Indescribable joy comes with seeing fruit from the labor you have invested. In order to see your fruit thrive and grow, specific care must be taken. In John 15:1-10, Christ teaches how we can have and maintain a fruitful Christian life.
I. What is considered a fruitful Christian life?
We find the answer in Galatians 5:22-23, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance; against such there is no law.” When we abide in Christ, we are also abiding in the Holy Spirit, thus the fruit of the Spirit will be evident in our lives.
II. What is done to continue growing in the fruit of the Spirit?
Jesus says He “purgeth” the branch to encourage it to bring forth more fruit. While studying how to care for my roses a few weeks ago, I learned how to prune them properly. You find the part of the branch that has five leaves, and you cut right above that part of the branch. This encourages new buds to emerge while discouraging the branch from turning into an unfruitful woody stem. Christ must purge/prune us to make us more like Himself. He wants to clean to encourage in the Spirit and bring forth more fruit. Christ also shares with us here that the Word of God is what cleans us.
III. What happens to the unfruitful branch?
The Lord cannot use an unfruitful branch. This is a branch that refuses to change. Are we listening to the Holy Spirit as we read our devotions each day and hear sermons? Are we willing to change when the Holy Spirit speaks, or do we brush it off to deal with it another day? The Lord will not always continue to prune you; if you refuse to change and grow in the Lord, a day will come when He will set you aside.
IV. How can I continue to see an abundance of fruit in my life?
John 15:7 gives us the answer. Prayer is essential for those who are striving to have a fruitful Christian life. The Christian who maintains a close relationship with Christ through prayer will begin to see the fruit multiply in her life. How is your prayer life today? When was the last time you allowed yourself to be pruned by the Holy Spirit?
Mrs. Christina Renshaw