INTRODUCTION
Having only just completed another Pentecost, the Feast of Harvest,
beautifully picturing the glorification of the perfected saints
of God of this age, as depicted by the wave-offering of the two
loaves of bread baked from the firstfruits of the harvested wheat
(Lev 23:16-17), it is perhaps fitting to continue the theme by
considering the subject of the need to ensure the on-going
fruitfulness of the crop of this first harvest of God. I'd
like to do so, in the first instance, by examining the lessons
for us contained in the biblical descriptions of the vineyard
and the fruit it bears, or is to bear.
THE VINEYARD OF ISRAEL
The grapevine or vineyard, along with its fruit, is referred to
many times, often metaphorically, in the Scriptures, both Old
and New Testament. It is a prolific plant, a single vine bearing
many grapes. Anciently, the vines of Palestine were noted both
for their luxuriant growth and for the immense cluster of grapes
which they produced, which were sometimes carried on a staff between
two people, as in the case of the spies in Nu 13:23; apparently,
this has been done in some instances in modern times. In the Old
Testament, the grapevine symbolised fruitfulness (as in Ps 128:3),
or the fertility of the land, as in Dt 6:11, for instance. Dwelling
under the vine and the fig tree (1 Kg 4:25; Mic 4:4) pictured
happiness, peace and prosperity.
Ancient Israel, originally planted by God on a fertile hill as
a "choice vine" (Is 5:1-2; Hos 10:1)—the finest of vines,
bearing a bluish-red grape that would produce rich red wine—instead
ended up becoming "wild grapes", and even "the
degenerate plant of a alien vine" (Jer 2:21). The Hebrew
translated "wild grapes" (Isa 5:2) literally means "stinking
or worthless things", or "noxious weeds" (Isa 5:2,4).
Although the vine of God's planting, Israel failed to bear the
proper fruit (Isa 5:1-7; Jer. 2:19-21). The grapes produced were
wild, stunted, harsh and sour.
God has done for us today what He did for Israel of old. He has
planted His Church in fertile ground as His vineyard, protected
it with a wall and a watchtower (Mk 12:1) and entrusted its care
to His beloved Son. From this imagery of the vineyard, and other
similar imagery and parables involving fruit-trees and fruit,
what can we as Christians learn about spiritual fruitfulness?
THE VINE AND THE BRANCHES
The planting and nurturing of a vineyard requires constant and
intensive care. Let us then note how Christ tends to and nurtures
the branches of this vine from His Father:
Jn 15:1-8 "I am the true vine [what ancient
Israel should have been but failed to be], and My Father is the
vinedresser."
Israel had become an alien vine, a false vine. Jesus Christ, one
of whose titles is also Israel (Isa 49:3), who alone nourishes
and gives eternal life, is the true, authentic Vine embodying
the true Israel of God.
2 "Every branch in Me [so we are here dealing with
branches which are being nourished or which were initially nourished
by Jesus Christ, the main stalk or vine] that does not bear fruit
[the fruits of holiness] He takes away [so God will remove, one
way or another, whatever or whoever continues to be unfruitful;
how does He do this, and when does He do this?]; and
every branch that bears fruit He prunes [Gk: kathairo—cleanses;
so here there is also a taking away, but this time, of anything
that is superfluous or that would stifle the branch's increasing
fruitfulness; a cleansing through pruning, or cutting off], that
it may bear more fruit ["that it may keep on bearing more
fruit"]."
Every unfruitful branch—this includes all the boughs, and the
smallest tendrils that shoot out from the parent stalk—is eventually
removed, so Christ here tells us. Therefore, even a large, apparently
thriving branch may need to be lopped off because it is unfruitful;
to leave it there will simply impede the growth of branches that
are fruitful.
3 "You are already clean [pruned] because of the word
which I have spoken to you [so the Word of God will cleanse us,
if we allow it to. Do we so allow it to?]. 4 Abide [be permanently
resident] in Me, and I [if you so do, will abide] in you. As the
branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine,
neither can you, unless you abide [keep on abiding] in Me."
Christ then reiterates the main point He began with, and adds:
5 "I am the vine, you are the branches [some large, some
small]. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for
without Me [or apart from Me, as a broken-off branch that
is indeed taken away] you can do nothing [perhaps we can say "cut
off from Me you can do nothing"]."
The branches hold the leaves which, through the process of photosynthesis,
convert the sun's light they catch into nutrients, which they
then in turn move on into the plant. More leaves grow and fruit
is produced by the branches. However, if the branches are not
solidly connected to the vine stem, the sap cannot flow freely
to nourish them, and fruit is not borne as it could be. Is our
supply of spiritual sap adequate?
The alternative to failing to abide in Christ is very sobering:
6 "If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch
and is withered [without any vitality, dry, cold, spiritually-dead;
such a one, until removed, may, however, be still physically attached
to the vine though no longer a bone fide part of it]; and they
gather them [there is a judgment made] and throw them into the
fire, and they are burned."
They are burned just as are the tares in the parable of the wheat
and the tares.
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."
Our fruitfulness, we are then told, brings glory to God and is
a sign of our discipleship:
8 "By this My Father is glorified, that you bear [keep on
bearing] much fruit [good, strong, vigorous vines, plentifully-laden
with fruit are what is desired by our heavenly Father]; so you
will be My disciples."
So how does God act to ensure the production of the fruit that
is to be borne?
THE PRUNING OF GOD: UNFRUITFUL BRANCHES
As already pointed out, the word "prunes" in Jn 15:2
literally means "cleanses". Once the fruit is on the
vine, the vinedresser may indeed cleanse it of bugs and diseases.
However, the main reference is to a cutting back, or a
cutting off. This pruning process is very much a cleansing
process, of fruitful, as well as unfruitful branches. Let us consider
the latter first.
God is very patient and He does indeed give us every opportunity
to produce fruit, as we shall see. No plant bears fruit instantaneously;
fruit is the result of a process, and so it is with us—a life-long
one. Yet is this fruit-bearing process well in train in our lives,
and how can we tell?
Interestingly, where we are told in Jn 15:2 that God "takes
away" or "cuts off" every branch in Christ that
fails to bear fruit, the Greek word can also mean "lifts
up" or "raises"; the implication here may well
be that God first encourages a faltering or fruitless branch
by raising it to a greater spiritual height, if you like.
Vinedressers are known to lift up branches from the ground to
enhance fruit bearing, and to clean a dirty vine for the same
reason. Falling and low-lying branches, whose grapes are also
more subject to rot and mildew, may be tied to a higher level,
to encourage them to develop more strength.
This parable of Christ's in Luke 13 may well be a reference to
the unresponsiveness of the Jewish leaders to His ministry and
witness, but it also has a personal application for us in this
respect:
Lk 13:6-9 (NIV) Then he told this parable: "A man
had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard [so this fig tree is growing
in the vineyard of God; this apparently was prohibited in Old
Testament times: Dt 22:9 (NIV) forbids the planting two kinds
of seed in a vineyard, as both crops and grapes were considered
defiled. We might wonder why such a prohibition], and he went
to look for fruit on it [fruit that should have been there], but
did not find any. 7 So he said to the man who took care of the
vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit
on this fig tree [long enough for a reasonable expectation of
fruit once the tree had reached maturity] and haven't found any.
Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?' 8 "'Sir,' the
man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around
it and fertilise it [if it's ever going to bear fruit it will
surely do so after another year]. 9 If it bears fruit next year,
fine! If not, then cut it down.'"
God "lifts up", encourages, bears with—spiritually fertilises—those
of us who may be too weak to bear the appropriate fruit in its
due season. But how long does God bear with those who simply refuse
to bear fruit at all?
Lev 19:23-25 (NIV) "When you enter the land and plant
any kind of fruit tree, regard its fruit as forbidden [Heb: "uncircumcised"].
For three years you are to consider it forbidden; it must not
be eaten. 24 In the fourth year all its fruit will be holy, an
offering of praise to the LORD. 25 But in the fifth year you
may eat its fruit. In this way your harvest will be increased.
I am the LORD your God."
By the fourth year then, fruit-trees were expected to be fruitful.
When is the fourth year of bearing fruit for each of us, we might
ask?
What was prophetically true of the vineyard that pictured ancient
Israel will become a sobering reality for the Christian who is
unwilling to bear fruit:
Isa 5:2-6 (NRSV) He [referring to God] dug it [this vineyard
that was already on a fertile hill] and cleared it of stones,
and planted it with choice vines; he built a watchtower in the
midst of it [to provide even more protection], and hewed out a
wine vat in it; he expected it to yield [a crop of good, rich,
red quality] grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. 3 And now, inhabitants
of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard that I have not done
in it? When I expected it to yield grapes, why did it yield wild
grapes? 5 And now I will tell you what I will do to my vineyard.
I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break
down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. 6 I will make it
a waste; it shall not be pruned [there's no fruit evident to even
consider pruning] or hoed, and it shall be overgrown with briers
and thorns [and we will note what happens to briars and thorns
shortly]; I will also command the clouds that they rain no rain
upon it.
What else can God and Christ do for a Christian who refuses to
abide in the vine and so allow acceptable fruit to be produced
in him or her? Such a one has now become only deadwood, harbouring
insects and disease and potentially causing the entire vine to
rot—to say nothing of being unproductive and unsightly. The only
alternative is judgment.
Mt 3:10 (NIV) "And even now the ax [the judgment of
God] is laid to the root of the trees [all the branches
here are fruitless, so the whole lot has to go, unless something
changes; no doubt these Sadducees and Pharisees had received an
ample witness from the ministry of John the Baptist and yet still
remained intransigent]. Therefore every tree which does not bear
good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire."
The absence of fruit in the branch of the vine casts grave doubt
upon its real union with the central stem, however otherwise it
may appear. Such useless members must eventually be cut off; perhaps
Judas is the outstanding example. Yet Judas cut himself off, didn't
he? Christ reached out to Him right to the end, fully knowing
what he would do. He had withered and died long before he was
physically removed.
Do we, as branches, truly abide in Jesus Christ—or do we
only occasionally connect to Him? Is the good fruit of God being
produced in us through this on-going, unbroken relationship with
His Son? Are we being nourished by the True Vine, and what evidence
can we produce—to ourselves, as well as for others to witness—that
that this is indeed the case? How close are we, as branches, to
the Vine, Jesus Christ?
Yes, these "dead branches" may still be physically attached
to the vine, even though in reality they have only a cosmetic
function—even right up to the very return of the Son of God!
If we are, or if we become unproductive, we will die spiritually—it's
just a matter of time!
Mt 13:38-42,49 (NIV) "The field is the world, and
the good seed stands for the sons of the kingdom. The weeds [or
tares] are the sons of the evil one, 39 and the enemy who sows
them is the devil. The harvest is the end of the age, and the
harvesters are angels. 40 As the weeds are pulled up and burned
in the fire, so it will be at the end of the age [so the fruitless
tares will still be there, right alongside the wheat, the good
fruit]. 41 The Son of Man will send out his angels, and they
will weed out [the wheat, remember, will no longer be growing
alongside to be possibly uprooted when the tares are pulled out]
of his kingdom everything that causes sin and all who do evil.
42 They will throw them into the fiery furnace, where there will
be weeping and gnashing of teeth."
49 "This is how it will be at the end of the age. The angels
will come and separate the wicked from the righteous"
However, God does not always choose to wait this long. It is also
sobering to contemplate that sometimes He may need to promptly
remove an unfruitful branch, even or especially a large
branch, if its continued presence is going to stifle the growth
and fruitfulness of others of the branches on the vine.
THE PRUNING OF GOD: FRUITFUL BRANCHES
Whereas whoever continues to be unfruitful is cut away, fruitful
branches are cut back to promote growth. It is a measure of our
fruitfulness if we are indeed pruned and cleansed by God. If we
do not experience this pruning, what, according to the Scriptures,
does this tell us about our spiritual growth?
Heb 12:6-8 "For whom the LORD loves He chastens [the
Greek word implies training up, further educating a child through
discipline], and scourges every son whom He receives." 7
If you endure chastening, God deals with you as with sons; for
what son is there whom a father does not chasten? 8 But if you
are without chastening, of which all have become partakers, then
you are illegitimate and not sons.
Sometimes God so prunes us because we have neglected to prune
ourselves:
1Co 11:31-32 For if we would judge ourselves [if we examined
(v 28) our lives correctly], we would not be judged [we would
require less divine judgment, or correction by God]. 32 But when
we are [so] judged, we are chastened by the Lord, that we may
not be condemned with the world.
For the Christian, godly suffering, although painful, is an educational
process designed to produce even more fruit in us—if we react
correctly to it and allow ourselves to be taught by God's pruning.
Notice verse 11 of Hebrews 12:
Heb 12:11 Now no chastening seems to be joyful for the
present, but painful; nevertheless, afterward it yields the peaceable
fruit of righteousness [NIV: "a harvest of righteousness"]
to those who have been trained by it [as opposed to those
who merely endure the pain and hardship].
You know, the vinedresser or viticulturist, when pruning the vine,
has to not only ruthlessly cut away and remove all dead branches,
but must also drastically cut back, sometimes right back to the
stump, the live wood in order to prevent such heavy growth that
the life of the vine goes into wood rather than into fruit. Likewise,
it is the most intense suffering that often produces the most
beautiful character in those with whom God is working. And if
we do have smaller branches that are indeed dead, God will cut
them off too, so that what is alive and fruitful is not impeded.
In our lives, what shoots does He yet need to cut back, trim off,
refine and what must be cut off, cut out and removed before the
old man is truly dead?
"Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline" (Rev 3:19),
Christ reminds the Church in Laodicea, and us. Can we attest to
the discipline, the training of God which produces these fruits
of righteousness in our lives—or are very few of the hardships,
sufferings and afflictions which come our way godly chastisements,
with many perhaps even self-imposed (1Pe 4:15-16)? Have we experienced
the pruning of God, in its diverse forms, in our lives?
COMMANDED TO BE FRUITFUL
Just as a vineyard, by its fruits, enriches the lives of men,
so Christ, the True Vineyard, produced rich, abundant fruit acceptable
to God personally, and in the lives of His disciples as they responded
to Him. We are to do likewise. In fact, the nature of the Gospel
of truth is that it always bears fruit in the lives of those positively
impacted by it, as we have all been. It must be this way:
Col 1:6 (NIV) [referring to the Gospel] that has come to
you. All over the world this gospel is bearing fruit and growing,
just as it has been doing among you [causing them to also
be fruitful] since the day you heard it and understood God's grace
in all its truth.
The apostle Paul tells us in 1Co 9:7 that it is unthinkable for
someone to plant a vineyard and then fail to eat of its fruit.
God the Vinedresser therefore expects to receive fruit from the
vine which He has planted.
Let us notice what we are told by God through the prophet Ezekiel,
prophetically referring to Israel in the first instance, about
the nature of the vine:
Ezk 15:1-5 (NIV) The word of the LORD came to me: 2 "Son
of man, how is the wood of a vine better than that of a branch
on any of the trees in the forest? 3 Is wood ever taken from
it to make anything useful? Do they make pegs from it to hang
things on?"
It couldn't be used as a tent peg because it crumbles or warps
when it is hit. You cannot utilise it to make furniture. It is
too soft and no good for lumber. Even as fuel the wood of the
vine is useless, as it flames up like paper and is immediately
consumed by the fire:
4 "And after it is thrown on the fire as fuel and the fire
burns both ends and chars the middle [perhaps here referring to
the initial fires of God's purification, rather than to total
consumption], is it then useful for anything? 5 If it was not
useful for anything when it was whole, how much less can it be
made into something useful when the fire has burned it and it
is charred?"
The vine is cultivated for its fruit alone (Jdg 9:13). It fulfills
only one major purpose: to bear rich, luscious fruit, and to keep
on bearing more and more of the same. So it is of Christians who,
as Christ told the disciples in Jn 15:16, and likewise tells us,
are to go and bear fruit [to maturity], fruit which should remain.
Let's recall these words of Christ once again, this time in verse
16 of John 15:
Jn 15:16 "You did not choose Me, but I chose you and
appointed you [remember, we have been put into the vine] that
you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit [and
the effects of this fruit of our Christian labours] should
remain [be on-going; we must not tire of producing the fruit
that God wants to see], that whatever you ask the Father in My
name He may give you [the tools to enable us to bear fruit are
thus also provided by God]."
You know, in ancient Israel, vineyards were not permitted to be
totally stripped of their grapes; even when others had profited
from the main crop, gleanings were to be left for the poor and
the sojourner (Lev. 19:10), and for the fatherless and the widow
(Dt. 24:21). The vines for the most part were allowed to run on
the ground, though occasionally they might climb a nearby tree
(Ps 80:8-10; Ezk. 15:2; 19:11), providing some shade and perhaps
giving rise to the biblical description of a man sitting safely
under his vine (1Kg 4:25; Mic 4:4; Zec 3:10). In similar manner,
our fruit, our lives, must be of benefit to others around us,
as was the life and example of Jesus Christ.
It is a commission, an ordination: as Christians we must bear
fruit. Scripturally speaking, there is no place in us for
anything else (we will explain this momentarily). It follows,
therefore, that we should be filled with this good fruit
from God; so the apostle Paul confirms:
Col 1:10 that you may walk worthy of the Lord, fully
pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work and increasing
in the knowledge of God.
However, a vine that yields no grapes benefits no-one and is fit
only to be burned (Jn 15:6), even more so if the fires of purification
of God's cleansing have been to no avail. The writer of the Book
of Hebrews, warning of the fate of those once enlightened who
have fallen away, puts it like this:
Heb 6:7-8 (NIV) Land that drinks in the rain often falling
on it and that produces a crop useful to those for whom it is
farmed receives the blessing of God. 8 But land that produces
thorns and thistles is worthless and is in danger of being cursed.
In the end it will be burned.
So thorns and thistles—and the briars we encountered earlier (Isa
5:6)—are fit only to be burned. Can we all take warning from this?
ABIDING IN CHRIST
It's a tall order, isn't it, to be fruitful in every good work?
It can be very daunting, as we all constantly fall short. However,
Christ also tells us that if we truly, perfectly abide in Him
as the true Vine, this process of fruit-bearing is, as it were,
automatic, the product of this mutual indwelling. The more we
abide in Him, the greater the fruit that is produced. This then
is the formula: "He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears
much fruit", He promises us (Jn 15:5). Notice how Paul put
it:
Gal 2:20 I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer
I who live, but Christ lives in me [this is the complete union
of the Vine and the branches: our life is to be merged into that
of Christ. He abides in us and we in Him]; and the life which
I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who
loved me and gave Himself for me ['and Who produces the fruit
of God in me', we can safely add].
The reverse is also true, for those who refuse to abide in the
true Vine and be in turn abided in, as we see in Christ's denunciation
of the Jewish leaders of His time:
Mt 12:34-5 (NIV) "You brood of vipers, how can you
who are evil say anything good? For out of the overflow [the abundance,
or superabundance] the of the heart the mouth speaks."
It was mentioned before that, scripturally speaking, there is
no place for anything else in the life of a Christian but
the bearing of good fruit. It is the same for those bearing bad
fruits. Christ castigated these Pharisees for being "full
of extortion and self-indulgence" (Mt 23:25), "full
of hypocrisy and lawlessness" (Mt 23:28). Similarly,
Peter condemned false teachers of his day as having "having
eyes full of adultery and that cannot cease from sin"
(2 Pe 2:14). Such is how God views it.
The heart spurts out good or evil according to the supply and
nature of the fruits resident within it, as Christ went on to
say:
35 "The good man brings good things out of the good stored
up in him, and [or just as] the evil man brings evil things
out of the evil stored up in him."
Are the good fruits of the Spirit being stored up, bit by bit,
in us? With what are we filled?
Ro 15:14 Now I myself am confident concerning you, my
brethren, that you also are full of goodness, filled
with all knowledge [of God and of godliness], able also to
admonish one another.
Php 1:9-11 And this I pray, that your love may abound
still more and more [its good fruit keeps on overflowing] in knowledge
and all discernment [so it's not a blind or foolish love, disseminated
to all without any limitations], 10 that you may approve the
things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without
offense till the day of Christ, 11 being filled [filled up,
filled full] with the fruits of righteousness which are by
[through] Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.
Let us then go on to examine in a little more detail some of these
good fruits of the Spirit, the fruits of conversion.
THE FRUITS OF CONVERSION
In the parable of the wicked tenants (Mt 21:33-46), Christ told
the leaders of Judaism that any entitlement they may have had
to the Kingdom of God would be taken away from them and granted
to those who produced the fruits demanded of all true citizens
of the Kingdom:
Mt 21:43 "Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of
God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will
produce its fruit."
They, just as we all once did, were producing "fruit for
death", as the Scriptures put it (Ro 7:5). Ancient Israel
produced fruit to itself, Hos 10:1 informs us. We, however, are
to "bear fruit to (or for) God":
Ro 7:4-5 Therefore, my brethren, you also have become
dead to the [penalty of the] law through the body of Christ, that
you may be married to [NAU: "joined to"] another; to
Him [as the branches to the true Vine] who was raised from the
dead, that we should bear fruit to God. 5 [whereas] For
when we were in the flesh, the sinful passions which were aroused
by the law were at work in our members to bear fruit to death
[we'll consider the nature of this type of fruit shortly].
It is incumbent upon all of us, as sons and daughters of the Kingdom
of God, to produce here and now the fruits of the Kingdom, fruit
for God. Just what are these fruits?
Paul offers us a picture of nine luscious fruits—a few of many
others—on a beautiful fruit tree:
Gal 5:22-23 But the fruit of the Spirit [this is the tree
that is fruitful, bearing only good fruit] is love, joy, peace,
longsuffering [patience], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23
gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law [and they
are not produced by enactments of law, but through in the indwelling
of the Spirit of God].
These are some of the "things of the Spirit" (Ro 8:5),
the works of the Spirit, upon which the apostle Paul urges us
to set our minds, so that we may be "spiritually-minded"
(v 6). They are some of the essential fruits—evidences—of the
Spirit of God that must be transforming each of us. They are the
basis of our fruitfulness in "every good work" (Col
1:10) and are compulsory for every Christian. They stand distinct
even from the "gifts" of the Spirit, the charismata,
with which they are often identified; the latter, however, are
talents which God apportions as He will and which we, with His
help, continue to develop.
Are we allowing the Spirit of God to work to produce these vital
fruits in us? Paul tells us how in the following verses:
Gal 5:24-5 And those who are Christ's have crucified the
flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live [cf. "abide"]
in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
These are the "fruits worthy of [NIV: "in keeping with"]
repentance" which we are to bear (Mt 3:8), the rich, beautiful,
bountiful fruits of righteousness, the fruits of holiness which
will result in eternal life. They are put on when we repent of
and crucify the flesh and allow God to lead us in the Spirit.
Ro 6:22 But now having been set free from sin, and having
become slaves of God, you have your fruit to holiness, and the
end, everlasting life.
Consider some more of these excellencies of the Spirit:
Php 4:8 Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever
things are noble [worthy of respect], whatever things are just,
whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever
things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there
is anything praiseworthy; meditate on these things.
These alone are suited to the fruitful, converted Christian mind.
Jesus Christ, who abode perfectly in the Father (Jn 14:10-11;
17:22), produced the most perfect of fruit while on earth, fruit
which benefitted those around Him, which enriched the lives of
those who came to Him, fruit which nourishes those of us who will
follow Him today and who will follow Him in the future—for it
is He who is the Branch from the roots of the stem of Jesse which
will bear fruit all over the world (Isa 11:1, NIV). Our abiding
in Christ must be after the same pattern, with similar fruit—a
cluster of rich, beautiful, spiritual fruit—as our aim. So let
us ask ourselves: What kind of fruit are we producing? Is our
life resembling the life of Christ more and more? Is the aroma
of our ripening fruit the live-giving aroma of Christ, the fragrance
of life (2Co 2:15-16), which God desires us to become, or is there
still rotting, foul-smelling fruit on some of our branches?
The apostle Paul in his epistles several times commended and recommended
particular brethren who, just like ripe, rich, delicious fruit,
refreshed others of the faith, including Paul himself,
by their lives and examples (1Co 16:17-18; 2Co 7:13; 2Ti 1:16).
Are we refreshing to others because of the good fruit of our lives?
Or are we like ancient Israel, of benefit mostly to ourselves
alone?
James illustrates for us how these good fruits of the Spirit are
to be sown amongst one another to benefit the entire body. But
only in peace is the fruit of righteousness to be truly found:
Jas 3:17-18 But the wisdom that is from above [the fruits
of the indwelling life of Jesus Christ, the Wisdom of God (1Co
1:24,30; Col 2:3)] is first pure, then peaceable [it loves peace
and brings peace], gentle, willing to yield, full of mercy and
good fruits, without partiality and without hypocrisy [sincere,
unfeigned]. 18 Now the fruit of righteousness [or "the fruit
of all this which is righteousness"] is sown in peace by
those who make peace. (see also Jas 3:13).
"The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life"—a tree
that yields everlasting fruit—so says Pr 11:30. What fruits are
we yielding?
UNFRUITFULNESS
As we have noted, it is the promise of Christ that if we truly
abide in Him, we will bear much fruit (Jn 15:5). Does this then
mean that we need do little else to ensure that this fruit continues
to be produced? What does the apostle Peter exhort us to do?
2Pe 1:5-8 But also for this very reason [because of the
excellent promises of God previously listed, we have our part
to play], giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue, to virtue
knowledge, 6 to knowledge self-control, to self-control perseverance,
to perseverance godliness, 7 to godliness brotherly kindness,
and to brotherly kindness love. 8 For if these things are yours
and abound [NAU: "are increasing"—until they fill
you], you will be neither barren nor unfruitful in the [full]
knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
Similarly:
Tit 3:14 And let our people also learn ["keep on
learning"] to maintain good works, to meet urgent needs,
that they may not be unfruitful.
It takes effort to continue to abide in Christ, and so
continue to be fruitful. It is indeed a dangerous thing to become
unfruitful, as an example from the ministry of Jesus Christ
at the time of the Passover powerfully illustrates:
Mk 11:12-14 (NIV) The next day as they were leaving Bethany,
Jesus was hungry. 13 Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf,
he went to find out if it had any fruit [interestingly, we note
that He did not know one way or the other]. When he reached it,
he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for
figs. 14 Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat
fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
At the height of Jerusalem, even under the most favorable circumstances,
no fig-tree could have had early ripe figs on it at Passover time.
In Palestine, the leaves of the fig-tree appear in March and
are accompanied by a crop of small edible knobs called taksh
which drop off before the true figs, which ripen in June, are
formed. If these taksh are absent, as they appear to have
been in this instance, it is an indication that the tree will
bear no figs. It was therefore quite reasonable for Christ, shortly
before Passover in March-April, to go to a fig-tree to find out
if it had any fruit. Perhaps he also hoped to find a few figs
left over from the autumn.
The tree is not blamed for failing to have any left-overs on it.
Its condemnation is due to the fact that there was also no promise
of any fruit for the coming crop. Christ's actions in cursing
the fig-tree which bore leaves but no fruit were both prophetic—Judaism
through its rituals and traditions made a fine show of religion
but it was empty, hypocritical and fruitless, ripe for the judgment
to come in 70 AD—and parabolic: a warning about the perils of
putting on a show while wanting in spiritual substance. Sometimes
a fruit-tree looks quite good from a distance, but upon closer
scrutiny is found to be utterly devoid of fruit appropriate for
the season. The end result of such a state is judgment and desolation.
Mk 11:20 (NRSV) In the morning as they passed by, they
saw the fig tree withered away to its roots.
Such a tree will never again even be afforded the opportunity
to produce fruit. Profession without fruit is an abomination to
God! Such are the dangers of spiritual atrophy. Fruit must
be borne, it must abide, and it must come to
maturity and abound, unlike the seed which fell among thorns:
Lk 8:14 "Now the ones that fell among thorns are
those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares,
riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity
[NRSV: "their fruit does not mature."—and if it
does not mature, how can it abound?]".
The final consequences of fruitlessness or unfruitfulness are
set out for us by the apostle Jude, in reference to godless men
who had sought to lead others astray:
Jude 12 (NRSV) These are blemishes on your love-feasts,
while they feast with you without fear, feeding themselves [just
as did ancient Israel upon the fruit of its own vine]. They are
waterless clouds carried along by the winds; autumn trees without
fruit [yet these trees, at the time of the harvest in August or
September, should have been loaded with fruit], twice dead, uprooted.
Fruitless, dead and uprooted, just as will be the tares at the
return of Jesus Christ (Mt 13:29-30)!
GOOD AND BAD FRUITS
As we noted in Christ's parable of the vine and the branches,
fruitless branches are cut off at the trunk not only because they
are worthless, but because they often infect the rest of the tree.
Yet what does it mean to become spiritually fruitless or unfruitful?
Is it simply a matter of failing to produce the good fruits of
the Spirit? Let us note again the words of Jesus Christ:
Mt 12:33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit
good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad [because these
are the only two real alternatives spiritually]; for a
tree is known by its fruit."
Just as a good tree—at least for the purpose of the parable and
its spiritual lessons—can produce only good fruit, so a bad tree
bears only bad fruit; it therefore cannot bear good fruit. The
tree is either good or bad, so we are told, and its fruit either
good or bad. In reality, therefore, to fail to produce good fruit,
as a good tree, is to produce—eventually—bad fruit, as a bad tree.
You can't have neutral fruit, or average fruit, or fruit that's
only slightly spoiled. It's either acceptable or it's not. There
is no vacuum when it comes to the righteousness of God. The absence
of good fruit will in time mean the presence of bad fruit. If
we are failing to produce the good fruit of the Spirit we will,
by default, eventually be producing the bad, unacceptable fruit
of the flesh (Gal 5:19-21), whose end is death (Ro 6:21).
Christ continues with this theme in Luke's Gospel:
Lk 6:44-45 (NRSV) "for each tree is known by its
own fruit [the fruit of the branches of each tree reveals the
character of that tree]. [Ripe] Figs are not gathered from thorns,
nor are [clusters of] grapes picked from a bramble bush [you cannot
expect what is appropriate from a heart incapable or unwilling
to produce it]. 45 The good person out of the good treasure of
the heart produces good, and the evil person out of evil treasure
produces evil; for it is out of the abundance of the heart that
the mouth speaks."
Compare verse 45 in Matthew's account, which we noted earlier:
Mt 12:35 "A good man out of the good treasure of
his heart brings forth [Gk: "throws out, casts out",
as if automatically; the results of truly abiding in the Vine]
good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth
evil things [evil is also spurted out, as that's what the heart
is full of!]."
This lesson about good or bad fruits is important for another
reason:
Mt 7:15-20 "Beware of false prophets [people who
want to mislead you], who come to you in sheep's clothing, but
inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know [the Greek
means with full knowledge] them by their fruits [so we
are supposed to judge people and their actions—correctly—according
to their fruits; do we?]. Do men gather grapes from
thornbushes or figs from thistles?"
The whole notion is silly, isn't it? Yet some people still gather
what they consider are grapes, only to be pricked by thorns or
thistles later on. If we consistently evidence bad fruits in others—and
of course others in us—what conclusions should be drawn about
the nature and quality of the branches that bear them?
17 "Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad
tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor
can a bad tree bear good fruit [an unconverted heart cannot produce
the righteousness of God]. 19 Every tree that does not bear good
fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their
fruits you will know them."
The important point Christ makes in this parable is of the need
to discern the fruits. This holds true of our own fruits as
it does of others'. Some people look and choose to ignore, to
not discern, or if they do indeed discern, fail to act on what
they see. If we discern bad fruits, what are we to do?
Eph 5:11 And have no fellowship with [have nothing to
do with] the unfruitful works of darkness [while they remain so],
but rather expose them [we have a duty to point out, to rebuke
evil, do we not?].
Unfruitfulness is again equated with bad fruits, the unfruitful
works of darkness. Thorn bushes and thistles, of no benefit to
anyone, are fit only for burning. Yet do we still treat them as
though they are grapes or figs when God tells us to discern fruits
correctly—to see them for what they are—and to act accordingly?
BEARING FRUIT
So what are some keys to ensure that we are both bearing fruit
now and that we continue to do so? We'll also reiterate some points
already covered.
- Planted and rooted in Christ:
This is the primary key of course, as we noted in Jn 15:5: we
can bear fruit—much fruit—only if we abide or remain in Christ,
and He in us. This is a promise to the righteous, along with other
promises:
Jer 17:7-8 (NIV) "But blessed is the man who trusts
in the LORD, whose confidence is in him. 8 He will be like a
tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream.
It does not fear when heat comes [when the time arrives for pruning,
no matter how severe]; its leaves are always green. It has no
worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit."
—just as it is God's wish that we bear "much fruit"
(Jn 15:8), and that our fruit should "abide" (Jn 15:16),
or remain.
Ps 92:12-14 The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree,
he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. 13 Those who are planted
in the house of the LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They shall still bear fruit in old age; they shall be fresh
and flourishing [NIV: "they will stay fresh and green"].
Paul again describes this process of abiding in Christ:
Col 2:6-7 As you have therefore received Christ Jesus
the Lord, so walk in Him [NIV: "live in Him"—abide in
Him!], 7 rooted [like a growing tree; cf. Pr 12:12: 'the
root of the righteous bears fruit'] and [then, bit by bit] built
up in Him and [finally] established [stabilised, solid] in the
faith, as you have been taught, abounding [ever fruitful] in it
with thanksgiving.
Are we being so built up and built upon Jesus Christ, or are our
roots in Him shallow and mal-nourished?
Ps 1:1-3 (NIV) Blessed is the man who does not walk in
the counsel of the wicked or stand in the way of sinners or sit
in the seat of mockers. 2 But his delight is in the law of the
LORD, and on his law he meditates [interestingly, the Hebrew
here literally reads "murmurs"; the reference is probably
to a written document which this righteous man would read to himself
in a low tone or recite from memory, the implication being that
he intended to put these words into practice] day and night [he
considers God, His Law, His Word; how regularly do we, in study,
prayer, contemplation, discussion, do so?]. 3 He is like a tree
planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season
and whose leaf does not wither. Whatever he does prospers.
God, too, expects "fruit in its season" from His people,
a people who delight in Him. The Pentecost which has just come
and gone is a seasonal reminder for us of this imperative of bearing
fruit. Is God seasonally receiving such fruit from us?
- Commitment and patient endurance:
Lk 8:15 (NRSV) "But as for that [seed] in the good
soil, these are the ones who, when they hear the word, hold it
fast in an honest and good [noble] heart [the heart is receptive.
Some people's hearts are not receptive: they are unwilling to
allow the Word of God to abide in their hearts and lives!], and
bear fruit [a crop of fruit; remember, this is the only category
out of four to both be and remain fruitful—what does that tell
us?] with patient endurance [because the best fruits take time,
cultivation and patience, don't they?]."
This is the fruit that ripens to maturity and then abounds. Notice
how Matthew's account puts it:
Mt 13:23 (NRSV) "But as for what was sown on good
soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands
it [there's receptiveness and a willingness to understand],
who indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold,
in another sixty, and in another thirty [cf. the parable of the
talents (Mt 25:14-30)."
And Mark's:
Mk 4:20 (NRSV) "And these are the ones sown on the
good soil: they hear the word and accept it [receptiveness,
acceptance, and a willingness to understand], and bear fruit,
thirty and sixty and a hundredfold."
Jn 12:24-25 (NRSV) "Very truly, I tell you, unless
a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just
a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit."
What was to be true of the Son of God is a principle in all nature.
It is applicable also to the bearing of fruit in the lives of
the saints of God. If the old man does not die (Ro 6:6-7,11-14;
8:13; Gal 5:24; Col 3:5), there is no godly fruit produced.
25 "Those who love their life lose it, and those who hate
their life in this world will keep it for eternal life."
The self—the old seed, the old, bad fruit—must die completely
for the good fruit of the Spirit to be produced, to prevail, and
to abide. If we continue in sin, we break our link to the vine,
become fruitless, and end up bearing bad fruit.
CONCLUSION
The fruitfulness evidenced in God's firstfruits today will soon
be a worldwide phenomenon:
Isa 27:6 In days to come Jacob shall take root, Israel
shall blossom and put forth shoots, and fill the whole world with
fruit [a truly fruitful vineyard, as we read in verses 2-3].
This is the millennial fruitfulness whose source is the very Temple
of God:
Ezk 47:12 "On the banks, on both sides of the river,
there will grow all kinds of trees for food. Their leaves will
not wither nor their fruit fail, but they will bear fresh fruit
every month [fruit truly "in season", if you like],
because the water for them flows from the sanctuary. Their fruit
will be for food, and their leaves for healing."
How do we interpret this imagery?
Yet the ultimate fruitfulness is to be found in the new Jerusalem:
Rev 22:1-2 (NRSV) Then the angel showed me the river of
the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne
of God and of the Lamb 2 through the middle of the street of
the city. On either side of the river is the tree of life with
its twelve kinds of fruit, producing its fruit each month [its
fruit indeed remains]; and the leaves of the tree are for
the [spiritual] healing of the nations.
The river of the water of life providing sustenance for the tree
of life which is ever fruitful, and ever healing and nurturing.
Once again, how do we interpret this?
Very soon now, at the time of God's harvest, He will send His
Son to claim the fruit from the vineyard He has planted. What
will we have to offer Him? The good fruit which we have been continually
sowing to the Spirit, from which we will reap eternal life,
or the bad fruits of spiritual fruitlessness from which we will
reap destruction (Gal 6:7-9)?
May we all take the lesson fully to heart!
