The ability to bear fruit in God’s world is very important because it is a proof of discipleship. “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” so said Jesus recorded by John in 15:8. A disciple is a “follower,” and one of the activities of a follower of Jesus is to bear fruit. I think we can say that the most important fruit one can bear is the conversion of one who is lost to Jesus as Lord of life. But the Bible plainly speaks of other fruits to be borne also. One great example: the Fruits of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal. 5:22,23).
A good way to understand these “fruits” is to consider them in three ways: man’s relationship to God, man’s relationship to man, and man’s relationship to himself. It breaks down like this:
1. The first three – love, joy and peace – deals with my relationship to God
2. The second three – patience, kindness and goodness – deals with my relationship to my fellowman.
3. The third three – faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control – deals with my relationship to myself.
You or I cannot expect to be a successful fruit bearer out in God’s world if our relationship to God, or to man, or to ourselves is flawed.
Jesus said the gardener “…cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit…” (John 15:2). I do not want to be cut off. I do want to be a fruit-bearer. As said above, a follower of Jesus is a disciple. Disciples are commanded to “Go…make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Mt. 28:19). Fruit-bearers are disciples who make disciples. Am I one of those? What about you? If I am not doing that, maybe I need to take a hard look at my relationship to God, to man and to myself. If I am flawed in any of these relationships, I hinder the Holy Spirit’s efforts to produce these fruits in my life. So it is life checking time. Am I a fruit-bearer? Are you?
