By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit;

so you will be My disciples.

By what will the Father be glorified? By our bearing much fruit. But we will not bear much fruit by engaging in many activities independently of God’s will. If we are independent of Jesus in our problems — that is, if we do not remain in Him and He in us, but remain only in our own will, our own ideas, and our own emotions — then we can only produce abundant confusion, which is of no benefit to the Kingdom of God.

We can bear fruit only if we abide in Christ and are Christ’s disciples. But Jesus sets a condition for each of His disciples: “Whoever of you does not forsake all that he has cannot be My disciple.” This does not mean that we must rid ourselves of the material means of life and the like. However, it is necessary that in every situation we renounce our own will, which refuses to submit to God’s will, and this is connected with a certain test of faith. The fruit that we then bear — spiritual fruit — remains for all eternity.

Here we see that we continually return to one thing: without prayer, which disposes us to achieve inner silence and hence gain the strength to renounce our own will, we will not bear spiritual fruit. To bear fruit and be Christ’s disciples is our programme during this short period of time that we live here on earth before we pass into eternity. The fruit, that is, values that have eternal duration, are gained through what we endure here and what we are able to renounce, that is, whatever is not the will of God.

1. What are the results of being fruitful? Jn 15:8

2. What fruit does the Spirit produce in the life of the believer? Gal 5:22-23

3. What should you do to continue being fruitful? 2Pe 1:5-8

4. What else does Jesus promise those who follow Him? Mt 4:19

Download: Reflection on John 15:8