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Fruitfulness, for a Christian, can seem like a daunting expectation. I know I once wondered if I could only be fruitful if I stood on a corner evangelizing or brought everyone I knew to church on Sundays. While these steps are fruitful, let us look at what Jesus said to better understand what is needed.
He said in John 15:4 - Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.
Remain in Me. That's the starting point for being fruitful to God. But what does that mean, exactly? Well, the rest of John 15:4 reveals that we must depend on Jesus and strive to be a part of Him. We are to be rooted in Him, not committing spiritual adultery. And to do this, to remain in Christ, a believer must study His teachings and apply them.
Going to church and being nice to people are good things to do, but that's not all that the Lord and His Son are looking for. Christ's words are to be the very Constitution by which we live. The plumb line by which we measure ourselves.
And the more we read and obey what He said, the more we remain a branch connected to the vine. Day by day, we'll notice that His word and the Spirit of God, whom He promised to those who would believe in Him, will change us. Sometimes those changes will be subtle and in other cases, dramatic.
Yes, He wants us to come as we are, but the objective was never for us to remain the same. Being a believer, and a fruitful one at that, is a journey of transformation so that we increasingly please God. We become good soil that produces a bountiful harvest for the Lord. A harvest that brings rewards right here in the land of the living, plus when we reach heaven.
As we transform, becoming more fruitful, we speak Christ and live Christ wherever we go, without hypocrisy. This won't necessarily mean perfection, but because of what remaining in Christ is achieving in us, others will notice how different we are. They may never say a word to us, but they would have seen the effect of God here on earth.
Then, what Jesus said in John 15:8 will be true of us, When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father. And we should all desire to be true disciples of Jesus, those whose very lives glorify the King of kings.
By producing godly fruit, we will do just that and not be unserious Christians who are no different than pagans. We will be those whom He will trust with more blessings and responsibilities, so that we can bring more people into the Kingdom of God. Praise the Lord!
PS: Scroll down for my Valentine's Day message. Take it to heart, so no weapon formed against you will prosper. IYKYK.
As you await fellowship at Noon EST, consider reading the Altar Call below and the following previous P&P messages:
