Kingdom Fruitfulness
Diane Dew
The scriptures metaphorically refer to believers
as a garden kept by the Lord (Song of Songs 4:16, 6:2; etc.).
“Ye are God’s husbandry—field, or garden” (I Corinthians
3:9), “the planting of the Lord” (Isaiah 61:3; cp. 60:21).
However, a garden in
itself is not of much use unless it bears fruit.
The Lord desires fruit.
Colossians 1:10 says that it is the will of God that
we be “fruitful in every good work.”
“I come seeking fruit” (Luke 13:6-7.
There is a sense of expectation within the heart of
the husbandman, “as if a man should cast seed into the ground;
and should sleep, and rise night and day,
and the seed should spring and grow up . . .” (Mark 4:26-27).
Jesus cited the example of the tiny mustard seed.
Though in outward appearance it may seem to be very
small and insignificant, yet it carries within it the potential
of becoming a large and productive tree (Matthew 13:31-32)
. . . “but when it is
grown. . .” Though
the potential is there within the seed, it must be allowed
to develop and grow if it is to become fruitful and useful.
This takes time and patience (Galatians 6:9).
“For he shall be as a tree planted by the
waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall
not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and
shall not cease from yielding fruit” (Jeremiah 17:8; cp. Psalms 1:3).
“Some (seed) fell upon stony places, where
they had not much earth: and . . . because they had no
root, they withered away . . . But other fell into good
ground, and brought forth fruit . . . “(Matthew 13:5-8).
All plants and trees require a certain amount
of water and minerals from the soil.
Without roots the necessary nutrients cannot be absorbed
into a plant’s system. This is true of spiritual matters also, as can
be seen by the above two scriptures.
We must send our roots deep to reach that River and
Source of life; our spiritual survival depends on it.
Then, even in the heat of the day and in “the year
of drought,” our “leaf shall be green.”
In time, fruit will come; for when we have partaken
of living waters ourselves, it will cause the necessary growth and fruitfulness to spring forth from within
us and we in turn will be able to provide nourishment for
others by the fruit that we have borne.
We need the rain of His Spirit, the water
of God’s Word. But without the Sunshine of His Presence we
would die. In the natural
process of photosynthesis light is an absolute necessity for
the continuation of life and growth.
Even with all the other elements present, if a plant
lacks sufficient light the proper growth and development cannot
take place. “Our
God is a Sun . . .” (Psalm 84:11; Isaiah 60:19-20).
Our first responsibility is always to the
Lord; we must spend time with Him.
“Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except
it abide in the vine; no more can ye except ye abide in Me” (John 15:4). Ministry
and fruit-bearing occur not as the product of self-effort
but naturally, out of the life within us.
Growth comes from God (I Corinthians 3:6-7). Scripture refers to the “fruit of the Spirit”—but
“works of the flesh.” Fruit
does not try to
grow. It just “happens” as a natural consequence of
the branches relationship to the tree.
Unless we have an abiding, personal relationship with
the Lord, we will never bear fruit (John 15:6).
“Without me,” Jesus said, “ye can do nothing” (John
15:5).
I am the true Vine and My Father is the Husbandman. Every branch in Me that beareth
not fruit He taketh
away: and every branch that beareth fruit He
purgeth it that it may bring forth more fruit” (John 15:1-2).
“I am the Vine, ye are the branches; he that
abideth in Me,
and I in him, that same bringeth
forth much fruit. .
.” (John 15:5).
Here we see that a believer can bear no fruit,
some fruit, and more (or much) fruit.
Jesus said that some seed yielded thirty, some sixty
and some one hundredfold (Matthew 13:8). What determines the amount of fruit that we
bear? The extent of
our fruitfulness is directly related to the
measure of our faithfulness Matthew 21:33-41; 25:14-30). “For he that hath, to him shall be given” (Mark
4:25).
The purpose of fruit is to glorify the Father
(Psalm 92: 14-15; Isaiah 60:21; 61:3; John 15:8).
But what is the cause
of Unfruitfulness in God’s kingdom? Luke
8:14 says that those who allow themselves to be “choked with
the cares and riches and pleasures of this life . . . bring
no fruit to perfection (maturity.”
Worldly cares (I John 2:15-18a) and the “deceitfulness
of riches,” like thorns and weeds, choke the vitality and
life out of one’s experience in God (Matthew 13:22; Mark 4:7-8).
Mark 4: 19 describes the lusts of other
things entering in as the cause of unfruitfulness.
Yielding to the pruning work of the Holy
Spirit in our lives (John 15:2, 4, 6) will purge us of the
things that hinder our walk with the Lord. In order for our hearts to remain “soft” before
Him, the soil must be thoroughly worked over. Only then can seed take root. Jesus prayed not just that we “should go and
bring forth fruit, but “that your fruit should remain” (John 15:16).
Sometimes God purposely allows unpleasant
circumstances to occur in our lives that they might provoke
a reaction within us. (Purpose-ly, we say—that is, not without
reason, but for a higher and eternal purpose than we can see.) No allowance is given in God’s kingdom for an
attitude of complacency. The
Lord “creates” trouble (Isaiah 45:7) that we might cry out
to Him in the midst of every situation (Psalm 107:12-13, 19,
26-28). Then He responds
to our call with His lovingkindness
and grace satisfying us with Himself
(Psalm 107:5-6, 9).
Now, it is true that a tree that has just
been pruned looks scrawny and bare. However,
because there are fewer branches on which the tree must concentrate
for growth, those that remain will soon be bearing much fruit. God will remove
from our lives things that are not necessarily “bad” in themselves—but
because they take up our time or unnecessary concern in our
hearts. He wants to enable us to concentrate more fully
on Him and the eternal things of His kingdom. It is not the appearance of the tree that is
important, but whether it serves to be useful
by bearing fruit. Jesus
said that those who do not bear fruit must be cut down (Matthew
3:10; Luke 3:9, 13:7).
There is a natural law or principle that
we cannot reap what we have not sown (Galatians 6:8). A farmer
cannot plant lettuce and expect cabbage to come up in its
place. In the same
way, if we do not abide by the laws of God’s kingdom, we cannot
expect to reap life everlasting (Galatians 6:8).
We must walk in the Spirit and not give in to the lusts
of the flesh, if we want to live a victorious, spiritual life
in God (Galatians 5:25).
It is not a theory but a principle and law
of God that life springs forth from death.
“Unless a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die,
it abideth alone” (John 12:24).
As it is in the natural, so it is
in the spiritual (I Corinthians 15:46). “For whosoever will save his life shall lose
it; but whosoever will lose his life for My
sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:24).
“So is the kingdom
of God,
as if a man should cast seed into the ground and . . . the
seed should grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth
forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after
that (maturity) the full corn (fruit) in the ear.
But when the
fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth
in the sickle, because the harvest is come” (Mark 4:26-29).
Spiritual growth is a gradual process, and
it takes time. There can be no fruit until adequate growth
has taken place within the plant itself.
A long time passes from the time that seed was first
sown into the ground to when the fruit appears.
Seeds themselves do not bear fruit but they can become
fruit-bearing trees if received into the right environment
and given time to grow. A small plant is not expected nor is it able
to bear fruit. It cannot
bear the weight but would fall over and die.
There is a specific time in nature when fruit is ready
(Matthew 21:34). If received prematurely, it would destroy what
has not weathered the test of time and been strengthened by
the growth process (I Timothy 3:6).
There are no shortcuts in God.
Maturity comes with growth, and growth takes time.
“Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the
coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth
for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience
for it, until he receive the early and latter rain.
Be ye also patient; stablish
your hearts: for the coming of the Lord draweth
nigh” (James 5:7-8).