John 15:5 - Abiding in Jesus and Bearing Fruit.
John 15:5 (ESV) 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.
INTRODUCTION
Fruit is not limited to winning souls. In
this chapter, answered prayer, joy, and love are
mentioned as fruit (15:7, 11, 12). Galatians 5:22-24
and 2 Peter 1:5-8 describe additional fruit:
qualities of Christian character. [Life Application
SB]
Fruit is an image for good results coming
from the life of a believer, probably in terms of
bringing benefit to the lives of others and advancing
the work of God in the world (see Matt. 13:8;
cf. Gal. 5:22"23 for a different image of
fruit as changed character). [ESV SB 2008]
COMMENTARY PEARL
Connected To The Vine
Jesus often used nature to illustrate His
truth, and one of His most powerful illustrations
involved a vine and its branches.
The analogy is clear. Christians draw
holy strength from the vine that makes holy
living possible. You may say that it seems a little
egotistical to claim to be holy. But read carefully what
the Bible says: As obedient children, do not
conform to the evil desires you had when you lived
in ignorance. ignorance. But just as he who
called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for
it is written: Be holy, because I am holy
(1 Peter 1:14"16 NIV).
When Christ transforms us into new
creations, we have new positions in Him, and He helps
us to reflect the holiness of His character.
Living a holy life means that you give yourself
wholly to Christ. That doesnt mean you will be
perfect, but your desire will be to live according to
the ways of God. If youre living wholly unto
Christ, you look different, talk differently, and
act differently to the world, for you are
bearing His fruit.
Does your life reflect Gods presence
in your life? [Peace for Each Day by Billy
Graham]
COMMENTARY
Abiding in Christ means a constant receiving
of His Spirit, a life of unreserved surrender
to His service. The channel of communication
must be open continually between man and his God.
As the vine branch constantly draws the sap
from the living vine, so are we to cling to
Jesus, and receive from Him by faith the strength
and perfection of His own character. {DA 676}
All who receive Christ by faith become
one with Him...
So those who receive Christ by faith
become one with Him in principle and action. They
are united to Him, and the life they live is the
life of the Son of God. They derive their life
from Him who is life...
The heart must be united with Christ's
heart, the will must be submerged in His will, the
mind must become one with His mind, the thoughts
must be brought into captivity to Him...
The regenerated man has a vital
connection with Christ. Christ has provided means
whereby our whole life may be an unbroken communion
with Himself; but the sense of Christ's abiding
presence can come only through living faith... {HP
56}
ILLUSTRATION
This is the first year Ive ever
planted a vegetable garden. Its been a season of
high excitement watching tomatoes, cucumbers,
beets, onions, bush beans, snap peas, herbs,
watermelons, blueberries, and squash grow. It has taken
everything a while. Lets be honest. I was ready for
tomatoes the day after I planted the four-inch-tall
plants. Now the swirling vines are four feet tall.
Heavy with tomatoes, they topple over their cages.
The snap peas havent made it into the
kitchen. I just pop them straight into my mouth after
picking. The cucumbers hide under the broad leaves,
so I cant find them. This morning, I found
seven in our little game of veggie hide-and-seek.
The sunlight and water from the dripline have
done their magic. I cant wait to see what I
will find tomorrow.
When my life is hidden from Jesus, I
dont often see the growth. On my own, it can take
years, even decades, to start bearing the kind of
fruit that He wants to see in me. Kindness?
Gentleness? Self-control? These can be slow-yielding
crops. Jesus is my sunlight and water. He nourishes
me and helps me grow. Apart from Him, I can do
nothing. But Jesus promises if I remain in Him, His
life will flow through mine, yielding more growth
than I could ever dream of harvesting on my own.
Susanna Foth Aughtmon
Faith Step: Jesus wants you to grow into
your full potential. Spend some time meditating
on John 15: 5. Ask Jesus to release the fruit
of the Holy Spirit in your life as you remain
in Him. [Mornings With Jesus 2023 Devotional by
Guideposts and Zondervan]
CLOSING THOUGHT
Cling To Christ
Jesus' allegory is simple. God is like a
vine keeper. He lives and loves to coax the best
out of his vines. He pampers, prunes, blesses,
and cuts.
And Jesus plays the role of the vine. We
nongardeners might confuse the vine and the branch. To
see the vine, lower your gaze from the stringy,
winding branches to the thick base below. The vine
is the root and trunk of the plant. It cables
nutrients from the soil to the branches. If anything
good comes into our lives, he is the conduit.
And who are we? We are the branches. We
bear fruit: "love, joy, peace, patience,
kindness, goodness, faithfulness" (Galatians 5:22
NASB). Our gentleness is evident to all. We bask in
the "peace of God" (Philippians 4:7).
And as we cling to Christ, God is
honored. "My Father is glorified by this, that you
bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples"
(John 15:8 NASB).
Make it your aim to cling to Christ.
Abide in him. [You Can Count On God by Max
Lucado]
LINKS FOR FURTHER STUDY
John 15:4, 5 - The Pursuit of God.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20211031-1051.html
John 15:5 - Learning to Abide in Jesus.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210503-0932.html
Galatians 5:22, 23 - The Fruit of the Spirit.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2022/20220628-0910.html
Matthew 25:31-46 - The Parable of The Sheep
and Goats; The Final Judgment.
http://www.abible.com/devotions/2021/20210524-1002.html
LINKS WORTH CHECKING OUT
https://abible.com/links/
