Fruit-Bearing

Text

" 'This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.' " —John 15:8

Bible Reading

JOHN 15:1-11

Devotional

Think of an orchard or vineyard. The owner arrives to look for fruit, because that's the main interest of the fruit farmer. Lots of fruit makes the owner happy; it says that he is a good farmer. When there is no fruit, the owner trims back the branches with a pruning knife. If there is still no fruit, he cuts branches off.

Being fruit is, of course, a figure of speech when applied to people. Just as a fruit farmer works on his trees, God, the Owner of the orchard, works on people. God's aim is to harvest as much fruit as possible. He uses the knife only to get a richer yield. Only if no fruit appears after all this work does God cut the branch away. To be cut off means that God no longer tolerates you as someone who belongs to the people of God.

We cannot bear fruit unless we belong to Jesus. "Apart from me you can do nothing." Only when God's grace is known to us and God's Spirit is in us can we do works that God approves. These works are the fruits that please the Father.

We bear fruit when we suffer without growing bitter, when we do good deeds without taking credit, when we obey even if it is costly, when we confess Jesus even if it makes us unpopular, when we follow Christ even when he leads us where we do not choose to go.

Bearing fruit is impossible for those who are outside of Christ. But it is nothing spectacular for those who have received new life from Jesus. When a Christian fails to bear fruit, something has gone wrong, and it's time for serious self-examination.

God does not work in vain. When God has sent this powerful grace that changes our lives, God will also reap the fruits he has caused to grow.

An old catechism says that it is impossible for those who are implanted into Christ by a true faith not to bring forth fruits of thankfulness.

REFLECTIONS

When God looks at you, what fruit does he see?

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When God looks at me, what fruit does He see... what a question. It was difficult for me to answer. Not because theres nothing to say, but because I don't look at the things I do as fruit, I just see them as doing what I'm supposed to do. I guess thats part of it. "Bearing fruit...it is nothing spectacular for those who have received new life from Jesus." After thinking about it and discussing it with my husband, he reminded me that the fruit of the Spirit is love, and I do know that I have a huge capacity to love. I'm also diligent in my studies and wanting to do things rightly in the sight of the Lord (church, fellowship, see my friends and loved ones saved and not living lives that may be compromised). I long for integrity among the body of Christ and I desire that integrity in myself as well. What do you think is the fruit that God see's in you? Grace&Peace.