What Kind of Fruit Is On the Tree? John 15:5-8NKJ
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. 6 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. 7 If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. 8 By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
In the OT, the vine is used commonly as a symbol for Israel. A vine has two types of branches: 1) Branches that bear fruit. 2) Branches that do not.
The branches that bear fruit are genuine believers. The branches that do not bear fruit are those who profess to believe, but their lack of fruit indicates genuine salvation has never taken place, and they have no life from the vine.
* Thought: "Fruitless Church goers live by a respirator, and it could stop at anytime."
1 John 2:19NLT These people left our churches, but they never really belonged with us; otherwise they would have stayed with us. When they left, it proved that they did not belong with us.
Going back to the text, Verse 5... He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
The word ‘abide’ means to remain or stay around. The ‘remaining’ is evidence that salvation has taken place.
The Christians life resembles a well maintained vine, or a fruit bearing tree. Listen to Psalm 1:3NLT They are like trees planted along the riverbank, bearing fruit each season. Their leaves never wither, and they prosper in all they do.
3 John 2NLT Dear friend, I hope all is well with you and that you are as healthy in body as you are strong in spirit.
Since the believer’s life is figuratively illustrated as a tree, we must answer this question: What kind of fruit is on my vine or tree?
* I know very little about trees, but every time I have planted one, I know it takes a lot of care and maintenance for it to remain healthy, and to bear fruit.
This is true of our lives. Those around us know what type of a person we are because of the fruit we bear through our daily living.
In other words, we produce in our lives only fruit that’s consistent with our character. (No person will produce consistently what he or she doesn’t believe or embrace.)
I heard a wonderful story that beautifully illustrates this point. For over 40 years East Berlin was controlled by the communists. West Berlin was free. One day some people who lived in East Berlin took a truck-load of garbage and dumped it on the West Berlin side. The people of West Berlin could have retaliated by doing the same thing. But instead they took a truckload of canned goods, bread, and milk and neatly stacked it on the East Berlin side. On top of this stack of food they placed the sign: “Each gives what he has.”
What do you have to give? The answer is found in the fruit that you’re producing.
John 15:6NLT Anyone who does not remain in me is thrown away like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are gathered into a pile to be burned.
The imagery here is one of destruction. Matthew 13:40-42NLT “Just as the weeds are sorted out and burned in the fire, so it will be at the end of the world. 41 The Son of Man will send his angels, and they will remove from his Kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil. 42 And the angels will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.
In John 15, Jesus gives the formula for successful fruit bearing:
A person must be connected to the right source.
John 15:5b... He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
When you’re connected to God- His power is your power! The question is, “How can I allow God’s power to flow through me?”
John 15: 7NLT If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.
A person must be pruned and disciplined to be fruitful.
John 15:2NLT He cuts off every branch of mine that doesn’t produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
Fruit bearing is God’s highest desire for your life. Remember, pruning is the price for production.
* I love to read of the lives of great men and women. Every time it’s evident that the first victory they won was the victory over themselves.
A person must realize that God’s purpose for His children is fruitfulness.
John 15:8NLT By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.
The fruit of the Spirit should be your key to effective fruit bearing.
Galatians 5:22-23NLT But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!
Your constant contact with the Vine will make this all possible.
Prayer.
