Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Fruit Producing Preparation







Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.   (John 15:2)




In order to bear fruit in the natural world a branch must be attached to the main plant. If the branch is broken off from the main life-giving vine it will not bear fruit. Jesus is the vine and we are the branches. In order to bear spiritual fruit we must maintain our relationship with Him:

I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit... Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing
. (John 15:1-5)

Pruning is necessary in the natural world if a plant is to remain reproductive and bear fruit. When a farmer prunes a plant he cuts off the unproductive branches in order to make the plant produce more fruit. He removes everything which would hinder the growth of the plant.

Pruning is also necessary in the spiritual world. Spiritual pruning is correction by God. The Bible also calls it chastisement. When God "prunes" He removes from your life everything which would hinder your spiritual growth.

Job understood what it meant to be processed by God:

But he knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold. Job 23:10

This process is necessary if you are to bear spiritual fruit:

Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit, He taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:2)


Sometimes you do not reap the benefits of pruning because you blame Satan when God is actually the one bringing circumstances into your life to prepare or correct [prune] you. The purpose of God's correction is given in Hosea:

Come, and let us return unto the Lord; for He hath torn, and He will heal us; He hath smitten and He will bind us up. (Hosea 6:1)

The chastisement of pruning results in a strengthened relationship with God. Only by a strengthened relationship and remaining with Him will you become spiritually reproductive and bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

Regardless of the uncomfortable process of pruning, without the processing of pruning, our growth is stunted and effective reproduction is not accomplished.  A plant that is stunted and cannot produce is cut off and cast out:


If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.  John 15:6


Pruning is also necessary for that which is to come; to help you be able to withstand the elements that come against us.

Climate is also important in development of fruit. In the natural world, many types of fruit are developed in environments that are specially controlled. They are grown in buildings called "hot houses" at specific temperatures. They are protected from the real environment of the outside world. If you take a "hot house" plant and move it outside, it will soon die because it has lived only in a controlled environment. It cannot withstand the environment of the real world.


Spiritually speaking, we do not want "hot house" Christians who look good in controlled settings but wilt on contact with the real world. Spiritual fruit should be just as evident in our contacts with the world as it is in the controlled settings of Christian friends or the church.  We want to be developed to endure all environments.  We have to know how to weather the storms of life and not be easily swayed or moved.  The armour of God allows us to resist the storms of life; allows us to do what Apostle Paul instructs us to do - stand!

In this manner, our testimony paves the way for fruit production.  We become living epistles as the word that is hidden in our heart comes forth.


Ye are our epistle written in our hearts, known and read of all men:  Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.  (2 Corinthians 2:2-3)

(Biblical Fruit)

03/07/15

06/22/16

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