Fruitful Branches
"I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. Every branch of Mine that bears no fruit, He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. You are already made clean by the word which I have spoken to you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by 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, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from Me you can do nothing. If a man does not abide in Me, he is cast forth as a branch and withers; and the branches are gathered, thrown into the fire and burned." (John 15:1-6 RSV)
Bearing "Much Fruit" Is Worthless If It Is Not Good Fruit
Today, hundreds of millions of people in the world identify themselves as Christian. On face value, that's wonderful. But, when one looks at how deeply divided that Christian-professing people are in their beliefs and behavior, and their sometimes very unChristian attitude toward one another, one might ask the question, "How many really are Christian?" - particularly in view the words of Jesus Christ Himself:
"Not every one who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father Who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your Name, and cast out demons in Your Name, and do many mighty works in Your Name?' And then will I declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you evildoers.'" (Matthew 7:21-23 RSV)
The analogy of good and bad fruit is often found in the teachings and warnings of the Scriptures.
By John The Baptist:
"Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10 RSV)
By Jesus Christ:
"So, every sound tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears evil fruit. A sound tree cannot bear evil fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 7:17-19 RSV)
Fact Finder: How does God determine whether "fruit" is good or not?
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