JOHN 12:24-26 – Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. If anyone serves me, he must follow me; and where I am, there will my servant be also. If anyone serves me, the Father will honor him.

THEME OF THE DAY. JESUS’ WAY TO FRUIT BEARING. The fruit-bearing life. It is the desire of every true Christian. We long to bring pleasure and glory to God through a life of Christ-influencing fruit. It is also a natural occurrence in every true Christian. It also is to be progressive in every true Christian.

In the great abiding chapter of John 15, our Lord said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit. Already you are clean because of the word that I have spoken to you. 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. If anyone does not abide in me he is thrown away like a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire, and burned. If you abide in me, and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples” (John 15:1-8).

Please do a little exercise with me. First, go back to the last paragraph of John 15:1-8 and count how many times the word “fruit” is referred to by Jesus. Six times. The repeated emphasis is because of its importance. Now, let’s do part two of the exercise. Again, go back and look at the progression of fruit in the life of those who abide in Jesus – fruit gives way to more fruit which leads to much fruit. And this is to be natural. We and others are to be seeing an increase of fruit in and from our lives which leads to “What is this fruit?” Some people try to make it the “fruit of new converts”. This cannot be true. No one produces converts. And if that were true, there would be a lot of discouraged Christians because we don’t bear a lot, if any, fruit of new converts. But be encouraged by these words of the Apostle Paul about this . . . “What then is Apollos? What is Paul? Servants through whom you believed, as the Lord assigned to each. I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are one, and each will receive his wages according to his labor” (1 Corinthians 3:5-8). The fruit Jesus says will be present and increase in His people is the fruit of His character or of His Spirit – “Love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23).

So, how does a Christian grow in this Fruit? What is necessary for us to be followers of Christ who bear fruit, more fruit, and much fruit? Jesus tells us it is by abiding in Him, in His love, and having His Words abide in us (John 15:5, 7, 9). However, before we obey that command, there is something which must be in our lives. We must have the right “soil” in our hearts, minds, and wills for this Fruit to grow. And that right soil is implied in today’s scripture; death to self.

There is only one thing which keeps us from enjoying the Christian life and bearing a whole lot of Fruit for Christ’s glory and the good of all the people in our lives. That one thing is one person – ourselves. The biggest obstacle to all spiritual growth in Christ and influence for Christ is the sin of selfishness. In today’s scripture Jesus is telling us, “Unless you die to selfishness; unless you are planted in the soil of self-denial, you will not bear fruit.” Every day we are faced with two choices; to live for ourselves and by the world’s standards of selfishness or die to ourselves and live by God’s standards of selflessness. And unless we see this simple definition of the abiding in Christ life, we cannot bear His Fruit. The “weeds” of self-centeredness and self-satisfaction must be pulled from the garden of our hearts if His Fruit is to blossom. Think about this today for it is Jesus’ way and the only way to a life of Fruit-bearing for His glory.

PRAYER: “Father, teach me that to truly live I must learn to truly die – to self and the world.”

QUOTE: “No disciple of Jesus will be fruitful unless a continual death to self occurs.”