15 “I amB)’> and my Father is the gardener. 2 He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit,D)’> he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you.F)’> No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.
5 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit;H)’> 7 If you remain in meJ)’> 8 This is to my Father’s glory,L)’>
We tend to think that “fruit bearing” is a sign of a “really special” Christian. That’s not what Jesus said. Fruit bearing is a sign that you are a Christian. The health of your fruit is directly proportional to the strength of your relationship with Christ. A fruitless branch is useless.
So what is the nature of this fruit? We know about the fruit of the spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control. It is certainly great to have these traits, but they have a greater purpose. Like fruit in nature, the fruit we produce is meant to feed and sustain others. Fruit attracts folks to the vine. Fruit eventually produces new growth.
It’s clear that the status of our fruit is a measure of our health. We should keep a close eye on the condition of our fruit. When we begin to exhibit less love, when our joy begins to fade, when peace turns to fear, when kindess gives way to rudeness, when we become rough with others and out of control, it’s time to cling harder to the vine and prepare for pruning.
Be fruitful and be blessed.
Nick
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