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Fruit

Jesus is the true source of everything I am or have. Jesus is the real vine.

My role is to bear fruit. The fruit I produce is that of the Holy Spirit — love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, kindness, gentleness, faithfulness, and self-control (Galatians 5:22–23).

My source of life and spiritual fruit is not in myself; it is outside me, in the Messiah Jesus. I can live, live rightly, and serve Him effectively only if I am rightly connected to Him in a faith/love relationship.

I am the Real Vine and my Father is the Farmer. He cuts off every branch of me that doesn’t bear grapes. And every branch that is grape-bearing he prunes back so it will bear even more. You are already pruned back by the message I have spoken.

~Jesus | John 15:1-3

As a branch, I have to be pruned to produce fruit. The words of Jesus is the pruning message. I must steep myself in what Jesus is saying.

I want to be fruitful.

  • Jesus went on to remove any misunderstanding about what He meant (John 15:4). He said that no branch can even live, let alone produce leaves and fruit, by itself.
  • Cut off from the trunk, a branch is dead. Just as a vine’s branches rely on being connected to the trunk from which they receive their energy to bear fruit, Jesus’ disciples depend on being connected to Him for their spiritual life and the ability to serve Him effectively.
  • We depend on Jesus for everything, starting with our very life — “For in Him we live and move and have our being” (Acts 17:28) — and including our reconciliation with God through Him (Romans 5:10).
  • No one can serve God effectively until he is connected with Jesus the Messiah by faith. Jesus is our only connection with the God who gave life and who produces in us a fruitful life of righteousness and service.
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