“I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NKJV)
God’s first word to the man He created in His image was, “Be fruitful.”
Genesis 1:27-28 – NKJV
27 So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.
28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it; have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”
That clearly shows that God delights in our fruitfulness. Barrenness is not from God. God does not want you to be barren, unfruitful, or unproductive in any aspect of your life but to be fruitful or productive.
Your barrenness in any form or sphere of your life does not glorify God. It is your fruitfulness that glorifies God!
Jesus revealed this truth to His disciples, saying, “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.” (John 15:8 NKJV).
A call to be a disciple of Jesus Christ is a call to bear much fruit, thereby glorifying God. As a born-again believer, it is your primary calling, purpose, or responsibility to be fruitful.
Jesus said, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain, that whatever you ask the Father in My name He may give you.” (John 15:16 NKJV).
God chooses you in Christ to bear Christ-like fruit!
Naturally, a tree is known, identified, or distinguished by its fruit.
Luke writes, “For every tree is known by its own fruit…” (Luke 6:44 NKJV).
A fruit is the exact representation of a tree; it contains all that is in a tree. Similarly, the fruit the believers are called and chosen to bear in Christ must be Christ-like in every aspect. Your fruit must reveal Christ’s true nature and character.
Being fruitful in Christ is simply reflecting or manifesting Christ. It is receiving, drawing, or appropriating grace upon grace from the fullness of Christ and displaying the same increasingly and consistently.
John 1:15-17 – NKJV
15 John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, “This was He of whom I said, ‘He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'”
16 And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.
17 For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.
No one can bear Christ-like fruit without abiding in Christ, receiving, drawing, and appropriating grace upon grace from Christ.
John 15:1-5 – NKJV
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser.
2 “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.
3 “You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you.
4 “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.
5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.
Many believers today are barren, not bearing Christ-like fruit, simply because they are not constantly receiving, drawing, and appropriating grace upon grace from the fullness of Christ.
Just as no branch is expected to bear fruit on its own, God does not expect or command the believers to strive, struggle, or labor to bear fruit on their own.
Just as the branches in a tree don’t struggle to bear the fruit of the tree, the believers in Christ must not struggle to bear Christ-like fruit. You are expected to bear fruit in Christ supernaturally or effortlessly!
Jesus said, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5 NKJV).
The believers who continue to grow in the grace and the knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ will bear much fruit effortlessly, without striving, straining, sweating, or struggling.
It is simply an exercise in failure, futility, and frustration for any believer to attempt to bear Christ-like fruit from their resources, not Christ’s.
Jesus pointed this out, saying, “…Without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5 NKJV).
You must draw grace from Christ and depend on the grace of Christ constantly, consistently, and continually to bear Christ-like fruit constantly, consistently, and continuously.
Jesus warns, “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.” (John 15:6 NKJV).
Beloved, the moment you stop receiving, drawing, and appropriating grace upon grace from the fullness of Jesus Christ, you will begin to wither, shrink, shrivel, or dry up.
Therefore, quit striving, straining, sweating, or struggling to bear Christ-like fruit in your strength from today. Drawing from your resources and depending on your abilities will only result in fleshly fruit, not Christ-like fruit.
God said, “…Your fruit is found in Me.” (Hos. 14:8 NKJV).
This means that all you need to bear fruit constantly, consistently, and abundantly is in Christ, who is the brightness of God’s image and the express image of His person, and who was sent by God to reveal, manifest, declare, dispense or distribute God’s grace to all men (Heb. 1:3, John 1:17-18).
Therefore, arise today and begin to receive, draw, and appropriate grace upon grace from the fullness of Jesus Christ by diligently and constantly beholding the glory of the Lord Jesus Christ in the mirror of God’s Word and growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.
As you begin this, you will undoubtedly be transformed into Christ’s likeness from glory to glory by the Spirit of God without any stress or strain.
2 Corinthians 3:18 – NKJV
18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
You cannot constantly be beholding the glory of Jesus in the mirror of God’s Word and not become increasingly like Jesus in your motives, thoughts, words, emotions, and actions.
You cannot constantly enjoy intimacy with Jesus and not manifest Christ-like fruit increasingly (1 John 3:2).
Friend, it is your calling, purpose, and destiny to bear Christ-like fruit, and God has graciously supplied to you in Christ all it takes to bear much Christ-like fruit.
Peter attests to this truth.
2 Peter 1:1-3 – RSV
1 Simeon Peter, a servant and apostle of Jesus Christ, To those who have obtained a faith of equal standing with ours in the righteousness of our God and Savior Jesus Christ:
2 May grace and peace be multiplied to you in the knowledge of God and of Jesus our Lord.
3 His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence.
Arise now and begin to appropriate an ever-flowing supernatural supply of grace from the fullness of Christ to bear Christ-like fruit supernaturally—without any striving, straining, sweating, or struggling.
Prayer: My Dear Heavenly Father, I am so glad to know that there is an ever-flowing supernatural supply of grace from Christ’s fullness for my fruitfulness. Dear Holy Spirit, teach and help me receive, draw, and appropriate this supply of grace constantly, consistently, and continuously, in Jesus’ name. Amen.