As believers, we are expected to be fruit bearers. Our ability to bear fruit has to do with our dependence on the Lord Jesus Christ rather than on ourselves. We need to be fully connected with the Lord to ensure fruitfulness. To emphasize this truth, Jesus said, “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples” (John 15:7-8). No one else gets the most glory out of our being fruitful but the Lord. Therefore, he makes sure that we bear not only few but much fruit—the more fruit we have, the more glory he gets.
There are three levels of fruitfulness that Jesus pointed out in his sermon on him being the Vine and we being the branches—those that were barely producing fruit, those that produced more fruit, and those that produced much fruit. He explained how we can transition to the higher level when he said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful” (John 15:2). One who needs to bear more fruit should be willing to go through the pruning knife of the Lord. This is the only way to become more fruitful. On the other hand, to bear much fruit is the result of complete dependence on the Word of God.
These three levels of fruitfulness were emphasized in the Parable of the Sower when Jesus said that the seed that is planted on good soil “produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown” (Matt. 13:23). All the Word of God planted on good soil will bear fruit, but the fruitfulness is dependent on how they accept, understand and retain it in their heart. In explaining the parable in the Gospel of Luke, Jesus pointed out that “the seed on good soil stands for those with a noble and good heart, who hear the word, retain it, and by persevering produce a crop” (Luke 8:15). To bear much fruit, we need to persevere. It is not enough that we accept and understand the Word when we hear it. We need to retain it through our persevering faith so that the Word will remain in us. It is only then that we can ask whatever we wish and it shall be done for us as promised. It must be noted that the harvest is not 100% of what we have sown, so that when we sow one seed we will get one fruit in return. No, it is one hundred times what we have sown.
The power of the Word of God to produce fruit in us cannot be overemphasized. Likening it to rain and snow that comes down from heaven to water the earth, God said, “so is my word that goes out from my mouth: it will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it” (Isa. 55:11). The only thing that God needs to make his Word productive in us is a fertile heart. We must also understand that the “word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart” (Heb. 4:12). It is up to us whether we will let the Word of God work in us or not. If we close our ears and harden our hearts, it will be to our loss. Therefore, Jesus said, “Whoever has ears, let them hear” (Matt. 13:9).
The reason why God wants us to bear not only “more fruit”, but “much fruit”, is for the glory of his name. Therefore, it is necessary for us to properly use the blessings that we receive from the Lord, and not waste it. Our true Christianity is proven by our ability to be good stewards of God’s resources. Foremost, we need to obey God’s command in Malachi 3:10 to “’Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,’ says the LORD Almighty, ‘and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it’”. Obedience to this command will make us bear much fruit. This will also guard us against love of money and will taper our desire for more.
Since we cannot bring our wealth to heaven, considering that naked we came and naked we will depart, it is best that we invest our time and resources in that which matters most to God—the souls of people. Let us invest in our loved ones since they are the only treasure that we can bring with us to heaven. Let us use all available resources to ensure that our children and loved ones will get to heaven just as we will. They are the fruit that God wants to bring with us to heaven for his glory. Hallelujah!
