What is the fruit we bear in John 15:5? A preacher told us that it is the souls we lead to salvation. Is that true?
The subject of John 15:1-5 is indeed FRUIT-BEARING. Let’s read this precious passage: “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in Me that does not BEAR FRUIT he takes away; and every branch that BEARS FRUIT He prunes, that it may BEAR MORE FRUIT. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. 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” (NKJV).
The Lord Jesus wants believers to “bear fruit”….” bear more fruit”….”bear much fruit” (verses 2 & 5). In fact, in verse 16 Jesus declared, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that YOU SHOULD GO AND BEAR FRUIT.” Since it is the desire of our blessed Lord that we bear fruit, it is vital that we know exactly what FRUIT He is speaking of. Your preacher “may” be partially right in what he said (more on that later), but I believe the primary thought of FRUIT is the very LIFE OF CHRIST being manifested in our lives. Remember, He uses the illustration of a Vine and a Branch. It is the life-giving VINE flowing into and through the BRANCHES that produces FRUIT. It is Christ’s life flowing through us that produces the character of Christ in us that then flows out of us!
Two passages come to mind that prove what I’m saying. I’ll quote both of them before commenting on them. In John 7:37-39 we read, “On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’ But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive.” The next passage is Galatians 5:22-23, “But the FRUIT of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control.” We learn in these portions that if we come to Jesus, the “fount of every blessing,” He gives us the Holy Spirit so we can be a source of blessing to others by manifesting the very life of Christ to them. I have often thought that the nine-fold cluster of FRUIT mentioned in Galatians 5:22-23 is a beautiful PORTRAIT OF CHRIST; that is, it describes the character of Christ that was on display before men’s eyes as He walked on this earth. Is it not amazing and wonderful that we, as believers, have been given His life and the Holy Spirit so that we too have the inestimable privilege of displaying, before a lost and ruined world, that very same life and character? This, in my view, is what FRUIT-BEARING is all about. If we “abide in Christ” (remain in fellowship with Him in the power of the Holy Spirit), we will then exhibit His character to everyone around us.
I will add that as Christ’s life is being manifested through us, we will also BEAR FRUIT in other ways too. Romans 1:13 speaks of “winning lost souls” as FRUIT. It says, “Now I do not want you to be unaware, brethren, that I often planned to come to you…that I might HAVE SOME FRUIT AMONG YOU ALSO, just as among the other Gentiles.” Romans 15:28 describes GIVING TO THOSE IN NEED as FRUIT, “Therefore, when I have performed this (delivering money to poor saints) and have sealed to them this FRUIT, I shall go by way of you to Spain.” And in Hebrews 13:5 we have another kind of FRUIT, “Therefore by Him let us continually offer the sacrifice of PRAISE TO GOD, that is, the FRUIT of our lips, GIVING THANKS to His name.” The FRUIT of “praise and giving thanks” was often found in the life of the Lord Jesus and His desire is to produce that same fruit in us. (352.1) (DO)