The Fruit of the Spirit

“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 bears fruit He prunes that it may bear more fruit.” John 15:1-2.

The fruit is a sign that the branch is healthy, and the fact that the vinedresser prunes it also shows that the branch is healthy.

When John the Baptist saw that many Pharisees and Sadducees came to be baptized, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” Matt. 3:7-10.

Justification requires its fruit, and sanctification requires its fruit. The fruit must appear, otherwise the branch will be removed, since it does not have a true connection with God.

When the branch bears fruit, God takes care of it by pruning it so it can bear more fruit. All the branches that are alive grow and make progress. Jesus’ exhortation is unmistakable: “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” John 15:4.

Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that My joy may remain in you, and that your joy may be full.” John 15:11. Here Jesus mentions one of the fruits of the Spirit that appeared as a result of obedience, and God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. Acts 5:32. You who doubt, believe it, and put off everything that is of yourself; then God can come to you and give you what you need.

He prunes the branch that bears fruit so it can bear more fruit. In this way your life is filled with all the fruits of the Spirit. It must be as it says in a song: “The Spirit shall lead me on, and I His voice will obey.”

When the Spirit is given complete control of your heart and your life, you will know the joy of being a branch on Jesus’ vine, bearing fruit for the vinedresser. Then the joy in your heart will have become full!

The rich young man heard what Jesus said, but he went away, because he was very rich. What do you do? “Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears My voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and dine with him, and he with Me.” Rev. 3:20. Our own carnal person is our great adversary, because he wants what he wants, but the Word and the Spirit say that there has to be an end of what I want. The rich young man wanted to keep his money and enjoy it. He didn’t see any further than that. What about you? Blessed is everyone who sees the way of faith and walks on it. You will never regret having done it.

In Galatians 5:22 we read, “But the fruit of the Spirit is love,” etc. We cannot say that the one has love and the other has joy. You cannot receive just one of the fruits of the Spirit. You have received all the others if you have received love. And if you have not received love, then the other fruits are also missing. Life is subject to growth, and this also applies to the fruits of the Spirit. You grow up to a certain maturity. “Against such there is no law.” V. 23.