Abiding And Abundant Fruitfulness

I want my life to be fruitful.
I want my life to make a difference in the kingdom.

I’m guessing you have the same desires.

Fruitfulness is intimately connected with a life that abides in Christ.

Fruit is born in a hidden place starting with a tiny seed. For us, that seed is called abiding.

“I am the vine; you are the branches.
Whoever abides in me and I in him,
he it is that bears much fruit,
for apart from me you can do nothing.”
John 15:5 (bolding mine)

Fruit-bearing depends on abiding.

As Doug Nuenke says in his forward to Abide in Christ (NavPress’s 2019 lightly modernized edition of the Andrew Murray classic), “… abiding in Christ is our God-given destiny. Abiding in Christ is our birthright as children of God.” (page vii)

Abiding is our path to abundant fruitfulness. “When you’re joined with me and I with you … the harvest is sure to be abundant. Separated, you can’t produce a thing.” Eugene Peterson’s translation of John 15:5, The Message.

As I think about abiding and fruitfulness, five observations come to mind.

1. My privilege — Abide. Jesus’ words from John 15 echo David’s words in Psalm 1:1, 2 and 3, “Blessed is the man … but his delight is in the law of the LORD, and on his law he meditates day and night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.”

Enjoying my intimacy with the Lord, meditating on his law looks different for different people. For me it means reviewing and praying over the scriptures that God has spoken to me of his love and his purpose for my life. I often start my quiet time that way and ask the Lord what it would look like to trust his love for me on that day.

Song of Solomon 7:10 is a favorite word God whispers to me, “I am my beloved’s, and his desire is for me.” And the rhetorical question in Romans 8:31 encourages me, “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

2. God’s responsibility — Fruit. Many scriptures come to mind. Will I abide and entrust the results to God?

“I planted, Apollos watered,
but God gave the growth.”
I Corinthians 3:6

God gives us purpose, and he’s keeping the responsibility for the outcomes in his court. I can breathe easy. Not only is he the one in charge of fulfilling my purpose, my purpose is wrapped in his love.

“The LORD will fulfill his purpose for me;
your steadfast love, O LORD, endures forever.”
Psalm 138:8

As I abide in that truth, I’m experiencing his love. I can rest.

God’s guarantee — His Promises. As I abide in who God created me to be, he promises fruitfulness.

In the first chapter of Philippians Paul prays for that young church, “that they would be filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through [abiding in] Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.” (verse 11). Because they know Jesus, because we know Jesus, the fruit of abiding in that relationship brings glory to God.

Proverbs 12:12 promises, “The root of the righteous bears fruit.”

In our abiding resulting in fruit-bearing, God is at work in another very special way, maturing us into who he created us to be. “But now that you have been set free from sin … the fruit you get leads to sanctification and its end, eternal life.” Romans 6:22

Paul’s life – an example. I appreciate Paul’s candor in his first letter to Timothy. Paul one of the most fruitful men in the Bible, says of himself and of Jesus …

“I [Paul] thank him [Jesus] who has given me strength, …
he judged me faithful, …
appointing me to his service, …
though formerly … (I fill in the blank here. My life was not like Paul’s, but I have a formerly.)
I received mercy …
the grace of our Lord overflowed for me …
To the King of ages, immortal, invisible, the only God be honor and glory forever and ever.”
(verses 12-17)

Paul came to know the Lord. He learned to abide in his love. And his life still is bearing fruit today.

The blessing of God upon those who abide and bear fruit.

“If you abide in me, and my words abide in you,
ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you.
By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit
and so prove to be my disciples.”
John 15:7 and 8

The abiding relationship is natural to the branch and the vine. For us as believers we cultivate that relationship and experience God working in and through our lives producing fruit.

“By this my Father is glorified,”
John 15:8