Sunday, March 22, 2009
Bearing Much Fruit
(John 15:1-16)
When we come to the end of our lives, all of us desire that our time on earth will be judged productive. We hope that our accomplishments will have proven valuable and that our legacy will remain long after we are gone. Hoping for a positive legacy is not vanity; rather, it grows from a healthy desire to be what Christ has called us to be: fruitful Christians.
Jesus said that while there are many ways to glorify God, there is one primary—one essential—way:
Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples (15:8).
The true path to glorifying God and a sure indication of genuine discipleship is to “bear much fruit.” What kind of fruit? John R. Rice always used to say, “The fruit of a Christian is another Christian.” In other words, leading folks to Christ is the fruit-bearing about which Jesus spoke.
Notice also that the quantity of fruit is important. We should not only bear fruit, but we should bear “much” fruit. How can we meet the quota? The answer is simple: by abiding in Christ. As we abide in Him— submitting to His will, obeying His promptings, and displaying His joy—we will continually tell others of His saving grace. As others hear, the Spirit will draw them to Christ; and fruit—eternal fruit—will be reaped to the glory of God.
