The Secret to Bearing Fruit
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4).
The secret to bearing fruit for the kingdom of God is to realize that we don’t bear the fruit from our own strength, or goodness, or resources. The fruit we bear is the result of Christ working in us. Our job is to pursue relationship with Christ and to let His life-giving power flow through us.
Jesus used the metaphor of a grapevine and its branches to illustrate our relationship to Him, and our dependence on Him. He says it clearly in the verse above (no branch can bear fruit by itself) and He amplifies it in the following verse: “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5)
In his letter to the Galatians Paul writes similarly about the ministry of the Holy Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” (Galatians 5:22-23). Notice it does not say to bear fruit for the Holy Spirit, but it says that these things are the fruit of the Spirit; fruit that will naturally be produced in our lives as we allow the Holy Spirit to work in us. Paul writes: “Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit.” (Galatians 5:25)
The secret to bearing fruit is to be in fellowship with God. As we pursue relationship with Him bearing fruit for His kingdom will be the natural output of our lives. The better we know Him the better our lives will reflect Him. It is my daily prayer that God will strategically place His fruit bearing followers throughout society to accomplish His work and to represent His kingdom to our broken world.
Are you pursuing fellowship with God? Is His fruit being produced in your life?
Having begun as a guest speaker in 2005, Dan was appointed Interim Pastor in 2008 and has been serving Maple Root Baptist ever since. As a small group leader and Chaplin for the Connecticut Tigers, Dan has a heart for the lost and the God that saves them.