How Will I Know?

In recent blogs, we have explored the topic of discipleship, attempting to define discipleship (https://liftupmyeyes.com/what-is-discipleship/) and taking a view of discipleship in our churches today (add link). In this article we are attempting to focus on the individual, rather than discipleship as a whole. Maybe you’ve done what you think is the right way to approach discipleship, but you have a nagging feeling that you’re not yet where you should be. In John 15, Jesus was speaking to the disciples in the upper room. This is a part of his farewell discourse and was specifically addressed to the twelve, but is seen as a logical extension to the future church.

John 15:1-6 reads “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 it so that it may bear more fruit. You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. Remain in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself but must remain in the vine, so neither can you unless you remain in Me. I am the

 vine, you are the branches; the one who remains in Me, and I in him bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not remain in Me, he is thrown away like a branch and dries up; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.” 

Jesus’ use of the vine analogy is one that the Israelites could easily relate to. In ancient Israel, vines were everywhere. There was also a golden vine as a decoration of the front of the temple. This vine represented the idea that Israel was God’s vine. But Jesus is saying that He is the true vine and we should be rooted in Him, not Israel or even the church.

We previously established that Jesus set out three requirements for discipleship. Deny self. Take up your cross. Follow Him. When we meet these three requirements, we find that we are remaining, or abiding, in Him. This passage has three components for our purposes today – cut,  prune, bear fruit.

Cut. Anyone who has ever done any gardening knows that a dead branch is of no use. The branch is removed for the good of the entire plant. But the cut branch is no longer a part of the vine, or plant. It is cast out and thrown into the fire (or in today’s world it’s left on the curb as yard waste). Just as we would be cast out if we are not following God. As the branch must remain with the vine, we must remain in Christ, or we can do nothing.

Prune. At first, pruning may seem counterintuitive, no different than cutting off a branch. Jenna Jonaitis, writing for Angi, lists eight reasons for pruning trees and bushes. 

1. It promotes growth.
2. It encourages fruit production.
3. It can be used to treat disease.
4. It helps prevent safety hazards.
5. It can help shape the plant.
6. It removes unwanted growth.
7. It can save money. 
8. It can protect trees from storms.

Think of these eight benefits and apply them to your Christian life. When we are pruned these good things can happen. I think the spiritual benefits of pruning are self-evident, except maybe for number seven. It may be a stretch, but pruning may help us spend less on those things that could be harmful to our Christian walk and allow us to give where  needs exist.

Bear Fruit. I would not go so far as to say that the reason for our salvation is so that we can witness to others that they might be saved. That reminds me of a pyramid scheme, where the primary purpose is to sign up as many new people as you can, so that you will benefit more greatly. There is no question that we all have sinned and without our salvation we will not spend eternity in Heaven. If we really believe this, we should be compelled to lead a Godly life that others may see or hear our example. Pink Floyd performed the song “It’s What We Do.”  Although I am not a Pink Floyd fan, this song represents their dedication to their craft. The broader message of the song is about following one’s passion relentlessly. And maybe, what we do here will continue beyond our days on earth. “It’s What We Do” should be about our Christian walk.

Having been a part of the church all my life, I used to have problems with the fruit bearing part. Without going too deep, an apple tree will bear apples. Apples are the only thing it can produce. If it doesn’t produce apples, we cut it down. I don’t want to be cut down but I am an introvert. As such you’re not going to find me on a street corner preaching God’s word or handing out tracts. That’s not me. My efforts in this regard might even be counter-productive. So what is encompassed in bearing fruit?

An article on Bible.org lists five types of fruit that a Christian can bear:

Fruit of the Spirit. In Galatians 5:22-23 we find the fruit of the Spirit – love, joy, peace, patience, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control.  Note that “fruit” is singular. The nine qualities listed in this passage are parts that come together to form a whole. We are like a plant, producing one type of fruit. The fruit of the Spirit is one very attractive and beneficial fruit. This reflects our character.

Right Conduct. Our conduct is determined by our character. I once knew someone who could be described as a “con man.” He was a very engaging person often willing to help out. This was his exterior persona. Because I recognized him for what he was, I realized he lacked character. We can put on a false veneer, but ultimately our character is reflected in our conduct. Colossians 4:5-6 guides us “Conduct yourselves with wisdom toward outsiders, making the most of the opportunity. Let your speech always be with grace, as though seasoned with salt, so that you will know how you should respond to each person.”

Witness. Those who come to Christ through our witness are fruit. Keep in mind that our witness is more than what we say, it’s also what we do. I am reminded of the old saying from Ralph Waldo Emerson “What you do speaks so loudly that I cannot hear what you say.” Our actions carry more weight than our words. Be careful what we do. 

Praise and Thanksgiving. When we find something new that we like, it seems like we can’t stop talking about it. I had a friend once who commented “There’s nothing more obnoxious than a new convert to anything.” While that may be overstated, we often get excited about things in our lives. As Christians, praise and thanksgiving are fruit that we can lift up to God as an offering. And we should be excited about it, but not overbearing.

Give Money. If you read through the letters of Paul, one thing you will note is that he was not shy about asking people to give. In I Corinthians 16:1-2 he indicated that he bore this message to more than one church “Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I directed the churches of Galatia, so you are to do as well. On the first day of every week, each of you is to put aside and save as he may prosper so that no collections need to be made when I come.” Someone may say that God will provide. Yes, He does. But he provides through the actions of Christians on earth. When God blesses us abundantly, we should be abundant in our “fruit” gifts.

As a seeker, someone might say, “That all sounds well and good, but what happens when I remain in Christ?” This is human nature coming out. The seeker does not know all about Christ, he or she is just learning, so their tendency would be to ask “What’s in it for me? Why should I follow Christ?”

Jesus laid out four things that happen when we remain in Him. John 15:7-11 “If you remain in Me, and My words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples. Just as the Father has loved Me, I also have loved you; remain in My love. If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love. These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full.”

Ask. We are told that if we ask, whatever we wish will be done for us. This is not a blank check. Jesus’ statement here is preceded by the condition that we remain in Him. If we are so attuned to God’s will, our asking will be in line with that will.

Glorify. It is an awesome thought that we can glorify God. We glorify Him through our praise and worship. But we also Glorify God with our fruit. I can envision God’s smiling in approval as our fruit is lifted up.

Prove. When we remain in Him, we are proving our discipleship. An old saying is “the proof is in the pudding.” In this case the proof of our discipleship is our fruit.

Keep His Commandments. We remain in Him when we keep His commandments. If we violate man’s law, there will be penalties to be paid. For example, if I fail to pay my income taxes, I may get caught. When that happens, I don’t just pay my taxes. I pay a penalty. When we don’t remain in Christ, the penalty is separation from Him.

Someone might say ‘This is hard. I’m only human. I’m not perfect.” That is exactly right. But God sent His son to erase our sin. God sent the Holy Spirit to help us here on earth. The disciples were perplexed when Jesus spoke of entering the kingdom of God. However, in Matthew 19:26, Jesus allayed their fears “With people this is impossible, but with God all things are possible.”

Unless otherwise stated all scripture is from the New American Standard Bible