As Christians we know we are meant to be fruitful. But the exact details of how we are meant to do that can sometimes trip us up. We can end up falling into one extreme or the other. And both of them can, on the surface, appear to be the right thing.
John 15: 4-5 "Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me. 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."
Jesus makes clear in this passage: we are totally dependent on Him. We cannot be the type of people He has called us to be on our own. Branches have to stay permanently connected to the vine in order to survive. They have to be permanently connected to the vine in order for any fruit to grow on them.
This isn't a one-time thing - it isn't saying - "pray one prayer, give your life to me, get filled with the spirit one time then go - do your thing - you don't need me after that". He says abide in me. The NIV translates the phrase as remain in me.
This is why we need to pray daily. This is why we need to read the Bible. This is why we need to worship. These things are part of how we abide with him. We need sometimes to just sit with Him, in his presence. We can sometimes feel that we've only really been in God's presence if we've received a word - or seen a picture - or felt something. Of course, God does meet us in those ways… But sometimes what happens is Spirit to spirit. It's deeper. It's beyond words, its beyond pictures and visions. We just still ourselves in His presence - "Be still and know that I am God" - we rest in him - abide in Him - without needing to constantly speak and without needing to chase a certain type of experience.
The pear tree
I don't have any vines in my garden. But I do have a large pear tree. It's planted against the side of my house. It was one of the things that I liked about the house before I bought it.
What's interesting is if you watch the tree it doesn't look like it's doing anything. It just stands there. You don't see it waving its branches around trying to get bees to come to its blossom. You don't see it running around in the rain trying to get enough water. It just stands there. Rooted in the ground. As long as its branches are connected to it they bear fruit.
We can't generate fruit by our own activity. Just like that tree. We have to remain rooted, connected to our source - and as I've already said that does require action on our part — we aren't completely passive — but it's Him that works in us and through us to bring forth the fruit.
The other interesting thing I've noticed about my pear tree is this - if I sit and watch the pears they don't seem to be growing. If I stand and watch them for an hour - or even a day - I don't see them getting any bigger. But if I go away for two weeks and come back - then I can notice the difference. Just because you aren't seeing something immediately doesn't mean nothing is happening. Don't give up praying. Don't give up waiting on the Lord. Don't give up abiding. Sometimes fruit grows slowly - you can't see it happening - but it is happening… and one day it will become apparent.
The trap of inactivity
We have to stay connected to Jesus because "apart from him we can do nothing". Not "we do nothing" full stop. He's not saying: just pray - never do anything. He is saying don't do anything apart from me. There is a danger here of falling into complete inactivity. Of never going and doing anything at all and over spiritualising that.
I know I've had times in my life where I've felt God asking me to do something that, to be honest, I didn't really want to do. In those moments we have to be careful. Really careful. We can wrap up fear and disobedience in spiritual language: "I'm just waiting on the Lord"… "I'm waiting for a confirmation". A certain amount of that is good and may be wise… But we need to be careful that we aren't like Balaam - you know the story? Balaam kept going back to God, not because he didn't know what God had said, but because he wanted a different answer. We need to be careful. In Scripture when God calls people often their first response is: "Not me!" Think about Moses, Jeremiah and of course Jonah.
There's the big, obvious "No I don't want to"… but what we also have to be aware of is the subtle temptation to avoid something we'd rather not do and dress that up in spiritual language. Not necessarily to other people - but in our own hearts and minds. Jeremiah 17:9 says "the heart is deceitful above all things" and we need to be wise about this.
Go and bear fruit
Jesus is not talking about inaction - if we read on further in John 15 - in verse 16 he says: "You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit." Go and bear fruit. Jesus demonstrated how this is done. He modelled this for us. He withdrew and prayed, then he went and acted. He preached, he healed the sick, he cast out demons.
But as he says in John 5: 19: "the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise."
And fruit isn't only about what God is growing in us. As we remain in Jesus, he also works through us. The fruit of that relationship should become visible in the way we live, the way we love people, and the way we respond when he calls us to go.
The great commission is for every disciple. Every disciple of Jesus should go and make more disciples. This isn't just for the pastor or the worship leader or particularly enthusiastic people. This is a command for all of us.
Mark 16 v 15-18 Jesus said: "Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation. Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover."
We can't do those things apart from Him: We can't heal anyone by our own power - but the Holy Spirit who lives in us can. We can't deliver anyone in our own strength. But, through abiding in him, he can do his work through us.
