Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” Just as fruit bearing is natural for the branches of a grapevine, so is fruit bearing for the Christian. In fact, something is seriously wrong if either one does not bear fruit. Let’s notice some basic scriptural principles about fruit bearing.
We must bear the right kind of fruit. Just any kind will not do. There is bad fruit and there is good fruit. Each person must determine which he will bear. “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit….therefore, by their fruits you shall know them.” (Matt. 7:15-20) Jesus was speaking of false prophets in this context, but the principle would apply to one’s false life as well. Hypocrisy, world-liness and works of the flesh are bad fruit. The right kind of fruit is “speaking the truth in love…” (Eph.4:15); “having fruit to holiness” (Rom.6:22); “the fruit of righteousness” (James 3:18) and the “fruit of the Spirit” which is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control….” (Gal. 5:22,23)
We must bear much fruit. Just a little is not enough. What did Jesus say? “He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit…By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit…” (John 15:5,8) God blesses us to give with liberality and abundance. “And God is able to make all grace abound toward you, that you, always having all sufficiency in all things, may have an abundance for every good work….Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your right-eousness, while you are enriched in everything for all liberality, which causes thanksgiving through us to God.” (II Cor. 9:8-11) Scripture speaks of “being filled with the fruits of righteous-ness” (Phil.1:11); full of mercy and good fruits” (James 3:17); and bearing fruit thirty, sixty or a hundred fold. (Matt. 13:23)
We must bear fruit through Christ. Just bearing fruit is not good enough. Jesus said, “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me….For without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4,5) As Christians, we must stay connected to Christ, just as the branch must stay connected to the vine, or else, no fruit can be produced. Of course, many good things are done without Christ to aid one’s fellowman. The government and society have various programs to help the needy, provide education, assist the young and elderly, and generally improve our way of life. However, such good things are not “bearing fruit unto God.” (Rom. 7:4) They are physical, temporal and materi-al in nature. The fruit we bear is of spiritual and eternal value. We do not “labor for the food that perishes, but for the food that endures to everlasting life.” (John 6:27) Greater emphasis must be placed on the condition of the soul than the condition of the body. And every spiritual blessing is in Christ. (Eph.1:3) As we enjoy these spiritual blessings in Christ, we must continue sharing them with others. Then we are bearing fruit through Christ.
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