The idea of bearing fruit can be seen all throughout the New Testament. Jesus spake of it, and we can all agree as believers that we have a genuine desire to bear good fruit to God as mentioned in the scriptures. That being said, what exactly is good fruit? And how exactly do we bear it?
As it turns out, believers have many differing ideas about what good fruit is and how to go about producing it in their lives. However, we are not interested in the ideas and opinions of man, but only what the Bible says on the subject. And it may surprise you to learn that the Bible describes how to produce effortless good fruit in our lives. If you have been stressing, struggling or striving to produce good fruit, then this study will set you free from that burden today.
Before we begin, there is an often misquoted group of verses that has brought confusion, fear and condemnation upon many believers over the years, myself included, and it needs to be addressed first. It is found in John 15:1-8:
“I am the true vine, and my Father is the farmer.
Every branch in me that bears not fruit he takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, he purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now you are clean through the word which I have spoken to you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can you, except you abide in me.
I am the vine, you are the branches: He that stays in me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without me you can do nothing.
If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.
If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, you shall ask what you will, and it shall be done to you.
Herein is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit; so shall you be my disciples.”
Right in verse 1 we see that Jesus is defining roles and types. He is the Vine, and His Father is the vine-dresser. And not only is Jesus the vine, but He is the true vine. Always remember that there are no insignificant details in the Bible. There are many false vines in the world, but Jesus is the only true vine. These details become even more important as we read further down in the verses.
Now verse 2 is typically seen as confusing, intimidating and condemning, so let’s examine it. Jesus says that every branch which doesn’t bear fruit the Father (vine-dresser) takes away and even the branches that bear fruit, He purges it that it would bear more fruit. This verse used to frighten me, and not me only but many who have heard it down through the years because of the way that it was preached and taught; it has actually brought people into incredible bondage. I have heard pastors say that if you are not bearing fruit that God will kill you, and they say that is what “takes away” means. I have heard other preachers say that God will beat you until you bear more fruit. But let’s look at what the scriptures actually say and not man’s faulty opinions.
The phrase “takes away” in this verse is the Greek word airo, which means to lift up/to raise up from the ground. Jesus was not making a threat, but He was giving us a wonderful promise! Go to any vineyard and ask a vine-dresser and they will understand and agree with this. A vine can not bear fruit on the ground, it must be raised out of the dirt. So if a vine-dresser sees a vine laying on the ground, they will lift it up and put it on a trellis. And by the way, most trellis’ are in the shape of a cross. Do you see the imagery that Jesus was using here? You can not lift yourself out of the dirt and bear fruit by yourself, but only by resting on the cross, the finished work of Jesus Christ, only by resting on His provision can you bear fruit. It’s not of yourself.
In the Bible when people were condemned they would put dust on their heads (Revelation 18:19, 2nd Samuel 1:2), and God told Satan in the form of a serpent that he will feed on dust all the days of his life. When you are experiencing condemnation, you will be food for the devil. But Jesus says that He has come so that you would not be condemned (John 3:17). He will not cut you off, He will lift you out of the dust and rest you on Himself and His finished work! (Matthew 11:28)
Now the second half of this verse deals with “purging”, but again this does not mean what we have thought that it meant. The word “purge” used here is another Greek word, kathairō, which means to cleanse/to clean. This also is not God making a threat, but giving us another amazing promise! Once we are resting on the finished work of Jesus, it is He who cleanses us so that we bear even more fruit. He does not tell us to clean ourselves, but He does it! Again, He does the work and gets the glory. And how exactly does He clean us? Look at the next verse, verse 3. Jesus says Now you are clean through the Word which I have spoken to you. God cleanses us through the words which He speaks! Not through sickness, not through disease or turmoil!
That cancer that is trying to destroy your body is not from God, He wants to lift you out of it! He wants to clean you, let Him do it! You might say “I don’t know how to let Him.” Believe the words of life that He is speaking to you. As you hear the life-giving redemptive words of the Gospel, your mind is changing from death to life, and that right-believing will lead to right-living – you will bear fruit and it will be effortless. This is expounded upon by Jesus in verses 4 and 5 next.
Abide in Jesus, and He abides also in you. The word “abide” means to live in as a house. Let Him be your dwelling place, your shelter from the storms and the weather of the outside world. It may be raining outside, there may even be hailstorms, but it doesn’t touch you because you are in the house. And to continue the vine and branch analogy of Jesus. A branch that is connected and properly rooted to its vine, bears fruit without effort. Notice that Jesus never once tells us to struggle, strive or work to bear fruit, but He simply says “be in me, and you will bear fruit.” He is not giving us a command, but He is making a statement of fact. You can even call it another promise! Are you keeping count? How many promises has He made so far in just these few verses? Jesus is saying “As you believe and abide in me, you will bear good fruit.” That is a fact, and that is a promise straight from the mouth of Jesus to you.
Jesus also says that apart from Him, we can do nothing. We as prideful humans tend not to believe these words of Jesus. We think of course we can do some things! But no, Jesus says that we can do absolutely nothing apart from Him. Do you realize that the only reason you continue to draw breath is because He grants you that ability. Your breath is from Him, and your heart beats because of Him. Your brain has a spark of life that science doesn’t even comprehend, it comes from Him.
Prideful man wants something to do, this is why the prideful man hates the message of Grace. The pharisees were trusting in their law-keeping and performance, and Jesus showed them that their self-efforts were not good enough. Prideful man wants to have a part in it so that when he gives his crown to Jesus, he can say “Worthy is the Lamb… and myself”, but Grace gives no glory to man and all to Jesus.
However those who seek to justify themselves or trust in their own efforts for righteousness or holiness are not really abiding in Christ but abiding in themselves just as it says in Jeremiah 17:5:
“Thus said the LORD; Cursed be the man that trusts in man, and makes flesh his arm, and whose heart departs from the LORD.”
To trust in ourselves or our own efforts for any part of salvation (which includes sanctification) is to have your heart depart from the LORD. Now as we go back to our main verses in John 15, let’s now read verse 6 with understanding.
Jesus says if a man abides not in Me… He did not say if someone is not bearing fruit! I have heard many pastors scare believers right out of the faith by misinterpreting this verse. But Jesus clearly says that this is someone who is not abiding. If someone chooses to not abide and is instead connected to some other vine (or themselves) then they will be dried up, withered away and will be cast into the fire and be burned.
Obviously we want to avoid this, and Jesus reiterates how to do that in the next verses. Trust in Me, Abide in Me, let My words of truth and life abide in you, ask whatever you will and it shall be done to you. How is that possible? Because you will be asking with His words, not yours! And His words never fail! And as you bear this abundance of fruit, and you will… the Father is glorified. You are His and He loves you.
So what are these fruits? In closing let’s read Galatians 5:22-23:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.”
All of these things are fruits, not works. They are results of being in Christ with the Holy Spirit producing them in us. That last fruit “temperance” is properly self-control. Even that is a fruit! How many of us have been trying to struggle and strive to produce more self-control? The way to go about it is to release to Jesus, not grip tighter with your own hands! Release your grip and let a stronger hand hold you! The hand of God Almighty!
Today I want to leave you with a thought, and the thought is this:
When you were still a sinner, in the place of sin, you did not have to work to produce the fruits of unrighteousness. Fear, worry, lusts, all manner of disease, foul language all were produced without any effort on your part. It was your nature.
Now Jesus has given you new birth with a new nature. His Spirit is within you. Likewise, the fruits of the Spirit will naturally be produced in you as you effortlessly remain connected to the True Vine that is Jesus.
Does that seem to good to be true? That is the truth of the Gospel. That is what Jesus said. This is how to Bear Good Fruit Effortlessly in Christ Jesus.