FRUIT-BEARING
[p. 54] FRUIT-BEARING
John 15; Luke 14: 25 - 35; Romans 7: 4; Hebrews 6: 7 - 9
It is evident that we are left here that we might bring forth that which is grateful to God. I want to speak of fruit-bearing in this connection. Fruit is brought forth for God, and by God, as to the source of it. The Lord contemplates that in this chapter, and He makes provision in this chapter for its continuity. There had been fruit in the disciples, and the Lord makes provision that their fruit should abide, that there should be a continuity of it.
I spoke last night of the new situation, and the conditions upon which it is established — that is Christ on high, and the Comforter here, the effect to us being that we live because Christ lives, and then we know “that I am in my Father, and ye in me, and I in you” (John 14: 20). That verse explains the situation, and chapter 15 shows the principle upon which fruit-bearing is dependent. It is spontaneous; works are more or less artificial, but fruit is spontaneous. A healthy vigorous tree yields fruit. Until Christ came, there could not be much fruit. The fig-tree brought forth no fruit and the Lord cursed it. The vine brought forth wild grapes. Both these figures are employed in regard of Israel; they had become a degenerate vine. Now Christ comes, and He was the true Vine, and for the first time there was fruit for God. He says, “I am the vine, ye are the branches”, and the condition of fruit-bearing was that they should abide in Him and He in them. Now in the present moment there is no vine; that makes the moment peculiar. Israel, the degenerate vine, is plucked up: they have been eaten up by the “boar out of the wood” (Psalm 80: 13). Christ the true Vine is not here, and yet the Lord contemplates continuity of fruit-bearing. That marks the moment as peculiar. Christ the true Vine is not here, but there still was to be fruit. Now we have to take [p. 55] that into account. The Lord will have continuity; that comes out in all His teaching. He made provision that all that came out when He was upon earth should be continued. Fruit was to be continued although the vine was no longer upon earth. We read in Revelation of the judgment of the spurious vine, but there will be a vine. Israel will yet bring forth fruit unto God, but when they do they will be in connection with Christ; it will be “From me is thy fruit found” (Hosea 14: 8). Then they will bring forth fruit to God. But the point in this chapter is that although there was no vine, yet there was to be no cessation of fruit.
I call your attention to verses 7 - 8, “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall be done unto you. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples”. Then verse 16, “I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain”. After verse 6, the figure of the vine is dropped, but then you get the principles or conditions under which fruit will be brought forth in us. The first condition is the influence of Christ, and the second is the christian circle, a circle where there can be the exercise of spiritual affection. If these conditions were not there, there could be no fruit for God. When Christ was here, there was the influence of Christ, and there was a circle of which Christ was the centre. No one can imagine what the influence of Christ was in that circle, of which He was the centre. There was unspeakable and inexpressible influence, and they were in a circle where they were under the obligation to love one another. The Lord contemplates His going away here. The most powerful thing here upon earth is the influence of Christ; we may not know much of it, but it is the greatest power on earth. It is the first and most important condition in fruit-bearing. If we abide in Him we come under His influence. I take an illustration — the earth brings forth fruit. How? Under the influence of the sun — its heat and warmth. Rain is dependent on the [p. 56] sun, for without the sun you could not have evaporation. There are many rich people upon earth, but if there were no sun there would be no riches. The millions of acres in men’s possession would be barren; there would be no fertility if there were no sun. If land did not yield, what would be the value of gold? Thus all is dependent upon the influence of sun and rain; there is no influence on earth so powerful as the sun. We have steam engines, but they get their power from coal, and coal is dependent on the sun. Therefore all wealth is dependent upon the sun. Now from a moral point of view, the greatest influence and power upon earth is Christ. The influence of Christ will effect things here, which no power upon earth could effect, and therefore the influence of Christ is the first and foremost condition of fruit-bearing.
You may say, What is the influence of Christ? Turn to Luke 14: 25. I read there, “... there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them — whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple”. Then the Lord continues as to building a house — going against a king with twenty thousand, etc. Now to come under the influence of Christ is to be a disciple of Christ. If you are a disciple of Christ you can build a house, and you can go against a king with twenty thousand. The Lord perfectly knew His own worth. I cannot talk of my worth. What the Lord brings before His disciples is — I am going to exercise an influence paramount to every influence on earth, so that if other influences are contrary to the influence of Christ you must be prepared to revolt against them. I trust that we all here are prepared for that; if we are not, we are not worthy to be His disciples.
His influence must be paramount. He is entitled to it, for “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15: 13). I give a few instances. Abraham was called to leave country, kindred, and father’s house. Who called him out from all these things? The One who had capability of blessing him. He was to leave all to come under the influence of God,
[p. 57] who could bless; and that necessitated a breach with the natural ties. God knew what was in His thought for Abraham and so He called him to leave all. Take another ease, Ruth and Orpah. Ruth determined to go with Naomi; she was prepared to turn her back upon her country. What justified it? The influence of Naomi; and she represented the true God — the God of Israel. Orpah remained, but Ruth clave unto her. She left country and kindred to go with Naomi. Take another case — Jonathan. He was prepared to break with the closest natural tie, because his heart clave unto David, and why? Because David had smitten Goliath, and he was God’s Anointed. Who has come forth on the part of God with every right? It is Christ. He like David was God’s Anointed. Who has smitten the power of Satan and accomplished redemption? It is Christ. He is the Elect of God — the true David, who has given His life for His friends. Now we have come to the true David — to the true God, who can bless. I ask, is it not reasonable that the influence of Christ should be paramount and supreme to every other influence? If your friends are not contrary to Christ, well and good; but we have to be prepared for a breach with every influence which is counter to the influence of Christ. The Lord Jesus says, A man must forsake all that he has in order to be His disciple. There is to be no influence as potent on man down here as that of Christ. He is God’s Anointed — the One who has come in to take up every liability under which we lay. He went down under death and everything, so that we might be delivered from bondage. He has smitten the head of the enemy that the people of God might be delivered from the fear of death. I tell you the effect of being under the influence of Christ is that you will be kept in your orbit, that is in the path of God’s will. No cleverness nor propriety will keep you there; no influence but the influence of Christ will keep you in the path of God’s will down here. The influence of Christ will enable you to “build a house”, and to overcome the king who comes against you with twenty thousand (Luke 14). The apostle could say, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me” (Philippians 4: 13). And why? Because be was under the influence of Christ, and was thus kept in the power that could overcome the “twenty thousand”. We cannot meet a king with twenty thousand, if we have only ten thousand. But if we are to come under the influence of Christ we must forsake all that we have; that is the condition.
Now I want to speak of the other side (see verses 9 - 12, John 11), “This is my commandment, that ye love one another, as I have loved you”, etc. I have spoken of the influence of Christ, and its mighty power. What people do in the world are not really mighty things. Kings may take account of destruction in war, but that is not mighty in the eye of God. Mary spent her ointment, three hundred pennyworth, on Christ, and that was a great victory under the eye of God. The overcoming of what is natural, and refusing all distinction here; that is a mighty power here, for nothing else could bring about such results.
Now we cannot do without a circle here; it would never do for a christian to be shut up to himself. In a circle you have scope for affection; an only child lacks brother and sister — it lacks opportunity and scope for its affections. On the day of Pentecost a circle was formed, Christ formed the circle, and the Holy Spirit came and dwelt there. To be truly in the christian circle is extremely important. You cannot “bring forth much fruit” by merely going to meetings or preachings; that will not enable you to bring forth fruit to God. We need to be in the christian circle. I do not want to discourage you from going to meetings, but I want you to take great account of the christian circle, for there it is you are moulded in christian affection. Encourage yourself to have your full part in the christian circle; I do not mean the family circle. I like to see affection there, of course, for it is right that there should be family affection, but it is in the christian circle that spiritual affections are moulded, and it is in that circle that we escape the [p. 59] influence of the world. There was a potent influence introduced in the influence of Christ, but He took care that there should be a retreat; He formed a circle before ever the gospel went out. Before the apostles went out to preach there existed a christian circle formed by Christ. Take advantage of the christian circle, even of what comes to your hand. Do not despise what comes to your hand, even though it be a little circle. Depend upon it what comes to your hand is not despised by the Lord, and your wisdom is to take the fullest possible advantage of what is there — enjoy the spiritual affection, and be careful to fulfil your part in it. Christ took what came to His hand — just a few fishermen, but He loved them, and He taught them to love Him and to love one another.
One word more. There are those two conditions which I have spoken of under which we bring forth fruit to God. The first is the influence of Christ, and the second is the enjoyment of the christian circle. I counsel you to take full advantage of both, so that our distinguishing mark may not be merely as a people who go to meetings, but as those who are under the influence of Christ, where we get the full benefit of sunshine and rain.
May God exercise our hearts as to these necessary and divinely appointed conditions, so that there may be continuity in bearing fruit for God. It will be so with Israel by and by; the fruit will reproduce itself. So with us. If we continue in these conditions we shall bring forth fruit, and the fruit will reproduce itself and will abide.