Mission Venture Ministries

Jesus told His disciples, “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in Me and I in you, you will bear much fruit…” (John 15:5). 

To bear much fruit means to live in such a way that I am always found to be in Him, to walk hand in hand with Him and to live according to His Word, “If you abide in Me, and my words abide in you …” (John 15:7). 

A fruitful life results in obedience to the Father, by walking in His ways and leading others to trust in Jesus, to give them a desire to follow Him because of the example they see in you. That’s the kind of fruit that will last forever. It’s also the kind of fruit that brings glory to God (John 15:8). 

The Lord Jesus Himself tells His disciples at their last meal together, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples…You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you” (John 15:8, 16). 

If you are a child of God, your purpose in this life is to bear fruit. What Jesus wants most in the lives of His children is not just fruit, but “much fruit.” 

So how can I bear fruit? The fruit of the Spirit can only come forth in me by the power of the Spirit. No amount of self-effort will bear spiritual fruit. It requires a total surrender of my self-will to God so that I can obey Jesus’ words in the daily situations of life, in order for the fruit of the Spirit to come forth instead of my own nature. Such a total surrender occurs when Jesus is my first love, and reigns in my heart and mind. When it is His will, His Word that is done in my life, and not my own will; then the bearing of fruit, the fruit of the Spirit, the fruit of obeying Jesus’ words will come forth quite naturally. 

Jesus told His disciples: “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn-bushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16-20). 

If you’re producing fruit of the Spirit, you will attract men and women into the presence of God by your very life. And, as we live the Christian life in dependency on the Holy Spirit, two things will become evident in us. 

1. We treasure God’s Word because, when we value something, we think about it, study it, and learn all we can about it. By studying the Bible, we learn about God’s character, plans, and promises. Scripture meditation develops our ability to think biblically and deepens our relationship with the Lord. One of the indications that we treasure His Word is a change in behavior, decisions will increasingly be guided by His principles, and actions will reflect the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23). 
2. We adorn ourselves with kindness and truth, since these two virtues are to be our constant companions. God’s truth has the power to expose ungodly attitudes and behaviors, not only in us but also in others. When this happens, kindness helps to protect relationships from damage. What’s more, it can prevent discord and division in churches. God wants us to speak the truth to one another and while dong so, to make sure we do it with loving compassion. 

As we walk with the Lord, He’ll grow His fruit in us and teach us to follow Him. In one of His parables, Jesus talks about three men who were entrusted with resources. The first two men maximized their resources and ended up with more than they started. The third man buried what he was given in a hole. 

The first two men receive the same words of approval, “Well done, my good and faithful servant” (Matthew 25:21, 23). The third man is criticized for not doing more with what he had. When we use our time, energy, money, skills, and relationships to advance the gospel of Jesus, we are maximizing our resources, investing in eternity, and living a fruitful life. 

Romans 14:12 says that, “each of us will give a personal account to God.” One day God is going to evaluate our lives to see how fruitful we have been with what we were given. If we know that day is coming, it would be wise to plan ahead for it. So the question is . . . are you living a fruitful life? 

Keep in mind that the Father’s desire is to transform us into the image of Christ (Romans 8:29) and make us as fruitful as He was. In our allegiance to Him, we want to be characterized by good works (Ephesians 2:10; Titus 2:7; Colossians 1:10), humility (Ephesians 4:2; Titus 3:2), and forgiveness (Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13). We want to always be ready to “give an account for the hope that is within us” (1 Peter 3:15). We desire to be the “good soil” Jesus spoke of in the Parable of the Sower in Matthew 13:3-9. Therefore, living a fruitful life is what every disciple of Christ should desire. 

The result of spiritual fruitfulness is that God is glorified, we grow, and others come to know Christ, this is the ultimate fruitfulness for a child of God (Matthew 5:16; Mark 16:15). 

Remember that in the end, the pleasures and passions of the world are nothing compared to the beauty and blessing of knowing God, and having the Holy Spirit living in the believer because, as the ending of the verse says, “apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). 

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