Bearing Good Fruit

Jesus spoke to his disciples about bearing good fruit and spoke of the importance of staying connected to God who is the true vine. It is the Holy Spirit living in us who gives us the ability to produce as we cannot produce good fruit on our own. The Holy Spirit prunes us and helps us to produce according to the will and purpose of God. David also made reference to the believer bearing fruit in Psalms. He spoke of the nature of a blessed man who delights in the law of the Lord. “He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers” (Psalm 1:3).

There is also a story in the bible where the saints are referred to as wheat and those who are serving the devil as tares or thorns. In this parable Jesus compared the kingdom of God being like a field where the master sowed good seed. While the master was asleep the enemy came and sowed tares along with the wheat. In this case the commandment was to allow the wheat and tares to grow together until the day of harvest. This was because uprooting the tares would jeopardise the wheat that was planted together with them. The wheat would produce grain for harvesting while the weeds would not produce any fruit or substance for nourishment.

At other times in the bible, Jesus spoke of God’s intention to uproot from the believer, any tree that he did not plant (Matthew 15:13). In this case it would have been the enemy planting seeds of doubt, fear, shame, guilt and other illegal seeds in our hearts and minds. When these seeds are planted, they hinder the production of good fruit. We have to continue to remain in God and stay connected to the vine to be called trees of righteousness, planted by the Lord, that he may be glorified (Isaiah 61:3). When we sow good seed, we will also reap the fruits of righteousness.

We also use the word to water our seeds so that they will grow. Jesus provides water so that we will never thirst and produce a spring welling up into everlasting life. Jesus also said that when we believe in him, that out of our bellies shall flow rivers of living water. (John 4:14; John 7:38). We will bear fruit in due season and we will continue to be fruitful in every area of our lives. Nothing will stunt our growth and development and we will continue to be nourished and enriched through the word in order to remain productive.

“By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:8).

A.P.-Y.