When I look back at the past 30 years of my life, I get sad. I have wasted so much of my life on things that were not of the Lord. I was spending all my time and resources after temporal things. I lost all my eternal blessings in a vain endeavor. Even as God’s child, I was still wasting my life by going after things of the world.
15 “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2 Every branch in me that does not produce fruit he removes, and he prunes every branch that produces fruit so that it will produce more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. 6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. John 15:1-8
Jesus is the Vine and God is the Vinedresser
5 I will sing about the one I love,
a song about my loved one’s vineyard:
The one I love had a vineyard
on a very fertile hill.
2 He broke up the soil, cleared it of stones,
and planted it with the finest vines.
He built a tower in the middle of it
and even dug out a winepress there.
He expected it to yield good grapes,
but it yielded worthless grapes.
3 So now, residents of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
please judge between me
and my vineyard.
4 What more could I have done for my vineyard
than I did?
Why, when I expected a yield of good grapes,
did it yield worthless grapes?
5 Now I will tell you
what I am about to do to my vineyard:
I will remove its hedge,
and it will be consumed;
I will tear down its wall,
and it will be trampled.
6 I will make it a wasteland.
It will not be pruned or weeded;
thorns and briers will grow up.
I will also give orders to the clouds
that rain should not fall on it.
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of Armies
is the house of Israel,
and the men of Judah,
the plant he delighted in.
He expected justice
but saw injustice;
he expected righteousness
but heard cries of despair.
Isaiah 5:1-7
The key to raising crops is the farmer or gardener. We are under the care of the heavenly Father! The Holy Spirit, the Father and Son are at work in us to bear good fruit in our lives for the glory and honor of God. Jesus is the true vine and His followers are produce fruit as they abide in Him. We have to trust Jesus for our salvation. Doing “good” works is not enough. In order for for a vine to be fruitful, the vinedresser must do two things: take away branches that do not bear fruit and prune branches to bear more fruit.
We will bear much fruit
4 Remain in me, and I in you. Just as a branch is unable to produce fruit by itself unless it remains on the vine, neither can you unless you remain in me. 5 I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me. John 15:4-5
I recently read a heated debate on social media. A person was saying that we need to merge with God, similarly to Hinduism. Hinduism teaches about the merging of the soul with brahman. This is not what Jesus is teaching us in John. We are distinct from God. We are connected to God through Jesus and it is our responsibility to remain in Him. Jesus commands us to remain in Him, because the world is hostile towards Him (John 15:18-25).
Genuine disciples of Christ bear fruit. It is not mergiving of vines, it is a complete surrender to allow Christ to work His good works through us.
If God were to check our spiritual pulse, would He find fruit in our lives?
Judgement
6 If anyone does not remain in me, he is thrown aside like a branch and he withers. They gather them, throw them into the fire, and they are burned. John 15:6
If we do not abide in Jesus we will be judged. A fruitless Christian is an oxymoron. ALl who profess to be disciples of Jesus will be be judged. If you have not repented of your sins, accepted Christ as your Lord and Savior, and surrendered your life completely to Him, there will be no evidence of fruit in your life.
Are you tempted to give up and leave Jesus?
Are shipwrecks, temptations, and trials causing a shipwreck to your faith?
We must abide in the Lord all the more.
Ultimate Goal: God’s Glory
7 If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you want and it will be done for you. 8 My Father is glorified by this: that you produce much fruit and prove to be my disciples. John 15:7-8
Fruitless people demonstrate that they do not belong to Christ. It is absolutely possible for disciples to have a drought season. There are seasons that God will prune back your vine so that going into a new season, new growth will come. It is also possible for God to pluck the roots out of your life. Roots of sin that infest the branch.
The following verses talks about the fruit, marks of a believer:
Love for God’s Word
31 Then Jesus said to the Jews who had believed him, “If you continue in my word,[a] you really are my disciples. John 8:31
Others will know Us
20 So you’ll recognize them by their fruit. Matthew 7:20
Walk the Talk
43 “A good tree doesn’t produce bad fruit; on the other hand, a bad tree doesn’t produce good fruit. 44 For each tree is known by its own fruit. Figs aren’t gathered from thornbushes, or grapes picked from a bramble bush. Luke 6:43-44
First, and Last Love
24 What you have heard from the beginning is to remain in you. If what you have heard from the beginning remains in you, then you will remain in the Son and in the Father.
1 John 2:24
The fruit we bear (things we say and do) are all evidence that we are true disciples of Christ. When we are fruitful, God is glorified through the Son! Our fruit brings Glory to God!
Fruit reveals who walks the talk and who does not. It is easy to talk good things of God to others, but if we are not walking in obedience to God, we are hypocrites. There is Hope!
A Promise of Restoration
4 I will heal their apostasy;
I will freely love them,
for my anger will have turned from him.
5 I will be like the dew to Israel;
he will blossom like the lily
and take root like the cedars of Lebanon.
6 His new branches will spread,
and his splendor will be like the olive tree,
his fragrance, like the forest of Lebanon.
7 The people will return and live beneath his shade.
They will grow grain
and blossom like the vine.
His renown will be like the wine of Lebanon.
8 Ephraim, why should I have anything more
to do with idols?
It is I who answer and watch over him.
I am like a flourishing pine tree;
your fruit comes from me.
Hosea 14:4-8
I AM who I AM
I AM: the Bread of Life
I AM: the Light of the World
I AM: the Door
I AM: the Good Shepherd
I AM: the Resurrection and Life
I AM: the Way, the Truth, the Life
I AM: the True Vine
It Starts Small 
Leave a comment