Open The Word | Fungua Neno

⏱️ 5 minutes.

Greetings dear friends,

Today, let’s look at the importance of bearing fruits:

My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.
— John 15:8

Towards the end of His ministry, Jesus speaks to His disciples, sharing final insights with them before He is to be crucified.

In the beginning of the chapter, we see one of Jesus’ “I am” statements, where He says:

I am the true vine, and My Father is the vine-grower.
— John 15:1

He makes the point that as branches, we’re connected to the vine, that is, Christ. Some branches will bear fruit and some will not, mainly because they are not really connected to the vine. He says those branches which don’t bear fruit will be cut off and those which bear fruit will be pruned so as to bear more fruit.

Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit, He cleans it so that it may bear more fruit.
— John 15:2

In the verse we’re looking at today, we see the purpose behind Jesus’ insistence on the branches bearing fruit. It’s not merely out of the fear of being cut off from the vine, but rather because it glorifies the Father.

And here lies a contrast between fearful, anxiety-driven Christianity and loving, God-glorifying Christianity. The Bible’s focus on sin and the wrath of God is unquestionable. The word “sin” appears over 418 times in the King James Version (KJV), compared to the 318 times that the word “love” appears in the same version.

The reality of hell, the punishment for sin, is imminent according to the scriptures. Consider this very passage in John 15:

If anyone does not abide in Me, he is thrown away as a branch and dries up; and they gather them, and cast them into the fire and they are burned.
— John 15:6

It is undeniable that hell is real, and that a time is coming when all will be judged according to our deeds. This is why the message of the cross is so comforting to us who believe, because come judgment day, we will not be judged according to our own deeds of righteousness, but rather according to the righteousness of our Lord Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life according to the demands of the law, died for our sins, and finally resurrected for our justification.

Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and of death.
— Romans 8:1-2

He who was delivered over on account of our transgressions, and was raised on account of our justification.
— Romans 4:25

This reality is indeed something to be well acquainted with. However, our Christian life should never stop at following and obeying God simply because of the fear of hell. We need to go beyond that.

Jesus says in this passage that bearing fruit, meaning the outcomes of our obedience, brought about by the Holy Spirit, glorifies our Father in heaven. And this ought to be the true driver of all our conduct.

We shouldn’t just stop at obeying God out of a fear of hell, but rather we should come into a deeper understanding of the unfathomable love displayed by our God in heaven, who, out of the riches of His divine mercy, redeemed us from wrath and eternal punishment. This glorifies God. This is why we do what we do. The apostle Paul echoes this very sentiment when writing to the Colossians:

And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.
— Colossians 3:17

Jesus says this is how we prove that we’re His disciples: when we bear fruit, when we do all things to the glory of God the Father, when we obey not merely out of the fear of hell (which is very much a reality of the things to come), but rather doing good out of the love that we have for God for what He has done for us.

Here are some points to meditate on:

• Am I bearing fruit?
• What drives me to live a faithful Christian life? Is it only the fear of hell, or is it the love I have for God?
• Is everything I do glorifying God?

I am writing to you, little children, because your sins have been forgiven you for His name’s sake. I am writing to you, fathers, because you have known Him who has been from the beginning. I am writing to you, young men, because you have overcome the evil one. I have written to you, children, because you have known the Father. I have written to you, fathers, because you have known Him who has been from the beginning. I have written to you, young men, because you are strong, and the word of God abides in you, and you have overcome the evil one.
— 1 John 2:12-14

I pray that as we grow spiritually, we’ll come to a place of doing all things for the glory of our Father in heaven.

May the peace of God be with you,
Paul