We Must Not Become Unfruitful

 

As the passage above says, the reason we must add virtue to our faith, temperance to knowledge, patience to temperance, godliness to patience, brotherly kindness to godliness, and charity to brotherly kindness is so that we may not be “unfruitful.” Then why must we not be unfruitful? In other words, why must we bear fruit? The answer is that God, who created us, desires fruit from us.

 

Genesis 1:11-12 “11And God said, Let the earth bring forth grass, the herb yielding seed, and the fruit tree yielding fruit after his kind, whose seed is in itself, upon the earth: and it was so. 12And the earth brought forth grass, and herb yielding seed after his kind, and the tree yielding fruit, whose seed was in itself, after his kind: and God saw that it was good.”

 

As we can see from this passage, all things in this world, and mankind also, were created for what is good in God’s sight (Genesis 1). Therefore, we must bear fruit that is pleasing in God’s sight. That is why Scripture says that the first of everything belongs to God.

 

Exodus 23:19 “The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God...”

Exodus 34:19 “All that openeth the matrix is Mine; and every firstling among thy cattle, whether ox or sheep, that is male.”

Numbers 3:13 “Because all the firstborn are Mine; for on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt I hallowed unto Me all the firstborn in Israel, both man and beast: Mine shall they be: I am the LORD.”

 

There are also many passages in the Bible that show God is not pleased with having no fruit or bearing bad fruit.

 

Matthew 21:18-19 “18Now in the morning as He returned into the city, He hungered. 19And when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon, but leaves only, and said unto it, Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever. And presently the fig tree withered away.”

Luke 13:6-9 “6He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.”

 

Luke 3:8-9 “8Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.”

Matthew 7:16-20 “16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

 

There are many other passages besides these, but the main point testified by the passages above is that God judges those who are unfruitful and those who bear bad fruit. Therefore, we need to strive to bear good fruit so that we may please God. However, because we ourselves cannot bear good fruit, God sent us Jesus Christ, and He made it possible for us to bear much good fruit when we become one with Jesus.

 

John 15:1-6 “1I am the true vine, and My Father is the husbandman. 2Every branch in Me that beareth not fruit He taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, He purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me. 5I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in Me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing. 6If a man abide not in Me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.”

 

As this passage says, because we can do nothing apart from Jesus, if Jesus is not in us, we cannot bear any fruit. And branches that do not bear fruit will eventually be gathered, cast into the fire, and burned. Therefore, we must become one with Jesus and bear much good fruit. Since Jesus is the Word of God (John 1:1, 14), becoming one with Jesus means that when the Word of God in the 66 books of the Bible is in us, that is, when we know and keep it, we can bear much good fruit. In fact, when we think about it, even in this world people learn and work hard in order to obtain good results, or fruit. If people devote their strength and effort even for the fruit of this world, which will perish, then how much more should we, who desire eternal fruit of far greater value, willingly strive and labor all the more to know Jesus? (John 17:3)

 

Romans 6:20-22 “20For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.”

 

As this passage says, if we do not know Jesus, then as servants of sin, we can only bear the fruit of death. But now, if we know Jesus and become servants who obey His Word, we will obtain fruit unto holiness, and in the end, everlasting life. Not only this, but everyone who becomes one with Jesus and bears good fruit will also inherit the kingdom of God.

 

John 4:35-36 “35Say not ye, There are yet four months, and then cometh harvest? behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest. 36And he that reapeth receiveth wages, and gathereth fruit unto life eternal: that both he that soweth and he that reapeth may rejoice together.”

Matthew 21:42-43 “42Jesus saith unto them, Did ye never read in the scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected, the same is become the head of the corner: this is the Lord’s doing, and it is marvellous in our eyes? 43Therefore say I unto you, The kingdom of God shall be taken from you, and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof.”

 

Therefore, we must never become unfruitful or bear bad fruit. Now, in order for us to bear good fruit, we must deny ourselves and become one with Jesus, that is, the Word of God. This is why Peter says that we must add virtue to faith, temperance to knowledge, patience to temperance, godliness to patience, brotherly kindness to godliness, and charity to brotherly kindness. Truly, these are things we cannot do unless we deny ourselves.

 

John 12:24 “Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.”

 

Jesus, who is in the form of God (Philippians 2:6), first showed us the example of this Word. Jesus Himself died on the cross so that we might bring forth fruit unto God.

 

Romans 7:4 “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to Another, even to Him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God.”

 

Therefore, now, in order to give glory and praise to God, we must strive and labor all the more in the name of Jesus so that we may bear the fruit of the Spirit (Galatians 5:22-23) and the fruit of light (Ephesians 5:9) (Colossians 1:6, 10-12).

 

Philippians 1:9-11 “9And this I pray, that your love may abound yet more and more in knowledge and in all judgment; 10That ye may approve things that are excellent; that ye may be sincere and without offence till the day of Christ; 11Being filled with the fruits of righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.”

Hebrews 13:15 “By Him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to His name.”

 

Amen.