The Word speaks about the fruit the Holy Spirit produces in our new, born again lives in Galatians 5:22-26 (Amplified). Jesus said in John 15:1-3 (Amplified) that, "I Am the True Vine, and My Father is the Vine dresser." He continues in Verse 2 saying, "Any branch in Me that does not bear fruit (that stops bearing) He cuts away (trims off, takes away): And He cleanses and repeatedly prunes every branch that continues to bear fruit, to make it bear more and richer and more excellent fruit." Verse 4 says, "You are cleansed and pruned already, because of the Word which I have given you (the teachings I have discussed with you)."
The Father is still the Vine dresser by His Holy Spirit. He still prunes and cleanses the branches (which are us) so we bear more and better fruit. He still uses the same means to prune and cleanse the branches as He did then. He uses His Word and His teachings. Jesus, Who is the Vine, supplies the life that flows through the branches. Without Jesus and His life flowing through us, then we have no life in us at all. The Vine produces the sap (life) to the branches and the branches produce the fruit. The Father Himself cares for the Vine and the branches as the Vine dresser.
Few of us have ever really thought much about the reason for bearing fruit. The reason for bearing fruit is to protect and replenish the seed needed to produce a new plant. Jesus said in John 12:24 (Amplified) that, "I assure you, most solemnly I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains (just one gram, it never becomes more) but lives alone. But if it dies, it produces many others and yields a rich harvest."
He was the Seed that produced the Vine that now gives life to us, the branches. As the branches, we're to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit. That fruit is what contains the seed to produce many more branches. Few of us have ever given much thought to producing fruit.
You can produce a watermelon vine with one tiny seed. That one life giving vine will grow many branches. Every branch will produce the fruit of the vine which is a watermelon. The meat of the melon is rich and red, cool and sweet...all things that make the melon more desirable to partake of. The real reason for the melon is to contain the seed which will produce more melons. Within this pleasant tasting melon is the real reason for the fruit which is so the seed will reproduce more and more melons with more and more seeds.
The entire reason we're to produce fruit is to reproduce new creatures in Christ. How are we to make more born again men and women without having the fruit which makes us desirable to the lost? How are we to pass on the seed that produces new life to the lost without having the desirable fruit? This isn't some song we sing or simply something we display only at church. This is the Word of Life that dwells in the words we speak into the lives of others. The world's not interested in simply joining a church or religious order. They are interested in the change they see in our lives which is the fruit of the Spirit. For the most part, we've been barren as far as being attractive to the world. The world sees very little in our fruit that makes us desirable to them. We're as sick as they are, we have as many divorces as they do, we have as many issues as they have and we don't have more joy (or even as much joy) as they do in their lives. In short, Church, we aren't bearing much fruit at all.
One good watermelon can produce enough seeds to start a whole watermelon patch. God's still trying to prune and cleanse us by His Word, but we don't spend much time reading His Word. Sermons about the Word or books about God's Word aren't really enough to produce much fruit. We need to spend time in His Word and in His presence. After all, He is the Vine and that's where we get life enough to produce any fruit.
There are many good churches around in nearly every area. Most of these people are involved in a local church. We spend most of our time in what I call "Recycled Christians." They go form one church to another seeking something they feel is missing in their Christian lives. We continue having people pray for us to keep from thinking bad thoughts or doing wrong and then it doesn't work. The only thing that can keep us from sin is a renewed mind by God's Word. That's what cleanses and prunes us to bear better fruit. We can put on a happy face for awhile, but it doesn't last very long. We can dance and sing while we are at church, but how long does it last after we leave? This is the more excellent and the lasting and richer fruit that makes people want what we have.
If we will bear the fruit that bears the seed of the new birth, then God will take care of the whole watermelon patch. He is the vine dresser. We try getting someone born again and then telling them what they can and cannot do and where they can and cannot go. We lay down a long list of rules (ones we didn't walk in either) for them to do. Jesus told His disciples to "Loose Lazarus and let him go." Ephesians 5:26 (Amplified) says to, "Take the grave clothes off them by the Word of Life, let the Vine dresser clean them up by the washing of water by the Word." Only the Word of truth can cleanse us from our old lives.
We've never been taught the importance of the real fruit of the Spirit. When we see someone walking in the joy of the Lord, we think he's nuts or just isn't serious about Jesus. We've grown so accustom to seeing Christians who look like they were baptized in lemon juice and don't recognize the real thing anymore. We still walk in the condemnation of our past even though the Word tells us the old man is dead. We're still trying to be good so God will bless us. We're still working hard to get to heave when the only thing we're to work at or labor in according to Hebrews 4:11 (Amplified) which says, "Let us therefore be zealous and exert ourselves and strive diligently [The King James Version says "Labor to enter into His rest] to enter the rest of God (to know and experience it for ourselves) that no one may fall or perish by the same kind of unbelief and disobedience (into which those in the wilderness fell)."
If we learn to rest in the finished work of Jesus and stop trying to do things on our own, then we'll rest in Him and bear the fruit. No watermelon has to try to produce seeds and no branch has to struggle to produce the melon and no branch has had a hard time producing branches. The vine dresser knows how to dress the vine. Just abide in the vine and let the Word produce after itself. You've never seen an apple tree struggle to produce an apple. It just happens naturally.
Rest in Him and allow the Vine dresser to prune you with His Word and walk in the fact that He will do it. Only the Spirit can produce the fruit. On your own, you cannot do it no matter how much willpower you have. It's only through His power.
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