Fruit of the Vine: More Fruit!
“You have not chosen
me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain"
-Jesus John 15: 16
Branch:Any part
or extension of a main Body or SystemA Fruit: The mature seed-bearing part of a plant; the result or product of any action
“Now, you can do this, you CAN
do this; BUT-- It may not be today, five years, or even ten years from now; somewhere along the line, you will lose
heavenly fruit. ”cts
These
words were graciously spoken to me several years ago when confronted with a “life” altering decision. I
was all set to go forth, when the Spirit of the Lord reminded me of a verbal commitment I’d made before God if ever
faced with anything similar to the situation. The amazing thing about it is, in the natural, it seemed so ridiculously trivial
but, in fact, it was to steer my God-given trajectory as it pertains to my time here in this life. It had everything
to do with what could have been considered “success” for me at that time. But was it more important
than my commitment to, and relationship with the Lord? He simply wanted obedience on my part, and it literally became
a turning point in my life. We
can rest assured, when we’re “rising,” or “aspiring,” we verbalize or speak many things in our
zeal for God, but saying them and doing them are two different things. We
will be tested.
What’s
Heavenly “Fruit?”
There are many opportunities that will come our way in life.
We have been taught, in this “world’s system,” to get and do All we can. We’ve also been taught
that when one is famous, well known, or in the company of others that are well known; or in high “coveted”
positions, within the corporate workplace, and/or within the “Church,” that one is successful. But I ask
you, what does the Lord say? It may seem right, exciting, or good for, and to you, but will it take you off course?
What and who are you living for? What are you grasping at? What are you trying to accomplish? Jesus said and is
still saying in John 15:8-10: “By
this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit;so you will be My disciples.” “As the Father loved Me, I
also have loved you; abide in My love.” “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.”
He also says in John 15:16 “You
have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that you should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit
should remain: that whatever you shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.”
When
we bear much fruit, it is proof that we are His. If we get off course and/or detached from the True Vine through
disobedience, distractions, or diversions, even for a moment; we jeopardize bringing forth that fruit. Jesus says NO
branch can bear fruit by itself…it Must remain joined to the vine. "I am the Vine, you are the branches.
If a man remains in me and I in him,he will bear much fruit, apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5
We must know
that in the natural, the Sap of a vine provides food, water, and overall sustenance to the branches which is how the fruit
are produced. It is that Sap in the realm of the Spirit that is necessary for us to go forth and do anything in the Lord.
Once again, No branch can bear fruit by itself. Jesus says in John 15:6: If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast
out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. The withering Jesus
speaks of comes as a result of the lack of Sap and/or nourishment. Consequently, the
lack comes as a result of “not” keeping His commandments and abiding in His love. So To lose heavenly
fruit means that we would not produce as much as we should have, had we Remained “joined” to the Vine; remained
in His love for us, and ours for Him; loving Him more than Anything; even in and through that decisive “one moment in
time.” Furthermore, not only are we to bring forth fruit, but that our fruit should remain. It must be eternal;
to remain forever. It will never wither! It will never “rot” or “deteriorate!” The fruit that
will remain "fresh" and "sweet" because of it being a "product" of the branch
that is directly attached to the True Vine. That's the "heavenly" fruit referred to in the
message given to me several years ago. So in other words, my "current" actions, back then, would have
adversely affected the eternal outcome as it pertains to the fruit that I have been ordained to produce. Is anything
"in this world" worth that? I think not.
Finally
I’m reminded of the old hymn “Only What You Do For Christ
Will Last.” That title could actually say “Only What You Do For Christ Will Remain.”
1st Verse:You may build great cathedrals, large or small, you can build skyscrapers grand and tall, you may conquer all the failures of the past, but only
what you do for Christ will last.
2nd Verse: You may seek earthly power and fame, The world might be impressed
by your great name, Soon
the glories of this life will all be past, but only what you do for Christ will last.
Chorus: Remember
only what you do for Christ will last;Remember only what you do for Christ will last;Only what you do for Him will be counted
at the end,Only what you do for Christ will last. © Copyright 1963 by Raymond Rasberry
Absolutely. Only what we do in, through, and for the True Vine will remain. “I am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vinedresser.”
“Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may
bear more fruit.” John 1:8
Go forth and bear More Fruit; The Fruit that Will Remain.
By this we shall
be known as His Disciples.
