Is Your Life Bearing Fruit?
Is your life bearing fruit? Last week, we said that God expects spiritual fruit from the lives of his people – attitudes, thoughts, and actions that glorify Him. What about the Christian who lacks fruit in their life though?
In John 15
, Jesus said, “I am the true vine and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit…” (John 15:1-2). Jesus sent a warning here to believers that do not fruit for him. Does this mean they will be judged and cut off from God?
Jesus seems to indicate that this is a branch that is in Him, or belonging to Him. In the original language, the phrase cuts off can also mean “to lift up.” As a matter of fact, that is the normal translation for this word. Perhaps the image could be that of a vinedresser lifting up a branch and not cutting it off.
New branches in a vineyard have a natural tendency to trail down and grow along the ground. The branches don’t bear fruit down there. When they grew along the ground, they get dirty, muddy, and mildewed. Eventually the branches become weak, sick and useless.
Does the vinedresser cut off the branch and throw it away? No. It is much too valuable. He lifts it, cleans it up and washes it. He then wraps it around the trellis so it will stay out of the dirt. Eventually it can begin to thrive again.
This has such a parallel for our lives. The dirt is like the sin of our lives from disobedience, wrong choices, and unwillingness to submit our lives to God’s direction. God is not going to let us stay in the dirt though. If your life consistently bears no fruit, God will intervene to discipline you. If necessary, He will use painful measures to bring you to a place of repentance where you are ready to get out of the dirt and get your life back in line with him. Scripture tells us, “As a man disciplines his Son, so the Lord your God disciplines you” (Deuteronomy 8:5).
All of us struggle with sin in different ways. The Christian needs to confess his sin and repent on a consistent basis. God must discipline us when we walk in denial and refuse to turn back to Him. We begin to love our sin more than we do our God. When we have un-confessed, unconfronted behavior in our lives, God must get out attention.
Is discipline fun? No. God only does it because He loves us. Any parent knows that discipline is a part of true love. Listen to what scripture tells us: “My son, do not make light of the Lord’s discipline, and do not lose heart when he rebukes you, because the Lord disciplines those he loves…” (Hebrews 12:5-6).
God never disciplines in anger, frustration or rage like earthly parents can sometimes do. It is always for our best. Just as the vinedresser take the necessary measures to correct the wayward branch, so our Heavenly Father deals with us and takes the necessary measures to correct us when we are living wayward lives. Why would God allow pain into our lives? Sometimes He does it to get our attention in hopes to bring forth more fruit. God’s actions are always intended to nudge you toward his desired purpose for your life.
If you disobey God’s standards for your relationships, you are going to get hurt and become barren. If you lack integrity with others in your family, or work you will become barren. If you have an affair, if you are stuck in pornography, if you keep dating unspiritual people, if you can’t put down the bottle, you will become barren. And God may have to discipline you to bring you back to the place of fruitfulness. And that’s the Word.
