To Bear Much Fruit...

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

Much fruit that remains is the goal of a disciple of Christ. This glorifies God and accomplishes His purposes. Fruit-bearing glorifies God because He is the source of life for the fruit. No fruit can be produced without God. The branch is intrinsically dependent on the vine. Therefore we, as followers of Christ, cannot take credit for the fruit because the fruit comes from Jesus, for the Father’s glory. He is the manufacturer of fruit and we are the distributors. The fruit remains luscious as the Father prunes back the unproductive branches. Indeed, we do not always invite pruning. It is painful and disfiguring in the beginning. But over time submission to painful pruning produces beautiful and long-lasting fruit. Trust your heavenly Father with the pruning process. You will be blessed. :)