FRUIT-BEARING
[p. 484] FRUIT-BEARING
We see from this passage that we as believers have to bring forth fruit to God here on earth. He expects us to bear fruit, for it is that to which, if I may say so, God is fully entitled. We expect from a tree that it should bear fruit, and if fruit is there it is the proof that the tree is in good condition.
In the old covenant, Israel had this place on earth towards God. As a result of the blessings and the privileges with which God had favoured them, they should have borne fruit to Him and He was certainly entitled to expect fruit, but His earthly people did not glorify Him.
The Lord came, as we know, and looked for fruit from Israel, but nothing remained for Him except to curse the fruitless fig-tree. “Let there be never more fruit of thee for ever”. Israel according to the flesh has not borne fruit for God, and from the words of the Lord mentioned before, we see that the flesh is not at all able to do this, but in spite of this Israel will bear fruit for God in the future in association with Christ.
If it is a question of fruit-bearing, two things are necessary in the first place, namely, light and rain. The earth brings forth fruit because it moves in the light of the sun and receives rain from heaven. So it was with Israel, and so it is with us. Israel was called to enjoy the light and the blessing of God, to bring forth fruit for Him and to glorify Him, and so also should we bear fruit for God. Without the light of our Sun and rain from heaven, we could bear no fruit for God, and who is our Sun if not the Sun of righteousness, the Son of God? Then the rain is the gracious service of Christ for our souls. It is only then if we stand in the light of the sun, that is the Son of God, and nourish ourselves on [p. 485] Him as the living bread that we bear fruit for God.
The Son of God Himself is our Sun. He came down out of heaven to effect redemption for us. All had come under the power of the law, all had died, but He has given Himself as a ransom for all; and, after He had completed the work of redemption, He went back to heaven. But He did not go back to heaven as He came out of heaven. He has gone back there as Man and we stand through faith in the light of Christ as the Sun of righteousness. But then we enjoy the rain from heaven, that is, the supply of the grace of Christ, and we are in this way capacitated to bear fruit for God.
If we look at the two previous chapters, we find that in a certain way they prepare the way for that which is unfolded in our chapter. Feet-washing precedes fruit-bearing. It is only when we correspond with the thoughts of God in our relations with one another that we can bear fruit for God. We see in chapter 13 that the Lord lays upon His own the responsibility to wash one another’s feet. He said “If I therefore, the Lord and the Teacher, have washed your feet, ye also ought to wash one another’s feet; for I have given you an example that, as I have done to you, ye should do also”. It is a question therefore here of our obligation towards one another as saints. We should not forget that refreshment is included in the thought of feet-washing. We are obligated to refresh one another and how could we do this otherwise than by presenting Christ in our contact with one another? In this way we serve one another and any defilements that we have contracted on our way through this world will be removed. Each one is responsible to serve his brother with a view to blessing and refreshment, so that through feet-washing what is of Christ is set out amongst us. When the Lord washed the feet of the disciples, it soon became apparent who among them was committed to Him. The christian circle, if I may say so, came to light when the traitor was exposed. Through feet-washing,
[p. 486] those whose hearts do not beat for Christ become apparent; for they soon prove that in reality they are not interested in such a service. They do not need to be refreshed by someone approaching them with the grace of Christ, because their hearts are too much taken up with the things of the world. But on the other hand, this service finds a joyful response in each one whose heart is devoted to Christ.
I would like now to remark in passing how the hour of the deepest darkness precedes the most glorious day. We read here that when Judas has received the morsel he went out immediately and that it was night. It was indeed the darkest hour of the life of the Lord here below, but the brightest day follows the darkest hour. “When therefore he was gone out Jesus says, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God also shall glorify him in himself, and shall glorify him immediately”. The Son of man has glorified God; the glory of God is secured in Him, and as to His present place He is glorified in God. The moment approaches when He will be publicly glorified, but at the present time He is hidden in God and the Holy Spirit has come down to bring us the report of His being glorified in God and to bear witness of this here below through His saints.
The darkest hour is still to come for the world. I refer to that period of time in the history of the world which will be characterised by the fact that the woman (Babylon) sits on the beast (Revelation 17). The harlot represents the great popish system and the beast is the Roman Empire. What follows now after this dark hour? The marriage of the Lamb. The dark hour of the ascendancy of Babylon precedes the brilliant morning of the revelation of the glory of Christ and of the assembly.
Another word in this connection on chapter 14. We have seen that Christ is now glorified in God and this chapter sets the blessed consequences of that before our eyes. The Lord says, “I will beg the Father, and he will give you another Comforter, that he may be with you for ever, the Spirit of truth ..”. and so on. The bright day in which we are now living began with the coming of the Comforter. The Sun of righteousness was in heaven and the Holy Spirit, that “other Comforter”, had come to abide with us for ever. All this prepares the way, as before remarked, for that of which chapter 15 treats.
Until the Lord Jesus came there could really be no fruit for God. He was the Vine, the source, out of which fruit should come; but it does not exactly correspond with the truth if one says He bore fruit to God here below. The fruit is borne by the branches, as the Lord said to His disciples, “Ye are the branches”, and again “I have chosen you, and have set you that ye should go and that ye should bear fruit, and that your fruit should abide”.
“I am the true vine”. Fruit must proceed from Christ Himself, as we also read, “From me is thy fruit found”, Hosea 14: 8. Christ came to bring us life, and fruit demonstrates the presence of life and of healthiness. The christian then is in a healthy condition if he moves in the light of Jesus as the Sun of righteousness and if his soul drinks of the streams that are poured out of heaven.
Not only do we see in Christ the source from which fruit for God comes, but we can also see in Him the true character of that which is good and pleasing in the sight of God. Everything in Him stood in complete contrast to that which was in men. Love was there, which went out to all, to His Father, as well as to the disciples and to those in need; He knew also how to draw joy out of deep wells, and peace always accompanied His path. It is true that He engaged in conflict against the whole power of the evil one, but within all was peace. Then we see patience, kindness, graciousness and indeed many other blessed features. Now all this may serve to give us [p. 488] a conception of what real fruit-bearing is (Galatians 5: 22).
It is this that in a believer is pleasing in the eyes of God, what He may expect to see in us; and “in this”, said the Lord, “is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit, and ye shall become disciples of mine”.
Our chapter teaches us in addition the way in which we are capacitated to bear fruit for God. Before everything, we abide in Christ. The earth never gets out of the light of the sun, and because it enjoys the light and the warmth of the sun in the first place it is able to bring forth fruit. Now God has called us out of darkness into His marvellous light. There is no doubt that there are sleeping christians, that is, those who have come under the influences of the world, but the Lord’s word is suited for them, “Wake up, thou that sleepest, and arise up from among the dead, and the Christ shall shine upon thee” Ephesians 5: 14. That is what every sleeping christian needs, namely, to come into the light of Christ and to move in the shining of the Sun of righteousness. Christ is coming and we should stand in the light of His appearing, and as to the manner He will shine forth as Sun of righteousness; “He is as a bridegroom going forth from his chamber; he rejoiceth as a strong man to run the race” Psalm 19: 5.
Then in the second place we are capacitated to bear fruit by His words abiding in us (verse 7). Through the words of the Lord we are both formed and led. The words of the Lord Jesus Christ are sound words (1 Timothy 6: 3) and suited to bring about that healthy condition of soul with us, which, as we have seen, lies at the foundation of fruit-bearing. It is necessary that His words abide in us; for by them we shall be brought above all to wish and to pray for what is from Him and for Him. “If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will and it shall come to pass to you”.
The genuine christian is characterised by freshness and energy, and besides that we find with him love, and those other qualities which in full measure shine out in the [p. 489] Lord. We should do well to ponder over this word of the Lord, “In this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit”. It is a word of very great significance for us. The Lord expects fruit from those who are His disciples.
Let us not forget our responsibility with regard to feet-washing. Through the exercise of this service genuine christians come to light. Let us think also how the darkest night precedes the brightest day; Christ has been glorified and the Comforter has come to keep our souls in the light of heaven and of the glorification of Christ. It is said of Paul that he saw a light from heaven which was above the brightness of the sun, and as we know he continued in the shining of that light. Also we have the Comforter, the Holy Spirit, with us, who keeps us in the light of the Sun of righteousness, and as we enjoy the supply of the grace of Christ, the rain from heaven, we abide in Him, whilst His words, through which we are formed according to His thoughts, abide in us.