Bearing Fruit

The born again nature does not need to strive to produce righteousness. All it has to do is be or stay united with Christ. So, the Christian life is to be a life of yielding, not struggling; union, not effort. Jesus reveals a beautiful analogy during His final instruction to the disciple before His returned to the Father, He says, "I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser." (John 15:1) He tells us that He Himself is the true vine. The word "true," here, is used in the sense of real, genuine. From Him, as with a natural vine, comes all the proper nourishment to all the branches, whether large or small. Therefore, Jesus is the real, genuine source of all strength, ability and grace to all, especially believers. 

Next, He tells us, "My Father is the vinedresser." The vinedresser is the one who has the care of a vineyard. Taking care of the vineyard entails nurturing, trimming, and protecting the vines to insure their proper growth and welfare. In this analogy, we see that the Father gave, or appointed his Son Jesus, to be, the one and only source of all blessings to man and for believers, those who are united to Him by faith, He gives the ability to bear much fruit. Jesus goes on to say, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. 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." (John 15:2-5)

Branches are the fruit-bearing part that need very careful pruning. If the branches are not pruned, and are not pruned at the right time and in the right way, they will cease to bring forth fruit. The same life that is in the vine flows through the branches and the life in the branches brings forth the appropriate kind of fruit. Jesus also gave us a warning that is very important. He tells us that we have to expect to be pruned. With that, let's look at some real life scenarios in the lives of believers. Some believers have problems because they are not bearing fruit. They struggle with situations that are the results of their bad decisions and or actions. On the other hand, other believers experience problems because they are bearing fruit. The reality is, those believers who are experiencing problems while bearing fruit are simply being pruned. If you have ever seen a vine pruned, the process seems almost ruthless. The branches are cut back so far, you would think the vine would not be able to produce branches that would ever bear fruit again. But the next year there is more fruit than the year before. 

Another notable thing that we see in this analogy, is the work of the entire Godhead. We see that the Father is the vinedresser, Jesus is the vine, but also the Holy Spirit as the One that flows through the vine and into the branches. The life of the Spirit flowing through the vine into the branches is what brings forth fruit. Keep in mind that this is not the fruit of our best efforts, nor the fruit of religion, but the fruit of the Spirit. When the Father is pruning us, we must not give up in the midst of the process, but remember our oneness with the vine, Jesus; the purpose of the Father's pruning, to bear more fruit; and the work of the Holy Spirit, feeding the branch with the nutrients to bear more fruit. This process comes by us recognizing that we must abide in, that is, remain united to Jesus by faith and live our Christian life completely dependent on Him. 

In every area of the Christian life we are not to rely on our natural ability of doing what God requires. Let's be honest, most believers live according to the natural realm trying to do things on their own, yet, Jesus tells us, "for without Me you can do nothing." He tells us this because He is "the (only) way, the (only) truth and the (only) life." (John 14:6) So, let us come to the place in our lives (if we are not there yet) to, "Lean on, trust in, and be confident in the Lord with all your heart and mind and do not rely on your own insight or understanding. In all your ways know, recognize, and acknowledge Him, and He will direct and make straight and plain your paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6 AMPC), or as Jesus said, "If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:7-8) Amen...

Let God Arise

One of the most thrilling things that every believer should aspire to, is learning about the depths of redemption that the Father has given through the Lord Jesus Christ. In doing so, we will come to understand and appropriate the marvelous ability of God that is in us. Think about it, the moment that one is born again, the living God takes up residence within them, "Do you not know that you are the temple of God and that the Spirit of God dwells in you?" (1 Corinthians 3:16) We have God's life in us. We become new creations. (2 Corinthians 5:17) We are God's masterpiece created in Christ. (Ephesians 2:10) We are partakers of God's divine nature. (2 Peter 1:4) Can we see that we have within us, as God's children, the very life and nature of God. The objective of Christ's coming was that we might have life, and have it abundantly. (John 10:10) Jesus said, "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit..." (John 15:5) Every believer, a branch of the vine, Jesus, receive the same life that is manifested in the vine, that we bear much fruit. It is the vine's life in us that produces the fruit of righteousness, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.

However, these wonderful things are not actively a part of the believers life simply because the Bible teaches them. It requires every believer to spend time in God's Word "...and receive with meekness the implanted word, which is able to save your souls." (James 1:21) The Apostle Paul tells us, "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." (Colossians 3:16) Notice, what the Word of God does in and through the believer; It is admonishing; educating; training; correcting, and causing us to step out of religion to where we are "admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord." Let us also not forget that God's Word also builds faith into our recreated spirit. (Romans 10:17) Look at the Holy Spirit's Word to the church through the Apostle Paul, "So now, brethren, I commend you to God and to the word of His grace, which is able to build you up and give you an inheritance among all those who are sanctified." (Acts 20:32) It is the Word that builds us up; it is the Word that causes us to know our privileges, our rights, our inheritance, that is, all that we have in Christ.

The revelation that the Apostle Paul received and we have in his epistles, are the Father's Words about Jesus. When believers say, "I am a new creation created in Christ," it is actually the Father's Words expressing a fact through their lips. When believers say, "in the Name of Jesus, disease, stop being," they are using the very Words of Jesus. Remember, Jesus said, "For I have not spoken on My own authority; but the Father who sent Me gave Me a command, what I should say and what I should speak...Therefore, whatever I speak, just as the Father has told Me, so I speak." (John 12:49-50) When believers step out into their rights of righteousness and begin to bear fruit, it will be the same kind of fruit Jesus bore in His earth walk as the Son of Man. Righteousness means the ability to stand in the Father's presence without the sense of guilt, condemnation, unworthiness or inferiority. His righteousness becomes ours the very moment that we confess with our mouth the Lordship of Jesus Christ and believe in our heart. (Romans 10:9-10) Look at this literal translation of Romans 4:25 which reads, "Who was delivered up on account of our trespasses, and was raised when we were declared righteous." 

As believers spend more and more time letting God's Word wash over us, that is, reading, studying and especially meditating on it, the more God arises in our lives. The more we let God arise in our life, the more freedom, liberty, we will experience. When Jesus said, "Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light" (Matthew 11:28-29) He meant it. When God told the Apostle Paul, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9) He meant it. When the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul said, "Now to Him who is able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, (Ephesians 3:20) and "For it is [not your strength, but it is] God who is effectively at work in you, both to will and to work [that is, strengthening, energizing, and creating in you the longing and the ability to fulfill your purpose] for His good pleasure" (Philippians 2:13 AMP) He also meant it.    

So, "Let God Arise" and let His Word transform us so that we will be the fruit bearers that His strength, His ability, His power, His grace, which is continuously at work in us, can accomplish through us for His glory. Finally, the Holy Spirit through the Apostle Paul tells us, "Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty [emancipation from bondage, true freedom]. And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from [one degree of] glory to [even more] glory, which comes from the Lord, [who is] the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:17-18) PTL...

Bearing Fruit

In John's gospel, we see Jesus giving some final instructions to the disciples before His death. One of the areas that He is discussing with them concerns bearing fruit. Jesus says, “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 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. “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. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." (John 15:1-8)

The main crux of what Jesus is speaking deals directly with two types of people who associate with a church or say that they are a Christian. He tells us, "Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit." We see that as a vinedresser, in the natural realm, will remove all branches that are dead or that do not bear fruit, so God will also do to those who profess to be Christians, but give no evidence by their lives that they are truly united to the Lord Jesus. However, everyone that is a true follower of Christ, those connected to Him by faith; those who truly live by His grace and strength; those whose dependence is solely upon Him, as a natural branch is with the vine, God prunes, that is, He purifies, teaches, strengthens, gives more grace, gives them a purity in motive and in life, so that they may be more useful, that is, bear more fruit for His glory.  So, what does it mean to bear fruit or what fruit are believers to bear?

The Apostle Paul tells us, "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 righteousness." (2 Corinthians 9:10) For believers to increase or bear fruits of righteousness, we must discover what these fruits are. The way we do this is to look at the fruits of righteousness in the life of Jesus. The fruits of righteousness as seen in the gospels through the life of Jesus were not right actions only, but they
were carrying out the will of the Father, in actions and in words. (John 5:19, 6:38) That meant healing the sick, feeding the multitudes, and all the other manifestations of His love toward man. These are the fruits of righteousness. If believers are to bear the fruits of righteousness, they will be imitators of Jesus. (Ephesians 5:1)

Jesus also tells us, "I am the vine, you are the branches." The vine supplies the branch with all that it needs to bear fruit, simply because is a part of the vine. The branch will also bear the same fruit as the vine. What this means, is, the branches of a grape vine will only bear grapes. The branches of a watermelon vine will only bear watermelons, etc. The fruits of righteousness in our lives will be a direct reflection of Jesus when He walked this earth. We will be a blessing to all we come in contact with. "In Jesus' name we will cast out demons; we will speak with new tongues; we will take up serpents; and if we drink anything deadly, it will by no means hurt us; we will lay hands on the sick, and they will recover.” (Mark 16:17-18) We will also have the Holy Spirit's anointing to go forth to, "preach the gospel to the poor; heal the brokenhearted, proclaim liberty to the captives and recovery of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed; and to proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord." (Luke 4:18-19) Doing these things, that is, replicating the ministry of Jesus, is the fruit Jesus is referring to that believers are to bear, which Paul calls the fruits of righteousness. 

This may be something that is utterly new for many believers. Many know about the fruit of the Spirit, but for many, little has been known of the fruits of righteousness. Why is this? I believe it is mostly due to a lack of understanding and living in the realm of what we are in Christ; what Christ is in us and how the Father sees us. The moment one is born again, they become the righteousness of God, in Jesus Christ. (2 Corinthians 5:21) The Holy Spirit immediately becomes our teacher, the Word of God becomes our food. (Luke 4:4) We should be studying, meditating on and pouring over God's Word. As we do, the Holy Spirit will illuminate it, make it a living thing in our hearts, renew our minds, assuring our legal position in God, in Christ, releasing the power of His Word through our lips and our actions, producing the fruits of righteousness.

As we bear fruit, the fruits of righteousness, we will be taking Jesus' place. We will destroy the works of the devil, just as Jesus did. We will go forth unveiling the riches of Christ to others until their hearts break and they say, "What must I do to be saved." The moment they accept Christ, the works of the devil are broken over their lives, Jesus becomes alive in them, miracles are an every day occurrence, and they unveil to the world, that Christianity is supernatural. These very things should also be the norm of every one who has already confessed Jesus as Lord and received Him as Savior. So, let us go forth in the power of His might, bearing fruit, the fruits of righteousness, all for His glory. Amen?