Abide and Bear Fruit

John 15

​The power in the pulpit has less to do with the program that surrounds it; but the presence of the Spirit and the power proclaimed as a result of much time spent with Jesus. We all are aware of those who have been with Jesus. When there is little time with Jesus—in prayer and in His Word—those in outside the sheep fold see or sense little difference with the world. We should be wary of those who claim the Spirit’s involvement in a ministry that ignores Jesus or has little margin to prioritize time in His Word or presence. If the Spirit makes much of Jesus, then His disciples should too.

Is spending uninterrupted time with Jesus a priority for you? Is turning the pages of your Bible something you hunger and thirst? Do others in your day know when you have spent ample time in His Word? For whom are you bearing witness? How can you lead and feed others in all they need when your spirit has not been moved by Him?

“But when the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, the Spirit of truth, who proceeds from the Father, he will bear witness about me. 27 And you also will bear witness, because you have been with me from the beginning. John 15:26–27 (ESV)

According to John 15, a branch is good for only one thing—bearing fruit. It may be weak in itself, but it has a living relationship with the vine and can be productive. Warren Wiersbe write, “To abide in Christ means to be in communion with Him so that our lives please Him. We know that we are abiding when the Father prunes us, cutting away the good so that we can produce the best. We glorify God with fruit, more fruit, much fruit.”

“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. 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. 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. 7 If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. 8 By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” John 15:1–8 (ESV)

Upon trying to craft my own words to describe such a powerful passage of scripture, I discovered no one can clarify what it means to “abide” better or clearer than Dr. Tony Evans. He writes in his Study Bible, “The idea of remaining (or abiding) in Christ has to do with intimacy of relationship. Jesus Christ is our source, the only One who can provide the spiritual sustenance and vitality we need to be useful believers. Thus, we need to hang out with him. You can’t avoid Jesus all week and then show up on Sunday morning expecting growth... If you disconnect from the vine for too long, don’t be surprised to find yourself experiencing divine discipline, getting burned (this is not a description of hell but of spiritual discipline), and seeing your spiritual life withering. Such a believer is useless to himself, God, and others. So, if you find such things happening to you, repent!

“Draw near to God, and he will draw near to you.” To have Jesus’s words remain in you requires more than merely reading or listening to them. You must internalize them. Another way to describe this is meditating on God’s Word, rolling it around in your mind to grasp what it means and how to apply it to your specific circumstances. We must chew and swallow Scripture, so to speak, so that it becomes part of us. Doing so will align our wills with his... The more useful you become to the kingdom, the more glory God will receive.”

“As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Abide in my love. 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. 11 These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full. 12 “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. 13 Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. 14 You are my friends if you do what I command you. 15 No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. 16 You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. 17 These things I command you, so that you will love one another.” John 15:9–17 (ESV)

Abiding depends on obeying, and obeying depends on loving. Love and joy go together and make it easy for us to obey His will. We should love Him, love His will, and love one another. We see this in the “fruit of the Spirit”: love, joy, and peace.

“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” Galatians 5:22 (ESV)

“If the world hates you, know that it has hated me before it hated you. 19 If you were of the world, the world would love you as its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. 20 Remember the word that I said to you: ‘A servant is not greater than his master.’ If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you. If they kept my word, they will also keep yours. 21 But all these things they will do to you on account of my name, because they do not know him who sent me. 22 If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not have been guilty of sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin. 23 Whoever hates me hates my Father also. 24 If I had not done among them the works that no one else did, they would not be guilty of sin, but now they have seen and hated both me and my Father. 25 But the word that is written in their Law must be fulfilled: ‘They hated me without a cause.’” John 15:18–25 (ESV)

We enjoy the love of Christ and of the brethren, but we also must endure the hatred of the world for His name’s sake. Those in Jesus’s day fulfilled the Scripture spoken by David in Psalm 69:4: “They hated me for no reason.” As the wicked showed their disdain for King David, so they showed disdain for the Son of David. The more we are like Christ, the more the world system will oppose us and eventually persecute us. Amid persecution, God will send the Holy Spirit, who will help believers bear witness to Christ in spite of the persecution. Jesus warned of persecution so that his disciples would be ready for it. In the meantime, abide in Jesus.

How do those around you describe you? Do they see Christ in you? Do they see that you have spent time with the Jesus and His Word? Do they see the transformation that the Spirit is making in you? Are you bearing much fruit? What area of abiding do you most identify? How about struggle?
​
Today, depend on the Spirit’s power and you will be a fruitful, faithful Christian.

---