit. With the Holy Spirit’s help we are to kill the works of the flesh.

“Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God.”

Romans 8:12-14 NLT

… We are evidencing the Spirit’s work in us.

With these attributes of God reigning in our hearts…

With harmonious relationships with people around us – patience, kindness, goodness – the qualities that smooth conflicts and make friends of enemies.

With peace in ourselves – faithfulness, gentleness (meekness), self-control – the qualities in our relationship with ourselves that rein in the flesh by dying to self and being led by the Spirit.

…we bear witness to God’s life in us.

2. The reproduction of the life of Jesus in others – the fruit from him/her.

It is the fruit of of character and harmonious relationships that alerts unbelievers to the supernatural work of the Lord in us.

“Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples.”

John 13:35 NLT

“I am in them, and you are in me. May they experience such perfect unity that the world will know that you sent me and that you love them as much as you love me.”

John 17:23 NLT

The love and unity that exists in God’s family can never be reproduced in the world where selfishness reigns.

So, this is the place where the two kinds of fruit come together. Without the witness of the character of Jesus being formed in us, our witness to the world will be empty of truth. The life of Jesus becomes real to others when they witness it at work in us.

Bearing fruit, like the branch in union with the vine, requires no effort on our part but the “effort” of remaining in union with Jesus. His life is us through the Holy Spirit, as we live by the Spirit, will mature us in our character, freeing us from the power of sin and molding us into the image of Jesus.