“I am the vine, you are the branches.
He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit;
for without Me
you can do nothing.
By this My Father is
glorified, that you bear much fruit;
so you will be My disciples. – John
15:5, 8
When a branch on a grapevine produces fruit
the grapes are harvested and used for various purposes. The fruit is proof of
how good the branch on the vine is. If the branch is healthy and well connected
to the vine it will yield bountiful healthy fruit. If the branch is not
receiving enough sustenance from the vine the fruit will be inferior in
quality.
Once the harvesting is done the grapes are
either used for eating or for making juice, jelly, jam or wine. In each
instance it requires that the grapes be crushed in order for the goodness that
is inside to be enjoyed. In other words, a grape has to "give itself in sacrifice" so that others can benefit from its goodness.
The life of a Christian is a life of giving of oneself. It is a life of sacrifice. Jesus said that as long as we abide (remain intimately connected) in Him we
will bear fruit, and it is by the fruit that we bear the Father is glorified.
In the same way that grapes are crushed, squeezed, chewed,
and subjected to intense heat we are tested to see what the quality of our fruit
is. It is by our fruit that men will be able to taste and see that the Lord is good!- Psalm 34:8
But the fruit of the
Spirit is
love,
joy,
peace,
kindness,
goodness,
faithfulness,
gentleness,
self-control.
– Galatians 5:22
How well do you stand up to the
sometimes intense testing?
What does your fruit taste like?
Do you yield “sour grapes” or fruit that brings honor to the Father?
What does your fruit taste like?
Do you yield “sour grapes” or fruit that brings honor to the Father?
