01.06. Chapter VI - FRUIT-BEARING

Chapter VI - FRUIT-BEARING In John 15:1-27 the Lord spoke to His disciples about bearing fruit for the glory of God. He told them that He was the vine, His Father was the husbandman and that they were the branches. He also said: "He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit... Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (John 15:5, John 15:8). Then He told them: "Ye have notchosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that yourfruit should remain" (John 15:16). From the above words of our Lord we learn that the purpose of our calling and salvation is that we should bring forth fruit to the Father’s glory. To this end we have been chosen and ordained. Our Father is looking for fruit toHis delight and satisfaction in His children and "every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit" (John 15:2). Thus we may be sure that bearing fruit for God is a vital essential of the Christian life. The Lord has saved us for this very purpose and every Christian ought tobe exercised about this important and practical subject of fruit-bearing.

What is Fruit-Bearing?

Fruit-bearing is a manifestation of life and characteristics of that life. A seed is planted which contains life and its certain characteristics. It grows into a plant which produces fruit of the same nature and character as the life in the seed that was planted. There is a re production of life and nature which is manifested in fruit. The seed of an orange tree, if planted, will produce another orange tree with its characteristic fruit. The seed of a lemon tree that is planted will produce another lemon tree which bears lemons as fruit. So in the Christian life, fruit-bearing is a reproduction of the life and characteristics of Christ in the believer. Fruit-bearing is more what one is than what one does; it is being something for God rather than doing something for Him. Bearing fruit for God has todo with character and Christ-likeness rather than service.

Christ the true vine which the believer is to abide in, would reproduce Himself in those who thus dwell in communion with Him. The Father, the divine husband man, looks forthe life of Christ and His characteristics to be reproduced and manifested in His children. This is the fruit He is seeking for His satisfaction and de light. He has predestinated us "to be conformed to the image of his Son" (Romans 8:29) and desires that "Christ be formed in you"(Galatians 4:19). Thus the apostle Paul realized that the purpose of God, in all the troubles of life he and we are called topass through, is "that the life also of Jesus might be made manifest in our body" (2 Corinthians 4:10). When Christ is seen in our lives, that is fruit to His and the Father’s glory. In Galatians 5:22-23 we are told that "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance." All these nine- fold virtues were perfectly exemplified in the life of Christ as fruit tothe Father’s glory and delight. The indwelling Spirit of God would also produce this beautiful cluster of nine-fold fruit in the life of every believer that abides in Christ the true Vine. These Christ-like virtues are notspoken of as fruits, but as "fruit of the Spirit." They are, as it were, all in one bunch like a cluster of grapes - one fruit of nine different flavors. It is a complete harmonious development by the Spirit of Christian character, in which every part is in evident relationship with the rest. Love is the first mentioned and shines out in them all and strings them together as it were. The first three of the fruit of the Spirit (love, joy, peace) are Godward and for His eye. They may be called internal fruit. The next three (longsuffering, gentleness, goodness) are of a relative character, the result of the first three filling the heart. They will be manifested towards one’s brethren, the world, and even one’s enemies. All can see these and appreciate them. The last three (faith, meekness, temperance or self-control) are personal and necessary for the soul’s sustainment in passing through the world with its trials and testings.

Requirements for Fruit-Bearing In John 15:1-27 where fruit-bearing is especially spoken of, the Lord gives the conditions necessary for bearing fruit. In John 15:4-5 we read: "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

Here we learn that our abiding in Christ and He in us is the prime necessity for fruit-bearing. Every true believer is united with Christ and is in Him positionally as a branch is with a vine, and the very life that flows through the Vine - Christ - flows through the branch the believer, thus the power to produce fruit for God is in Christ, the Vine, and in us also as branches in Him. But we are responsible to abide in Christ practically and this what is stressed in John 15:1-27 as necessary for fruit-bearing.

We cannot bring forth fruit for God of ourselves; it is not by our efforts that fruit for Him is borne, it is by simply abiding in Christ in practical and living communion with Him the life-giving Vine that fruit to His glory is produced in the Christian. If a soul dwells in Christ, Christ dwells in that soul and that which is in Him is communicated to that one just as the sap flows from the vine into the branches. In abiding in Christ we draw strength continually from Him and fruit-bearing follows as a result of abiding. In the natural world there is no activity involved in fruit-bearing, but quiet rest and drinking in of the rain and sunshine and partaking of the life-giving sap in the vine. So in the spiritual realm fruit for God is produced by quiet communion and rest in Christ, by keeping in practical and constant touch with Him in the sense of our need and inability to do anything without Him. It is by occupation with Christ that fruit is borne for Him rather than by employment and service for Him or efforts on our part to produce fruit pleasing to Himself. A spirit of complete dependence upon Christ is necessary for abiding in Him and fruit-bearing. "Without me ye can do nothing" the Lord would remind us. It is only as we realize our nothingness and make Christ our sole resource and confidence and lean upon Him in constant dependence that we will abide in Him and bear fruit.

Another point is mentioned in John 15:7. "If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you." It is necessary that Christ’s words abide in us and control our thoughts and desires if we would have confidence to ask what we will and receive power for fruit-bearing. When we truly abide in Him and His words abide in us, our mind, will and thoughts are formed by Christ’s words and we get guidance of heart and have confidence to ask of the Father in prayer. Thus we get the power of abiding and fruit-bearing by His Word abiding in us. In John 15:3 the Lord said, "Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you." The Word of God has a purging and cleansing power upon our souls and the Christian must have daily recourse to it if he would abide in Christ and bear fruit. To abide in communion with the Lord there must be the constant cleansing action of the Word of God in our hearts which are so easily defiled by the activity of the evil nature with in us and by the evil about us. We cannot abide in Christ if sin is allowed in our hearts, therefore we ever need the sanctifying and cleansing power of the Word of God upon our souls to keep us from sinning and defilement. "Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee" (Psalms 119:11). In John 15:10 another point follows: "If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love." Here we have obedience to the Lord’s commandments as a condition necessary to abide in His love. We are not only to have His Word abiding in us, but to walk in obedience to it even as Christ obeyed His Father’s commandments and enjoyed its fruit of abiding in His love. Thus a spirit of simple obedience to the will of God as revealed in His Word is necessary for abiding in Christ and fruit-bearing.

Then follows the blessed result of having Christ’s joy remaining or abiding in us and our joy made full as John 15:11 indicates. The Lord had perfect joy in the Father. His joy was in bringing forth fruit to the Father’s glory and He is here showing us how in fruit- bearing we can have joy and blessedness down here.

Summing up, we thus learn that the divine requirements for fruit-bearing are abiding in Christ in living communion, a spirit of complete dependence upon Him, His Word abiding in us as a cleansing and formative power begetting confidence to ask in prayer, and walking in obedience to His commandments which results in abiding in His love and having His joy remaining in us. The Care of the Husbandman

Another important item in the subject of fruit-bear ing is the care of the divine Husbandman for the branches and His work of purging them that fruit and more fruit might be borne to His glory. The Lord said: "my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit." (John 15:1-2).

It is the Father who is the husbandman and as such He looks after the branches in tender love and watchful care. He combines perfect wisdom and love in His treatment of the branches and knows how to cause them to bear fruit and more fruit. The fruitless professor He removes and the fruitful one He purges and cleanses so that more fruit may be borne. He cuts away out of our lives everything that hinders our being like Christ and bringing forth fruit to His delight. He may use the pruning knife to cut away superfluous things in our lives so that more and better fruit may be produced in us. He chastens us and may put us through the fires of affliction that the dross may be removed from us and that "we might be partakers of His holiness." The process may be painful and grievous, "nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteous ness unto them which are exercised thereby" (Hebrews 12:10-11). So when trials come, perhaps of sickness and suffering, or stress of circumstances, or bereavement, we may be sure it is the Father’s loving care for us as a fruit- branch and that it is His purging process to make us more fruitful for Himself. Sometimes He has to say as in Song of Solomon 4:16 : "Awake, O north wind; and come, thou south; blow upon my garden, that the spices thereof may flow out." The chilly north winds of adversity and the south winds of grace and love are combined to blow upon the Father’s vineyard so that the fragrance of fruit sweet to His taste may flow out. Then follows the pleasing words, "Let my beloved come into his garden, and eat his pleasant fruits," and "at our gates are all manner of pleasant fruits, new and old, which I have laid up for thee, O my beloved" (Song of Solomon 4:16; Song of Solomon 7:13). May we be enabled by grace to say these blessed words to our beloved Savior and loving Father who are looking for fruit, more fruit and much fruit from our lives. May we give more thought to this vital essential ofthe Christian life; fruit-bearing, and know more of abiding in Christ as the only way in which fruit can be produced in our lives to the Father’s glory.