Producing God’s Fruit
1. I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.
2. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may produce more fruit.
3. Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you.
4. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in Vine; no more can you, except you abide in Me.
5. I Am the Vine, you are the branches: the ones that abide in me and I in them, the same produce much fruit: for without Me, you can do nothing.
6. If anyone does not abide in Me, they are cast aside as a branch, and are withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
7. If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you.
8. In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My Disciples.
John 15:1-8
The Meaning of Bearing God’s Fruit
Simply bearing fruit is not the issue. Bearing God’s Fruit is the real concern. The connection with the world has caused us to become productive in the wrong way. We have learned all the wrong things and as a result have harvested the consequences of wickedness. If we observe the events of our world today, it bears evidence that mankind has become highly productive in destructive living. Murders, thefts, crimes, and catastrophic events all bear the same tragic evidence that humans are headed down a path of destruction. Is not this sufficient proof that our society has connected to the evil? Does not the fruit speak for itself? In the words of the prophet Hosea, “we have sown to the wind and have reaped a tornado.” Hosea 8:7. What can we do to end the madness? How can we reverse the process of bringing forth such evil fruit? The only answer is that we must turn to God for His True Connection.
On the evening prior to Jesus’ trial and crucifixion, our Lord spoke on the subject of producing God’s Fruit. 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 purges it, that it may produce more fruit. He defined for the Disciples what it meant to bear God’s Fruit. If there is no connection with Jesus Christ, then producing evil is the only other process. If Jesus is the True Vine, the conclusion is that anything else is false and will only bring about destruction. Bearing God’s Fruit demands that we maintain a connection through our Lord Jesus.
Jesus also made it clear what it takes to bear God’s Fruit. I Am the Vine, you are the branches: the ones that abide in me and I in them, the same produce much fruit: for without Me, you can do nothing. Abiding in Christ is tied to ability. Without Christ working in us, it is impossible to bear any fruit for God. Forget about the notion that Jesus comes to bring out the best in us. That is false teaching. Jesus is the True Connection with the Power of God Almighty. It is only through Him and only when we abide in Him can we be productive in the things of God. Our Lord made that emphatically clear in John 15:5, for without Me, you can do nothing.
Then there are the results of bearing God’s Fruit. Here’s where there is a lot of confusion. Some assume that the results are a good life. Others assume that the results are good fortune and great things happening in a person’s life. While these conclusions are not wrong, they are insufficient. Both are based on earthly measurements and the faulty basis that if we serve God and become productive it will yield a successful life. That is not why Jesus gave you His Divine Connection. John 15:8, makes it clear that we are bearing God’s Fruit for God’s Glory. In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My Disciples. Certainly, believers are greatly benefited through their connection with the Lord Jesus Christ. Certainly, every believer demonstrates what it means to live a godly life for God. But the results point to one thing and one thing only: it is for God’s Glory. God’s Glory is the highest achievement for any great work and certainly, this is God’s work.
With that being said, let us take a look at this process of bearing God’s Fruit. We will explore the five components or principles in Bearing God’s Fruit. It is critical that we know: the connection, the protection, the correction, the production, and the completion.
The Process of Bearing God’s Fruit
Obviously, there are some who claim they are bearing God’s Fruit but have not made the connection. Jesus’ reference to Himself as the True Vine is not simply a title He ascribes to Himself. There is another vine growing in society and it is the vine of the world. That vine is producing deadly fruit to the destruction of all those connected. Revelation 14:18-19, tells us that the Angel of God was commanded to thrust in the sickle and take the vine of the earth and … cast it into the great winepress of the wrath of God. This is why people need to check their connection. God’s judgment is coming and that is certain. The two vines will be harvested and that is also certain. You cannot wait until the judgment to choose which vine you will connect to. Make the conscious decision to connect with Christ Jesus today.
Here is the wonderful truth about the connection to Christ. His life begins to flow into the branches. That is what we are called: branches. We not only connect, but we also “abide” in Him. The Greek word for abide means to remain, continue, or dwell. Jesus gave this as a command. Without the connection to Christ, there is no life possible. In electrical terms, a connection means that the current can pass through. Lights, devices, and other instruments that depend on electricity cannot function without that connection to the power source. So it is with the believer, we cannot experience God’s life giving power without our connection to the True Vine.
The process of bearing God’s Fruit also involves Protection. Jesus said, I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser. God the Father is also working on the branches to make sure they are drawing life from the True Vine. The King James renders the word as Husbandman. That makes it more of a relationship. We think of a husband as one who loves and cherishes his wife. Our relationship with God is not robotic but intimate. God loves us and in this process of bearing fruit, that love is at the center of God working in the life of the believer. This is for God’s Glory and He is personally involved in making sure that the believer is supplied and supported with everything needed. He protects the branches with His Presence to guard against infestation and infection.
This introduces us to the next process of Correction. John 15:3, Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may produce more fruit. There are certain things about the branch that could pose a threat to fruit production. Two conditions come to mind: the first is deadness and the second is excessive growth. We all would agree that we would much rather that the Father pruned us versus casting us aside. In that same love that God protects us, He also prunes away the things that prevent us from yielding fruit. Habits, attitudes, and motives can all thwart our spiritual development. It needs to be perfectly clear that no child of God is above reproof and correction. For those whom the Father loves, He also disciplines. Hebrews 12:6.
While this process is uncomfortable, it is extremely valuable. Let me give a practical example. Whenever a vinedresser prunes a plant, their goal is not punishment but production. When we visit an orchard, we take one look at the trees and consider hot the branches have been cut and trimmed. In pruning the branch looks like it has been prevented from growing, but when we look at the fruit, we see why. A beautiful unscathed branch means nothing if it is stunted in producing the fruit. Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may produce more fruit. That is God’s correction and it is all good.
The obvious results is the production of the fruit. The branches do not have to strain or struggle to produce God’s Fruit. They simply need to abide in the Vine. Jesus used the word abide seven times in these verses to demonstrate not only our dependence upon God, but also our confidence. Faith is the confidence that God will do what He says. If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done unto you. That word “if” is actually a statement of condition and could be rendered “since.” For the child of God, since we are in Christ, we are seated in Heavenly Places. Since we are in Christ, we belong to God Almighty. Since we are in Christ, we are joint heirs with Him. Yes, since we are in Christ, all our needs are met. Since we are in Christ, God’s Power is flowing through us. God’s Word is working in us. God’s Fruit is being produced.
For many of us, we ask if this process will ever be completed? The answer is Yes, one day the work will be finished. Jesus reminds us that completion is not based on any earthly measure. It is certainly not based on our estimation of how much fruit we can produce because that is unlimited. Did you know that you have unlimited potential? God can produce as much as He desires. Your Divine Connection with Christ assures you of an unlimited supply. God’s Work in you by the Father assures that your capacity is without measure. The only thing left for us is simply to “abide in the Vine” and keep producing.
The Completion of the Process depends only on two things. God’s Glory and God’s Care. The way I see it, it is possible to bear fruit even after we leave this life. If what we do is in Christ and for Christ, nothing can separate us from the Love of God. Not even death. Keep producing God’s Fruit. As long as God is being glorified, the completion date is to be determined. In this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be My Disciples.