Fruitful Christians
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Key Verse: “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.” Selected Scripture: |
IN THIS CHAPTER Jesus calls himself “the vine.” (vs. 1) Previously he identified himself as the “bread of life,” saying that anyone who would come to him, eat of this bread, and believe on him, would never hunger or thirst. (John 6:32-35) Jesus, now having introduced a new illustration, calls himself the ‘true vine.’ In so doing he is presenting himself as the head of his church. The branches represent his partners who will bring blessings to the world.
But first, they must bring forth much fruit; and to do so they must abide in him. (vs. 5) What does it mean to ‘abide’ in Christ? Those who have come into Christ by faith, and consecrated themselves to do the will of God, can be said to ‘abide’ in him. This means that their faith will endure, and their consecration to the Lord and his service will continue, being manifested in their daily lives. When Jesus said, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you” (vs. 7), it is evident that he was stressing the importance of his work, and the Scriptures. This must be in the minds and lives of all who are truly his! They must search the Scriptures to know the will of the Lord.
Our Lord also clearly states the necessity of continuing under his care: “Abide in me. … As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (vs. 4) He continues: “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.”—vs. 7
The Apostle Paul reminds us of this same necessity for abiding in Christ, saying: “It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” (Heb. 10:31) He proceeds to point out his meaning by quoting from the Prophet Moses, “the Lord thy God is a consuming fire.” (Deut. 4:24) God’s love, no less than his justice, burns against all sin, and “all unrighteousness is sin.”—I John 5:17
Our Lord, in instructing his apostles of the importance of abiding in him, also stressed that his words must abide in us if we would have our prayers answered. His words, again, are, ‘If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you,’ as quoted above.
The most healthy branches in the vine may give evidence of fruit-bearing, but they still require pruning, representing difficult experiences in our lives. So also, the most honest and earnest of the Lord’s people require the discipline and care of the Lord. Otherwise they may fail to bring forth as much fruit as they could do with proper, continual pruning.
The true child of God will not be discouraged by this pruning, for he has full confidence in the wisdom of the great husbandman, being assured that the Lord’s will and ways are the best, and are intended to work out a blessing for each of us.
With the pruning that is received, the ‘fruit of the Spirit’ will be developed. What is this fruit? The Apostle Paul gives us the answer, saying, “The fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth; Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord.”—Eph. 5:9,10
May we all be fruitful Christians for God!