Bear Fruit
Jesus emphasized that Christians must produce fruit. By comparing believers to branches on a grape vine, Jesus explained that we do not produce fruit through our own efforts. We bear fruit only by uniting with him and letting him work through us.
Christ expected His followers then and now to bear fruit. Notice He did not expect them to produce fruit, just bear it. And not just some fruit, but much fruit. The amount of fruit we bear correlates with how apparent it is to others that we are believers. (see John 15:8). Our faith is known to others through the good deeds that overflow from our character (see Matthew 5:16), or the fruit we bear.
You know as well as I do that for others to be impressed with our life-styles or good deeds, they must be consistent. Unbelievers are very sensitive to our inconsistencies. Oftentimes they look for them. So if we are to bear the kind of fruit Jesus is talking about -the kind that draws others to our way of believing - there must be a regular harvest.
The second thing that is clear from these verses is that what Jesus calls us to do is impossible. It's not merely difficult. It's not simply a struggle. It's not just hard. ITS IMPOSSIBLE! "For apart from Me you can do nothing." Not a little. Not a few things. NOTHING.
This should come as good news. . No one can live the Christian life apart from Christ-at least not with the consistency necessary to accomplish what Jesus called us to accomplish.
In essence, He was saying to His followers, "Men, if you think you are dependent on Me now, wait until I'm gone!". . . After He was gone, they would conduct themselves as soldiers who had been given orders. They would strike out to fulfill their mission of righteousness.
He wanted them to understand that though He was not going to be with them physically, He still expected them to depend on Him. And the same holds true for us today.
To put it in more practical terms if you do not learn to abide in Christ, you will never have a marriage characterized by love, joy, and peace. you will never have the self-control necessary to consistently overcome temptation. and you will always be an emotional hostage of your circumstances. Why? Because apart from abiding in Christ, you can do nothing.
Jesus makes a clear delineation between the vine and the branch. The two are not the same. He is the vine; we are the branches. The two are joined but not one. The common denominator in nature is the sap. The sap is the life of the vine and it branches. Cut off the flow of sap to the branch, and it slowly withers and dies.
As the branch draws its life from the vine, so we draw life form Christ. To abide in Christ is to draw upon His life.
-From The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley; part of The Inspirational Study Bible: New Century Version by Max Lucado
The key to producing fruit is growing closer to Jesus, knowing him more accurately, loving him more, and obeying him in more detail and with more joy.
I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing. . . You should produce much fruit and show that you are my followers, which brings glory to my Father. -John 15:5, 8
But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. -Galatians 5:22-23
Christ expected His followers then and now to bear fruit. Notice He did not expect them to produce fruit, just bear it. And not just some fruit, but much fruit. The amount of fruit we bear correlates with how apparent it is to others that we are believers. (see John 15:8). Our faith is known to others through the good deeds that overflow from our character (see Matthew 5:16), or the fruit we bear.
You know as well as I do that for others to be impressed with our life-styles or good deeds, they must be consistent. Unbelievers are very sensitive to our inconsistencies. Oftentimes they look for them. So if we are to bear the kind of fruit Jesus is talking about -the kind that draws others to our way of believing - there must be a regular harvest.
The second thing that is clear from these verses is that what Jesus calls us to do is impossible. It's not merely difficult. It's not simply a struggle. It's not just hard. ITS IMPOSSIBLE! "For apart from Me you can do nothing." Not a little. Not a few things. NOTHING.
This should come as good news. . No one can live the Christian life apart from Christ-at least not with the consistency necessary to accomplish what Jesus called us to accomplish.
In essence, He was saying to His followers, "Men, if you think you are dependent on Me now, wait until I'm gone!". . . After He was gone, they would conduct themselves as soldiers who had been given orders. They would strike out to fulfill their mission of righteousness.
He wanted them to understand that though He was not going to be with them physically, He still expected them to depend on Him. And the same holds true for us today.
To put it in more practical terms if you do not learn to abide in Christ, you will never have a marriage characterized by love, joy, and peace. you will never have the self-control necessary to consistently overcome temptation. and you will always be an emotional hostage of your circumstances. Why? Because apart from abiding in Christ, you can do nothing.
Jesus makes a clear delineation between the vine and the branch. The two are not the same. He is the vine; we are the branches. The two are joined but not one. The common denominator in nature is the sap. The sap is the life of the vine and it branches. Cut off the flow of sap to the branch, and it slowly withers and dies.
As the branch draws its life from the vine, so we draw life form Christ. To abide in Christ is to draw upon His life.
-From The Wonderful Spirit-Filled Life by Charles Stanley; part of The Inspirational Study Bible: New Century Version by Max Lucado
The key to producing fruit is growing closer to Jesus, knowing him more accurately, loving him more, and obeying him in more detail and with more joy.
I am the vine, and you are the branches. If any remain in me and I remain in them, they produce much fruit. But without me they can do nothing. . . You should produce much fruit and show that you are my followers, which brings glory to my Father. -John 15:5, 8
But the Spirit produces the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. -Galatians 5:22-23
Comments
Post a Comment