Bearing Fruit
Scripture: John 15:1-11
Throughout my life I have been involved in almond farming in some capacity. In many ways, being out in the field and taking care of orchards has strengthened my faith. One: because you get ten hours a day to listen to audiobooks, podcasts, and sermons. Two: you begin to fully grasp the horticultural and farming metaphors that Jesus used like the one from this passage. One fun fact about almonds, at least the ones planted here in the Central Valley of California, is that they have notoriously bad roots. They will not last long if left to their own devices. So the majority of all almond trees are grafted into a peach rootstock because peach trees have far better roots than almond trees do.
This relates to our passage which says in verse 4, “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.” Unless the almond tree abides in a peach rootstock, that tree will just topple over. In order for the tree to stand, it needs a firm foundation of roots. In order to for the Christian to stand, we need to have a firm foundation abiding in the love of Christ.
What does it mean to abide? Jesus explains this in verse 10, “If you keep my commandments, you will abide in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commandments and abide in his love.” This is how we know we are connected to the true vine, if we are bearing the fruit according to his kind. This is how God has designed it in nature. In the creation account, we are told in Genesis, “And God said, “Let the earth sprout vegetation, plants yielding seed, and fruit trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind, on the earth.” And it was so. The earth brought forth vegetation, plants yielding seed according to their own kinds, and trees bearing fruit in which is their seed, each according to its kind. And God saw that it was good.”
This would mean apple trees produce apples, the fruit of an orange tree is oranges, and almond trees will produce almonds. If we are abiding in the true vine, then we ought to produce fruit that is according to the Lord. We must recognize that to bear fruit does not happen outside the saving work of the gospel. Jesus says in verse 5, “I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.” It is often that I have had conversations with people where they believe they are going to heaven because they are a good person. They might be right, they might donate to charity, or serve at their local homeless shelter, or even be a regular church attender. Unfortunately, the bible says in Isaiah 64:6 that our righteousness is as filthy rags to the Lord.
In Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus says, “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’” We cannot do this on our own. We cannot bear gospel fruit without receiving the gift of true faith in the only person who can bear the fruit of the Spirit in our lives and that is Jesus Christ.
We already know that to abide in Christ means to follow his commandments and we will begin to bear the fruit of the True Vine. We are almond trees with weak roots struggling to bear fruit until we are grafted into the strong rootstock of the Lord. When we have Christ as our foundation, we will begin bearing his fruit and reflecting his character. How do we know what his character is? It’s in the Bible. The whole thing. We must be reading it. Cover to cover. Every page. Every word. Every day. Once you’ve done that, do it again. And again. And again.
Romans 12:2 tells us, “Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Each one of us spends far more time in the world than we do in the Word. That is just how it is, we have jobs, families, lives, etc. To even miss one day of being in God’s Word can do much to conform you to the world’s standard instead of God’s. Without the Word, we will have worldly affections and not God’s. Matthew 7:17-20 says, “So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit.A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
Where are your affections? What are you abiding in? Are you abiding in culture or in the Word? Our culture says that the Bible was written 2000 years ago, it cannot possibly apply to us now. That is the unfruitful work of darkness, which Ephesians 5:11 tells us to expose. If we are abiding in culture and producing the rotten fruit of this world, our passage says in verse 6, “If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned.”
Do not let this be you. Christ died so that our old selves with our sins would be crucified and buried with him and was raised back to life so that our new selves could be set free from sin. We can live in his glory. Romans 6:12-14 says, “Let not sin therefore reign in your mortal body, to make you obey its passions. Do not present your members to sin as instruments for unrighteousness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life, and your members to God as instruments for righteousness. For sin will have no dominion over you, since you are not under law but under grace.”
You have been made new. You have his Word. Live in it! Abide in his love through obedience. Produce the fruit of the True Vine that is sweet and irresistible.