How productive and fruitful is your life?

John 15:1-8,16

Jesus uses a detailed description of viniculture, vine growing for the production of grapes, as a spiritual analogy of how to maximise spiritual fruit production in our lives. He describes Himself as the vine and us as the branches.

Plants draw up nutrients through their roots, up through their main stem, out into their branches and on into their leaves, flowers and eventually fruit. If a branch is cut away from the stem it will immediately begin to wilt and die off because the sap can no longer flow into it. Such a branch will no longer be able to produce any fruit and will cease to be fruitful.

1. Are you connected to Jesus? – If you are not connected to Jesus the vine, through whom all spiritual goodness flows, you will not be able to produce spiritual fruit in your life and you will be spiritually dead. A relationship with Jesus is vital. We need the spiritual ‘sap’ to be flowing from God the Father, through Jesus the Son into our lives by the Holy Spirit. We were created to be in relationship with God, but sin cut us off from God and we began to die. The wages of sin is death but Jesus paid the price for our sin so that we can be in relationship with God once again (Romans 6:23; John 3:16). Jesus conquered death through His resurrection so that we could live forever in a restored and perfect relationship with God. Jesus said that the only way to receive this restored relationship with God is to repent of our sin and be born again by the Holy Spirit (John 3:1-21).
2. Are you producing the fruit of the Spirit in your life? (Galatians 5:22-24) – How much love is in your life? Are you joyful? Do you have peace? Are you patient? Are you kind and good to others? Are you faithful? Are you gentle? Do you have self-control? You will be known by your fruit (Matthew 7:15-20). What fruit comes out of our mouths, out of our actions and out of our thoughts shows whether we are connected to Jesus or the devil (Matthew 12:33. It is not possible for a good tree to produce bad fruit (Matthew 7:18).
3. Are you remaining in Jesus? – It is one thing to ask Jesus into your life, but it is another thing entirely to remain in Jesus. Many people started to follow Jesus but when He started to do things they didn’t like they turned back and gave up following Him (John 6:66). Jesus clearly says that branches that do not remain in Him will be gathered up and burnt, but those who remain in Him will produce much fruit and bring great glory to God the Father. Abundant fruit is confirmation we are truly Jesus’ disciples. Do you have the joy of the Holy Spirit within you?