John 15:8, “This is to my Fathers glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”
Jesus in the above verse promised His disciples that if they remained in Him, they would bear much fruit, bringing glory to the Father, and thus showing themselves to be His disciples. There are two main ways a disciple can and should be fruitful in their lives- one is in their character and the other is in their ministry to others.
First, what Jesus does in your life by developing His character, also known as the “fruit of the Spirit,” He wants to do through you, Galatians 5:22-23. Meaning, what God does in you, He wants to do in others. Second, by His Holy Spirit He wants to use your life to impact others for Jesus also said in Luke 19:10, “For the Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost.” As a result, every disciple of Christ should be willing to find those that need Jesus so that they may be saved.
In other words, it is not the job of branches to produce the fruit; it has to come from the vine and the root. In the same way, you cannot change your own character, much less save anyone else or produce change in their lives. However, when the Holy Spirit flows through you like nutrients in a vine to the branches, you will be able to see people’s lives changed by the power of God. And those who are saved as a result of your faithfulness to God will be considered your fruit in ministry.
Paul used this same illustration of “fruit” in Philippians 1:22 when he wrote, “If I am to go on living in the body, this will mean fruitful labor for me.” He saw what God was doing in Him was not only for his own benefit but also for others. Therefore, we should all desire to be successful and fruitful in the ministry that God gives each one us!
Reflection
Action
- When was the last time you led someone to the Lord?
- Pray for God to use you to win one soul a week.
- Look for open doors and opportunities to share the Gospel with others every day.
