BEARING FRUIT TO GOD

John 15:1-9; Galatians 5:22-26

I have in mind to say something about bearing fruit, or fruitfulness. In many ways the subject is associated with faithfulness which we spoke of earlier, because if there is unfaithfulness, there will not be fruitfulness. God has a great interest in fruitfulness. That is evident right from the very beginning in creation. I was looking at some of the references to the early days in creation, and noting that on the third day God said in Genesis 1, “Let the earth cause grass to spring up, herb producing seed, fruit-trees yielding fruit after their kind” (v.11). What an interest God has in fruit; “fruit trees yielding fruit”. Then you will notice the words which follow this, “after their kind”. God is looking for an answer in quality, in view of His own delight. We are in days when men have indulged in bringing in all kinds of admixture into a variety of things, and would seek to bring in admixture and confusion even into vegetation and the fruit bearing of trees. That might seem a minor thing in our consideration, and yet it shows how there has been departure from the divine thought that fruit trees should bear fruit after their kind. We have another reference to fruit on the fifth day. God said, concerning all the swarms of living souls that had been brought in and the fowl flying above the earth and the creatures in the sea, “Be fruitful and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply on the earth”, Gen.1:22. Finally when we come to man being brought into the scene on the sixth day, “God blessed them; and God said to them, Be fruitful and multiply”, Gen 1:28.

All these passages would show that God has a great interest in yield for Himself, especially from the souls of men. What delight God has in bringing man into the scene, according to the purpose of His love, so that there should be an eternal answer, in joy for His own heart, from those secured through the work of Christ, patterned after Christ and formed in love by the service of the Holy Spirit. I cannot see how there can be any fruit bearing apart from formation in love. I think fruit is a direct answer to formation in love, and God is looking for that. We were thinking in our hymn of the need of an increase in fruit bearing, but running parallel to that, there is a need for an increase in formation in love, for us to be formed in our hearts after Christ, according to all that is pleasing to God. We would learn from the illustration of Israel that God is looking for what is choice, and suited to His own delight. He did not plant an ordinary vine in regard of Israel; Scripture indicates that God planted “the choicest vine”, Isa.5:2. He planted something that was choice and special, in view of having peculiar delight from His people Israel. Sadly, they were marked by unfaithfulness and, as a consequence, the choice fruit that God was looking for was not yielded. God felt that keenly. There was not the slightest reflection on God’s own activities in that regard, because He had cultivated that choicest vine, done everything to protect it, done everything to promote fruit, yet such terrible departure came in in Israel.

These are searching words in regard of ourselves, beloved brethren. We were thinking in the reading of the public failure that has characterised the church as well as Israel. What God was looking for in the way of a choice answer is not much in evidence at the present time, though I must make it perfectly clear that God will not fail in the purpose of His love, to secure the assembly as a great vessel for His eternal delight and praise. God cannot be defeated. Do you despair about conditions at the present time amongst the people of God? Have confidence in God. God indicated to Isaiah the prophet that He could not be hindered in any thought of His, “My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure”, Isa.46:10. Let us lift up our hearts and find encouragement in looking to the Lord and in trusting Him in these days of testing. The divine interests which God has amongst His people will go through into ultimate glory. But that involves exercise at the present time. We read in John 15 of the Lord speaking of Himself as the “true vine” and there is a serious consequence for those that bear no fruit; “every branch in me not bearing fruit, he takes it away”. I suppose that relates to what is mere profession, no true work there at all, nothing that has the capability of bearing fruit. It will be cut off and taken away. The ultimate end of that will really be apostasy, but God has an interest in what has the capacity to bear fruit. Of the branch that grows through attachment to the true vine, it says “every one bearing fruit, he purges it that it may bring forth more fruit”. That reference to “more fruit” indicates what pleasure God has in this great thought of increase for Himself.

Perhaps you feel that you are being tested personally, as well as finding times of difficulty amongst God’s people. God’s hand is in these things. They are never out of divine control. That might seem a sweeping statement to make, but I believe it to be entirely true, that things are never out of divine control. All is secure and safe as committed to the hands of the Lord Jesus. Nothing can ever go out of control that is committed into His hands, and the Father has placed everything there. Everything will ultimately be headed up in the Christ (Eph.1:10), in view of God’s eternal glory. But meantime we pass through times of exercise. Some of us prove that personally, in circumstances that may enter into our lives and into our family circumstances, and perhaps into business affairs. We are tested often, and God operates in His own way, with His own fatherly interest and love and perhaps in the bringing in of discipline to promote more fruit. That is a particular point here, the securing of more fruit. We have other passages of Scripture which would make reference to discipline coming in to remove evil and to purge out what is unsuited. That is not quite the point in this passage here, but rather to bring about an increase in yield for God. May our hearts be amenable to that. There is a result secured in the affections of those who are exercised in relation to divine discipline. May we not be resistant to it.

I suppose the natural tendency is that we resent the things that bring about a little bit of disturbance and difficulty in the course of our pathway, but we have to do with a Father who loves us. Oh, the blessedness of the Father’s love, the Father who did not spare His Son; “how shall he not also with him grant us all things?”, Rom.8:32. God is set for our blessing. It is a very precious thing to know that God is for us (Rom.8:31). That is part of the teaching of Romans, part of the understanding of the glad tidings, that we are brought to learn that God is for us, and if He is for us, who can be against us? How blessed to think of God being for us in view of blessing. It may be that His hand in discipline is coming in, and we speak sympathetically about that, because some have to pass through very severe tests, but the Father’s hand is behind it in love, in order that there should be more fruit.

In the section we have read, there are some other points of special interest to note. The Lord says “Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abide in the vine, thus neither can ye unless ye abide in me”. How telling these words are. I often think of that hymn and of the appeal which comes into it, that we might be kept:

‘By and in Thy love’.      (Hymn 127)

I reflect upon that a good deal. We are kept by the love of the Lord Jesus, and thus increasingly brought into the enjoyment of His love. Those were very wise words of that hymn writer; ‘By and in Thy love’. It is very true that the Father has a great interest in us, and He loves us. It may be that He brings in His own discipline in order that there should be a greater yield from our hearts, but there is a requirement that we should keep ourselves in the love of God. That would be to keep ourselves in the area where divine love can be enjoyed. These are searching things that enter into our personal links with divine Persons. We were speaking of Moses in the reading as one who was so near to God. What a beautiful word that God could say concerning His faithful servant, “Mouth to mouth do I speak to him openly”, Num.12:8.

How much time do we spend in intimacy, in prayer, with divine Persons? Do we take time? Time is a very precious commodity. The enemy has produced such a multitude of things to take up the time and attention of men, sometimes in a careless way but often in a very evil way, so that the opportunity for men to be thinking of God, engaged with the things of God and speaking to God should be, as far as the enemy is concerned, in every way eroded. Let us make time and take time to be sustained in communion with divine Persons. Unless we abide in the vine there can be no fruit. Keep near to the Lord Jesus. That is an opportunity which we all have. You may say that things are very testing in circumstances in your family, or in the locality where you are. I just say, with a measure of care, that that does not deprive you of committing yourself with personal affection and interest to the Lord Jesus. Make sure you keep near to the Lord Jesus. There was a very testing day in Israel’s history when things were extremely difficult and Moses pitched the tent outside the camp (Exod.33:7). Conditions were so bad that he felt something had to be established in suitability for God outside the camp. There was a young man who took his opportunity that day to commit himself with a commitment that he never departed from. It was the very day that Joshua is said to have gone out to that point outside the camp that Moses established, and Joshua “departed not”, Exod.33:11. That is a very beautiful reference. I enjoy reading about that. Joshua might have said, ‘These are extremely discouraging and difficult days. I do not know where I am going’. But he did quite the reverse. He went to the place where it was manifestly evident that God had a peculiar interest and where His glory was to be seen, and he committed himself with a commitment that continued throughout the whole of his course.

May I encourage our younger brethren to stand firm in times of difficulty. Keep near to the Lord and draw on divine resource that ever remains available from the true vine. “Abide in me”. These are the Lord’s own words. “Abide in me and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it abide in the vine, thus neither can ye unless ye abide in me”. I pass that word on to each and all of us, that we might abide in Christ. It is our place of safety. It is the only place where we might be sustained in fruit bearing, because the Lord says, “without me ye can do nothing”. There is no other resource or sustaining energy, either to preserve us in the area of service or in yielding fruit to God outside of Christ. We must draw from the true source, Christ Himself. “I am the vine, ye are the branches. He that abides in me and I in him, he” – emphatic “he”, such a person as abides in Him – “he bears much fruit; for without me ye can do nothing”. What sobering words these are: “without me ye can do nothing”. You may be minded to commit yourself with a sense of strong personal courage, just to go forward, but make sure that you do not make such a commitment without keeping near to the Lord while doing so, for without Him you can do nothing: “without me ye can do nothing. Unless any one abide in me he is cast out as the branch”. These are very precious words, “abide in me”. Oh, the need of abiding more in the enjoyment of the love of Jesus! I can see a great call for keeping close to the Lord Jesus. Do you think there might be some deficiency in the circumstances where you have been set? It is love’s opportunity for you to abide in Christ and bring in the resource and the help that is needed. If you find a deficiency, seek grace to fill it up by abiding in Christ and drawing on the supplies that are unfailing in Him, in order that you might become a useful vessel bearing much fruit.

Then the Lord says further down, “In this is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit”. That is a fine touch. How pleasing to the Lord that we should be preserved in affection for Him, but in that very thing the Father is glorified. The Father was glorified in the Son. He glorified the Father on the earth. He completed the work that was given Him to do, and outstandingly He glorified the Father on the earth (John 17:4). Think of the Father being glorified now because persons abide in Christ and bear much fruit. Not only is the Father pleased about that, not only is there an answer to His own affections from that, but the Father is glorified in it. I believe He is glorified because in that same way the Son is honoured, as we abide in Him. We abide in Him and bear fruit and the Father is glorified in that, because there is a further outshining of what speaks to Him of Christ in the fruit bearing among the saints.

I pass on to the scripture read in Galatians; “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace …”. Reference was made to this passage in the reading, and we noted once again that it is spoken of as one fruit. It is like a cluster, one beautiful cluster, full of variety and interest, yet one precious cluster of fruit, the product of the Spirit’s service. There is need, as we have been saying, of abiding in Christ, but there is also great need of sowing to the Spirit. We need to sow to the Spirit in order that there might be room made for the fruitful service of the Holy Spirit to proceed in our own affections and bring about this choice answer. It says “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace …”; I refer to these three first of all because they seem to indicate something that is formed inwardly. It is a very valuable thing to be formed in love, formed according to the divine nature. What pleasure for God to look down upon the saints and to see what is of Himself formed in the hearts of His people. No wonder it stands next to the word “joy”. Joy for God’s heart, but joy for our hearts too as we are brought into the sphere where holy love is experienced in operation within our own hearts and in the circle of the saints into which we have been called through divine grace. And then it says “peace”. What a scarcity of joy and peace there is in the world around us, but they ought to be in abundance in the soul of the believer who is abiding in Christ; “love, joy, peace”.

Then it says “long-suffering, kindness, goodness”; these other features are a little distinguished in that they may involve the operation of the local company. You do not need long-suffering if you are in isolation entirely on your own. You need long-suffering while moving in the company of others so that you might move suitably and commendably. These features now being mentioned bear on the circulation of the activities of love among the saints. It shows the great value of us being formed individually so that we might be able to fill out our part suitably in the local company, to love our brethren. One of the things that the Lord so repeatedly and so urgently spoke to His own about was that there might be love amongst themselves. It is a testimony to the world and it is pleasing under the eye of God. The Lord yearned for that in regard of His own. It is a thing that we need to be exercised about very much at the present time, that we are maintained in love amongst ourselves. It was remarked in the reading that if someone is faithful, it might very likely promote faithfulness amongst others. The very same thought applies to love. Love promotes love. Put it to the test. Daniel said, when addressing the one who was in charge of himself and of those that we speak of as Daniel’s friends, “Prove thy servants”, Dan.1:12. Put it to the test in regard of love, bring it into circulation. May these features be promoted among us, “long-suffering, kindness, goodness, fidelity, meekness, self-control”. There is no law against these things, there is nothing to prohibit them, there is every need for them and the Spirit of God would help us to bring them out into manifestation.

I can say from personal experience that love promotes love. I have proved it amongst my local brethren whom I love. I am conscious that I am loved. I seek to move amongst them commendably in order that the feature might be promoted locally. I appeal to my brethren here – put the thing to the test. Ask the Spirit of God for help that these very features that are so precious in their fruit bearing might be brought into greater practical evidence. I say again that if you feel in some measure that they are lacking, it is love’s opportunity for you. Take up the exercise. Draw on the supply from the true vine; bring out the yield. May there be more fruit, may there be much fruit, may there be choice fruit. May God find His pleasure in all that is brought into expression among the saints. I do not wish to add more, but I carry the exercise that there should be something precious and choice for the heart of God. I believe that to a large extent the exercise lies with ourselves, to keep in the enjoyment of the love of Christ and to cultivate links with the Holy Spirit, so that the answer sought for might be fruitfully yielded.

May it be so for God’s glory.

Address at Grimsby

14 February 2016

J. Laurie

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