Have You Any Fruit?

Jesus said, "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. 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. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples" (John 15:5-8).

This passage has some of the most wonderful promises in the Scriptures. It also has some of the most stark warnings. It gives us choices but sets very narrow limits.

The fruit of the Spirit spoken of in other Scriptures is the same as the fruit of abiding in Jesus. "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit" (Galatians 5:22-25).

While some people are more gentle by nature than others, the fruit of the Spirit that comes with abiding in Christ and having His word in us are not native to the human heart. They are of divine origin and are the blessed privilege of the Christian. The fruit of our lives becomes the measure of Spiritual life both for ourselves and for others who observe us. Cling to the vine for spiritual life and the blessed fruit of the Spirit!

—Silas Martin