Ep 113: Fake Fruit vs. Real Fruit
Jesus said 8 times (!) in John 15 that He wants us to bear fruit. But what does that even mean? In EP112 we said that abiding is all the stuff that no one sees. Well, fruit is the stuff EVERYONE sees (and feels, and tastes, and smells) coming from you.
Welcome to my Summer Replay Series! I’m rerunning a series that first aired in Feb-March 2020 on Abiding in Christ (John 15). This replay series begins with EP108 and this is Part 6–the final episode in the Abide series. Be sure to go back and listen from the beginning.
The main point: Real fruit is the natural and inevitable outgrowth of a branch that is abiding in the Vine and is regularly and properly pruned by The Vinedresser.
Fake Fruit:
1. Financial or Worldly Success
2. Flashy Ministry, Big Following, Popularity
3. Religiously following all the laws and rules of your Christian denomination
4. Perpetual self-improvement
*We should not become professional fruit inspectors except:
- when we feed on other people’s spiritual fruit or
- PUT OUR CHILDREN UNDER THE CARE OF SOMEONE. Then get all up in that fruit and fully inspect it!
Real Fruit:
1. Leading people to Christ
2. Love
3. Good Works
4. Virtues of Character
5. Hearing God’s voice
6. Answered prayer
Don’t focus on the fruit. Focus on ABIDING in Christ. Keep that connection intact and free-flowing. Submit to the pruning. The fruit WILL come.
Scriptures I reference in this episode:
Matthew 23:27-28
Matthew 12:33
John 15:1-17
John 13:34-35
Ephesians 2:10
James2:14-16
Colossians 1:9-12
Galatians 5:22-23
Ephesians 5:8-11
Philippians 1:9-11
Jeremiah 17:7-8
I John:3-10
II Thes 1:3
LINKS
I bought my “abide” bracelet here.
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