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Jesus explained how a life of fruitfulness is possible in the illustration of the vine and the branches, how a believer can live a lifestyle far beyond his natural abilities.
The fruit Jesus promised is, the fruit of the Spirit.
What does "fruit" mean = The meaning is established in the OT and reinforced in NT.
Justice = the quality of being just; righteousness, "moral virtue or moral excellence".
Righteousness = characterized by uprightness or moral behavior, good virtuous, Just fair or impartial / lawful
Paul, portrays fruit as that "love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" which the Holy Spirit produces in our life's. Both OT and NT focus our attention on character: are those good and right acts which are produced by a person whose heart is in tune with God's own character and nature.
(Gal 5:22 - 23 NLT)
But when the Holy Spirit controls
our lives, he will produce this kind of fruit
in us: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Here there
is no conflict with the
law.
"KJV against such there is no law"
As the Holy Spirit flows freely in our lives, a rich and beautiful character "fruit" grows.
The Holy Spirit has a variety of ministries. He empowers us for holy living, and here we see that He works a progressive moral transformation as we are obedient and responsive to the Lord. That transformation is displayed in character and personality, producing the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.
Not by works: There is no way, however much we plow and harrow, or cultivate and hoe our character, to produce this crop by ourselves. This crop is produced only by God the Holy Spirit, and only in those who live in Him.
The list of the acts of the flesh, and the list of the fruit of the Spirit.
The first list contains four distinct categories of acts of the flesh. Each is a behavior, an act rather than a character trait.
[1] Sex sins: immorality, impurity, debauchery (sensuality).
[2] Religious sins: idolatry, witchcraft.
[3] Relations between persons sins: hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition,dissension's, factions, envy.
[4] Not moderate; lacking restraint; excessive; going to extremes sins: drunkenness, orgies.
In contrast, the fruit produced by the Spirit includes no specific acts or behaviors at all! Everything on this list is internal, a trait of character.
[1] Love
[2] Joy
[3] Peace
[4] Long-suffering - patience
[5] Gentleness - kindness
[6] Goodness
[7] Faith - faithfulness
[8] Meekness - gentleness
[9] Temperance - self-control
Toward God:
A) Divine love flowing from the human spirit.
B) The joy of the Most High.
C) Peace, serenity of heaven.
Toward man:
A) Long-suffering.
B) Gentleness.
C) Goodness.
Toward your inner man:
A) We are saved by faith.
B) We must walk in meekness.
C) We must be temperate in all things.
On a living vine. Branches are unable to bear fruit by themselves. They must be connected to the vine. Roots and trunk support the life of the branch, and only the branch "remaining in" the vine has the potential for fruitfulness.
Believers are pictured as branches in Jesus' illustration
(John 15:1 NLT) I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener.
The vine was frequently used in the Old Testament of God's people. Psalm 80:8 speaks of Israel as "a vine brought out of Egypt." The clearest use of the image is found in Isaiah 5. There the prophet says:
(Isa. 5:1-2, 7)
My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He
dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with
the choicest vines. He built a watchtower in it and cut
out a winepress as well.
And he explains,
The vineyard of the Lord Almighty is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are the garden of His delight.
Israel
failed to produce the fruit of righteousness and justice
"just fair impartial, moral virtue" that God looked for.
Christ came, as the "true Vine," that in and through Him
we might produce the fruit of true goodness. It is only
through a relationship with Jesus Christ, the "true Vine,"
can the moral qualities that God seeks be produced. A
personal relationship with Jesus is essential for
believers.
(John 15:2 NLT) He cuts off every branch that doesn't produce fruit, and he prunes the branches that do bear fruit so they will produce even more.
(John 15:3 NLT) You have already been pruned for greater fruitfulness by the message I have given you.
You are pruned by the word = God's pruning work benefits us; it doesn't threaten us.
(Eph 5:26 KJV) That he might sanctify and cleanse it "the church" with the washing of water by the word,
(Heb 12:5 - 8 KJV) And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.
(John 15:4 NLT) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful apart from me.
"Remain in
Me" "Abide in Me"
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The same point is made by both words: live in intimate union with Jesus.
The
Christian life is a supernatural life, flowing from Jesus
to us. It can be experienced only as we live in intimate
fellowship with our Lord. Only in union is fruit-bearing
possible. And only in fruit-bearing can God's purpose for
us be achieved. The important thing for us to realize is
that whatever prominence we may achieve-in our church or
in the larger Christian world-God's goal for us is to be
fruitful. Unless we are living in union with our Lord and
seeing His fruit produced in our lives, all else is
meaningless
(John 15:5, 6 NLT) Yes,
I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them,
will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do
nothing.
Anyone who parts from me is thrown away
like a useless branch and withers. Such branches are
gathered into a pile to be burned.
A branch draws its vital juices from the vine to which it is united. In the same way we draw the spiritual vitality that enables us to produce fruit from Jesus. Thus Jesus says clearly, "Apart from Me you can do nothing."
(John 15:7 NLT) But if you stay joined to me and my words remain in you, you may ask any request you like, and it will be granted!
If ye abide in me "Jesus" to have intimate fellowshipandmy words abide in you Jesus words remain in your heart |
(1 John 3:6) Whosoever abideth in him sinneth not: whosoever sinneth hath not seen him, neither known him.
(John 15:8 KJV) Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
(John 15:8 NLT) My true disciples produce much fruit. This brings great glory to my Father.
(John 15:8 NASB) By this is My Father glorified, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
Disciple: a pupil or follower of a teacher
KJV - so shall ye be my disciples
NLT - My true disciples
NASB - and so prove to be My disciples
(John 15:9,10 NLT)
I have loved you even as the Father has loved me. Remain in my love
When you obey me, you remain in my love, just as I obey my Father and remain in his love.
"Abide in my love." When we keep Jesus'
commandments his word we are remain in His love. As His
words take shape and changes our personality to look like
his personality.
(2 John 1:9 KJV) Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son.
(2 John 1:9 NLT) For if you wander beyond the teaching of Christ, you will not have fellowship with God. But if you continue in the teaching of Christ, you will have fellowship with both the Father and the Son.
(2 John 1:9 NIV) Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God; whoever continues in the teaching has both the Father and the Son.
(John 15:11 KJV) These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.
(John 15:11 NLT) I have told you this so that you will be filled with my joy. Yes, your joy will overflow!
(John 15:11 NASB) These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.
(Neh 8:10 KJV) Then he said unto them, Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the LORD is your strength.
Jesus joy in you
a) your joy be full
b) your joy will overflow
c) your joy may be made full
(John 15:12 NLT) I command you to love each other in the same way that I love you.
We are
called to remain in Christ, and to live with each other in
love.Our relationship with Jesus has such a huge impact on
how we relate to each other. If how we relate to others is
marked by rivalry, suspicion, and selfishness, the works
of the flesh; then we are not walking in the Spirit; we
are not maintaining an intimate, responsive relationship
with Jesus. We are command to love each other, we are
responsible for our relationships with our fellow
Christians.
(1 John 1:6,7 KJV) If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
(John 15:13 -16 NLT)
And here is how to measure it--the greatest love is
shown when people lay down their lives for their
friends. You are my friends
if you obey me. I no longer call you
servants, because a master doesn't confide in his
servants. Now you are my friends, since I have told you
everything the Father told me. You did not choose
me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear
fruit--fruit that will last.
(John 15:16 KJV) Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain: that whatsoever ye shall ask of the Father in my name, he may give it you.
Your calling: Jesus called us out of the world into his kingdom and commanded, us to be a fruitful branch.
Fruit:
a) should remain
b) that will last
Note: Good ground -- an honest and good heart such as hear the word and receive it and understandeth it.
Prayer: whatsoever you shall ask of the Father in the name of Jesus
a) that
b) Then
Note: the prayer is conditional, on if you are a fruitful branch and the fruit remain, you have to have good fruit, by staying joined to Jesus and His words remaining in you, continuing in his love by keeping his commandments.
(John 15:17 NLT) I command you to love each other.
