Defining "Fruitful"

I needed to read this today.

Bill Clem:

In John 15, Jesus talks to his disciples about what bearing fruit really means. In this passage, Jesus is basically saying that his commandment is to abide in him, not to bear fruit. He is instructing them to be plugged in relationally to him, rather than running around doing a lot of works in an effort to please him. Bearing fruit, then, is what Jesus promises as the result of abiding in him.

Fruitfulness in parenting, for example, does not look like having obedient children who follow all the rules and are well-behaved. Fruitfulness in parenting comes when your kids see an example of godly living as you live in Christ—when your kids fall in love with the Jesus in whom you’re abiding. And you can’t control that, it is the fruit that the Holy Spirit bears out because you are abiding in him.

Money quote: "The truth is that if what you do can be done whether or not God shows up, that’s not spiritual fruit."

Read the rest.


Books by Bill Clem:
Disciple: Getting Your Identity from Jesus