Fruitfulness (The “I Am” Sayings)

Fresh fruit can be expensive, especially when organic or not in season. While the average price of fruit at the local grocery store may only cost a few dollars, some fruits can sell for thousands. The most expensive fruit is the rare Kanyao Durian, which costs nearly $50,000. Most of the world’s costliest fruits are grown in Japan, but the greenish-yellow Durian is found in Thailand.

Durian is slightly controversial because of its pungent scent, which is compared to rotten meat or stinky feet. The taste is acquired yet can be quite appealing. The spiky fruit is creamy and sweet, and the taste is comparable to fresh vanilla beans. Durian is said to have several health benefits and has an international reputation for being one of the rarest fruits. Other costly fruits selling for thousands of dollars include the Yubari King Melon and Premium Hokkaido Cantaloupe (both emerging from Japan).

Japan is serious with its fruits, with many regarded as luxury goods. While some chefs and restaurants throughout Europe and North American offer complex and indulgent dishes due to precious or rare ingredients, such as Kobe beef or white truffles, Japan’s most luxurious culinary offerings are often unusually large and tasty fruits, which are beautiful and innovative masterpieces of impeccable quality.

The believer has fruit that is infinitely more precious than the Durian or any Japanese delicacy. Galatians 5:22-23 lists “the fruit of the Spirit [which] is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, [and] self-control.” Each “fruit” is a diverse expression of Christlikeness. Fifteen “deeds of the flesh” are listed, and none of them result in anything profitable (vv. 19-21). When a person is under the authority of the flesh, he or she will always fall short of God’s righteous standard (vv. 16-18). “The fruit of the Spirit” is essentially the Christlikeness that is to be manifested in the life of a believer.

The nine elements of the fruit of the Spirit should be understood as a whole (vv. 22-23). A person is not entirely under the control of the Holy Spirit unless there is evidence of all elements of the fruit. A person’s life is defective when one or more aspects of the fruit are absent, because Christ died to provide freedom from “the flesh with its passions and desires” (v. 24). The flesh is “crucified” when a person trusts in what Christ did for them on the cross and becomes identified with Him. The Holy Spirit is the believer’s strength for living a life of harmony (vv. 25-26).

Without exception, Jesus exemplified each fruit perfectly. Using the analogy of “the true vine,” Jesus emphasized how He wants to produce the fruit (virtues) of the Holy Spirit in the lives of His people. Scripture gives much emphasis to how one responds to circumstances of life, in addition to what occupies a person’s mind and their spoken words. A deliciously rare fruit may be a luxury and unattainable to the majority. Christlike virtues are achievable in the life of the believer and infinitely more valuable. Confessing known sin and yielding to the indwelling Holy Spirit is how one is transformed into the likeness of Christ (Rom 8:29; 2 Cor 3:18; Eph 5:18; 1 John 1:9). The fruit of the Holy Spirit will be a blessing to self and others—in addition to producing unspeakable joy—and will continue into eternity.

BRANCHES OF JESUS

(John 15:1-11) Jesus seemed to indicate the end of His discourse (14:31), but then continued speaking to His disciples on the way to the Garden of Gethsemane. He likely meant that it was time to depart and confront “the ruler of the world” (v. 30). Lingering in the Upper Room was not an option. Delay is not an option when there is opposition to confront.

As they walked, Jesus used the metaphor of the vine for Himself (John 15:1). Some will adhere to the Vine, yet they are not believers (v. 6: Judas is an early example, and Heb 6:1-8 and 10:26-39 refers to others; they are branches who “cannot bear fruit,” v. 4). Works do not merit salvation; they do, however, give evidence of true belief. A true believer is saved by grace through faith in Christ alone, yet the faith that saves is never unaccompanied. All true branches bear fruit (John 15:2) and “can do nothing” if not in vital union with the Vine (vv. 4-5).

Justification is being saved from the penalty of sin, and is a solitary experience. Once justified, a person will always be justified. Sanctification is being saved from the power of sin, and is an ongoing process until the believer is saved from the presence of sin, which will occur with the glorification of the body. Jesus referred to being “already clean” (v. 3). He repeated an idea from earlier in the evening; namely, that an initial cleansing (sanctification) will be progressive (13:10; cf. Eph 5:26).

There is tremendous loss not to abide in Jesus through faith, and infinite reward to those who do (John 15:6-8). Disciples are to abide in Christ through prayer, studying and obeying the Word of God, fellowshipping with other believers, and being ever conscious of vital union with the Vine. Jesus related the principle of abiding with previous ideas (v. 7): answered prayer (vv. 13-14) and faithfulness to His words (14:23-24). A dynamic relationship exists between love and obedience (15:9-11).

As a Christian virtue, love is more important than faith and hope (1 Cor 13:13), yet not more vital than doctrine (i.e., revealed commands and truths in Scripture). True love cannot exist without biblical revelation. The early church in the book of Acts experienced phenomenal growth—qualitatively and quantitatively—through prayer and the proclamation of truth (doctrine).

FRIENDS OF JESUS

(John 15:12-27) Verse 12 summarizes the words of Jesus: “love one another, just as I have loved you.” “Friends” of Jesus not only abide in His love but also His commands (vv. 12-14). Jesus referred to the extent and quality of His love as the standard for loving fellow believers (v. 13). Believers can be quick to focus on love for God, and not be mindful of how to demonstrate constant and genuine affection for others. Verse 14 relates friendship and obedience with the command to love. Romans 5:8 is a great verse to remember in this context: “But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.”

Believers are frequently addressed as bond-servants in Scripture (Gk. doulos, “slave”: in the context of belonging to God, and to live willingly under His authority as a devoted follower). A good “slave” is obedient to the master. Jesus proves to His followers that they are “friends” also (v. 15). One of the primary differences between slaves and friends is the nature of intimacy shared with the master. Jesus related friendship with His teaching. A person becomes a friend of Jesus because of what He shared concerning the Father’s truth. Scripture reveals what the Lord God “is doing” (as a friend confides in another).

God is sovereign in salvation. Having explained “every spiritual blessing” that God’s people experience in Christ, the next aspect of the believer’s new life that will be examined is how the Lord effected salvation. Ephesians 2 begins with the remarkable statement that humanity was born in spiritual death. When the spirit is separated from the body, physical death occurs. When the spirit is separated from God, spiritual death occurs. Death is separation. Eternal death (the second death) occurs when both the spirit and the body are separated from God.

Everyone is born dead in sins and trespasses (Eph 2:1); therefore, God must quicken (regenerate) a person, so that in receiving life from Him, that person will believe (John 15:16). Verse 16 serves as a reminder that no one ever finds God; He does the finding. Motivated by His great love, God extends mercy and grants deliverance from wrath by His grace through faith. God accomplished this redemption without help. Consequently, believers are His workmanship, and the good that is accomplished in this life is determined by God and His enabling.

There is a relationship between answered prayer and fruit-bearing that Scripture notes repeatedly. The mention of love relates Jesus’ words to Galatians 5 (vv. 22-23), where the fruit of the Holy Spirit is listed. Jesus again mentioned love so that no one would neglect His primary command (v. 17). John 15 thus far teaches that believers should have effectual prayer (v. 7), fullness of joy (v. 11), and perpetual fruit (v. 16).

The unbelieving world may hate Christ’s followers because they hated Him first (v. 18). As love is to characterize the believer, so will hatred of God’s people be common in the world. Hatred arises because the believer lives a sanctified life (not “of the world”) and proclaims the truth of God’s Word regarding sin, righteousness, and judgment. Jesus has chosen “out of the world” those who belong to Him (v. 19). The world will hate the Christian because of the association with Christ, resulting from ignorance of the truth (v. 20).

Worldly hatred is a reaction to Jesus and His message (vv. 21-25). If people “do not know” who God is, they will hate and persecute those who represent Him (v. 21). Jesus’ coming into the world means people heard from God, and their ignorance is due to rejection of His words (vv. 22-24; cf. 9:39). To hate Jesus is to hate the Father, because they are inseparably united (15:23-24). Jesus quoted the Psalms (35:19; 69:4) to affirm biblical precedent and prophetic fulfillment in the response to His words and works (John 19:25). The power and presence of the Holy Spirit is essential to surmount opposition to Jesus and the truth, to which His committed followers are to “testify” (vv. 26-27).