by Tom Nelson

Can we be faithful without being fruitful? It is a crucial question for each one of us to ponder. When Jesus gathered his apprentices around him in the upper room the night before his crucifixion, he said something of great importance.

In John’s Gospel, chapter 15:8 we read, “By this is my Father glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Jesus words must have riveted the disciple’s attention. Without hesitation, Jesus connects the Father being glorified and the ultimate authenticating mark of discipleship to Much Fruitfulness!

When Jesus said these words, what did he have in mind? The immediate context points to the fruitfulness of “abiding” which is relational intimacy with Himself. Those who abide in Jesus bear much fruit for Jesus. Yet what I think we often miss in this important matter of fruitfulness is Jesus had more in mind than merely intimacy with Himself or a growing Christlikeness of life manifested in the fruit of the Holy Spirit as important as that is! Read the rest on the FDI site.