Let’s consider the sort of life that flows from God into us and through us. This is part one of a four part series.
Spiritual Fruit
I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.
John 15:5
What is fruit? Quite simply here: it’s what comes from a branch on a vine. What is spiritual fruit? It’s the stuff that comes from our life; the things we say, think, do; the posture we take toward others, the approach we take towards life, all of it.
Fruit is inevitable. The only question is whether its rotten or fresh. Perhaps this is the most expansive category in the list we’ll cover during this series–the broadest mark of a disciple. Everything else could just be sub-points of fruit.
How does a branch bear fruit? All it has to do is be attached to the vine. It must remain there, stay there–let nothing sever it off from the vine, its source of life. It must abide there.
A Christian abides in Jesus. Apart from him, we can do nothing. But in him and with him, we can do all things. We can bear healthy spiritual fruit that, on our own, we would be incapable of producing.
What does healthy spiritual fruit look like?
Paul speaks of the fruit of the Spirit in his letter to church at Galatia–these are the sorts of things we see in our lives when we’re attached to the True Vine: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, humility, self-control. These things mark a disciple of Jesus; one who abides in him. We’ll get to love and joy in just a moment.
- A disciple of Jesus is patient with the person everyone else at work can’t stand.
- A disciple of Jesus is humble, choosing to serve others, to do the tasks others avoid, to not assume they are entitled to positions of honor and power.
- A disciple of Jesus has peace in a world gone mad. A disciple of Jesus seeks peace in a world that seeks conflict.
- A disciple of Jesus is faithful, faithful to God and faithful to others. They keep their word; they say what they mean and mean what they say.
- A disciple of Jesus seeks goodness and beauty. They love such things, appreciate such things, and aspire to such things.
- A disciple of Jesus is self-controlled. They speak and act with a purpose. Their aim is God’s glory and they discipline themselves to live lives of worship.
Christians live holy lives of love as the life and love of Jesus flow through us to the world around us. The world can see that fruit; they can taste that fruit. Oh taste and see that the Lord is good.