Fruit of the Vine

God wants us to bear much fruit, for He is glorified when we do.1 As our Heavenly Father, God wants His children to have fruitful life. He takes care of His family, as a vinedresser tends to his vineyard. Each branch of the vine is cared for with detailed attention. The growth is pruned back to stimulate a branching out of growth and blossoms that develop into fruit. A vine that does not bear much fruit has few branches, for the dead have fallen off, and without a change from where the branches get their life, no new growth can occur. Growth flourishes when the source of the vine feeding the branches, comes from the goodness of the True Light and Living Water. The branches do not flourish in darkness, shaded from the True Light, even if the branches seem to be one with the vine. This is also the fallacy of hypocrisy, living in the darkness of a sinful lifestyle, yet appearing to be connected to the source of life—the light of life—the light of men.2

It takes more than reading or understanding God’s Word to live a fruitful life. Jesus instructs us, “If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them.”3 He will judge the fruitfulness of our lives when He returns. Our actions will speak for us as the Shepherd divides the goats from the sheep.4 He determines whether we stand with Him on the righteous side that receives eternal life or the side left for judgment and everlasting punishment.5

How do you respond to a person in need? If someone is without food, water, clothing or shelter, will you give what he or she needs? This is what Jesus is looking to find in you when He says, “For I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me. Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”6 If Christ, the source of eternal life, is living in you, what you are willing to do for Him, you will do for others. Christ is not living in you if you walk in darkness.7

Jesus teaches about the vine and the branches so that His joy will remain in you, and that your joy may be full,8 for the Lord is joyful when his children are fruitful. You are fruitful when you keep His commandment, “love one another as I have loved you.”9 Jesus loves you so much that He laid down His life for you so that you may have eternal life with Him in heaven. He described His relationship with us as friendship when He said, “Greater love has no one than this, than to lay down one’s life for his friends. You are my friends if you do whatever I command you.”10 Jesus wants to be your friend. If you abide in Jesus, He will abide in you. If you abide in Jesus, then His words, —His wisdom for daily living written in the Holy Bible— will live in you to instruct you in all that you should do. If the Word11 —Jesus— abides in you, then the desires of your heart are His.12 Then, when you face a branch of your life where you must make a choice between fruitful living in the True Light or walking in darkness, “you will ask what you desire and it shall be done for you.13 For he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”14 God is glorified when your life is fruitful, when you make the choice He would make, because He abides in you. As a branch that remains on the vine, the vinedresser has chosen you to bear much fruit.15 If He had not chosen you —selected you to remain in Him— the vinedresser would have cut you off —withered and dead— and cast you out as a branch to be gathered and thrown into the fire and burned.16 You, as a chosen one of Christ, a disciple, are appointed to go and bear much fruit, to love one another, that others would know that Christ abides in you by your love. Go therefore, with His Great Commission to make disciples of all peoples,17 that the True Vine18 would flourish with new branches, new starts with life in Christ, reflecting the love you shared with others during their time of need.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.19   --Christ, the True Light of the world.


Praise to Our Father for the words He has given me.


Copyright © 2004 by Jeff Cambridge, Stellar Rhema Ministry


Footnotes
All Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from The Holy Bible, New King James Version, copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982, Thomas Nelson, Inc., Publishers.

1. John 15:7
2. John 1:4, 8:12
3. John 13:17 italics added
4. Matthew 25:31-33
5. Matthew 25:46
6. Matthew 25:35,36,40
7. John 8:12
8. John 15:11
9. John 15:12
10. John 15:13-14
11. John 1:1
12. Psalm 37:4
13. John 15:7
14. John 3:21
15. John 15:16
16. John 15:2,6
17. Matthew 28:19
18. John 15:1
19. Matthew 5:16