The Fruit Machine…

Morning!

Raises his cup of coffee ☕

Faith without works is dead.

What I mean is—trusting in the Lord without acting on that trust isn’t trust at all.  It’s kind of like telling your best girl that you love her, that you’re always thinking of her, that you want to share your life with her—But then… you never ask her to marry you.  What does a girlfriend do when a man promises the world but doesn’t even deliver a pizza?  (And even that might not count as a good work if she doesn’t eat unhealthy food!). Point is— to initiate, maintain, and grow a relationship, we must take action.  And if that’s true for relationships with people, how much more true is it for our relationship with the Lord of the universe?

That brings me to an interesting pattern in Scripture—

The Presence of God is often tied to good works done with Jesus.

John 15:1-8

“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.  If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned.  If you abide in Me, and My Words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you.  By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

The proof that we are Jesus’ disciples?

We bear fruit.

And how do we bear fruit?

By doing something.

This passage describes God’s activity— He takes away and burns the branches that don’t bear fruit.  He prunes the branches that do bear fruit to produce more.  But it also tells us how we bear fruit: We abide in Jesus.

Abide (Verb):

• To bear patiently: tolerate; to endure without yielding: withstand

• To wait for: await

• To accept without objection

• To remain stable or fixed in a state

• To continue in a place: sojourn

The key definition here is “to continue in a place.”

And notice—it’s a verb.

It requires action.

If someone does not abide in Jesus, there is a promised action: They are removed from His Presence.  They are cast out and burned.  But if we do abide in Jesus—if we take action to sojourn with Him— Then we are the branches that bear fruit.

Jesus tells us God is glorified when we bear much fruit.  We bear fruit by taking action.  And when we take action, the Presence of the Lord is at work with us.  God prunes, God answers prayers, God moves in our lives—

when we do things with Him.

So what should we do?

Whatever we want to do with God.

And what’s that?

Everything.

Have you thought about a vine lately?

Have you ever noticed how a branch on a vine can sometimes look like a vine itself?  This analogy isn’t just beautiful—it’s intentional.  A branch that grows strong in the vine becomes indistinguishable from it.

Titus 3:8-11

“This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works.  These things are good and profitable to men.  But avoid foolish disputes, genealogies, contentions, and strivings about the Law; for they are unprofitable and useless.  Reject a divisive man after the first and second admonition, knowing that such a person is warped and sinning, being self-condemned.”

Have you tried vacuuming with Jesus yet?