Fruit is what the Father is looking for. It represents that which God would like to produce through me.
Broadly speaking, there are three areas where God expects fruitfulness in your life and mine:
1. Christian Character: The Lord desires to see Christ’s character formed in us, that we should be “conformed to the likeness of His Son” (Romans 8:29). This means that the Father would like to see in us true humility and happy submission to His will, a genuine love and interest in others, as well as patience, flexibility, holiness in thought and actions, and self-control. What a challenge! Is our character becoming more like that of Jesus? The apostle Paul refers to these as “the fruit of the Spirit” (Galatians 5:22,23). If the Spirit of God is not free to move within us, we cannot produce this character fruit. Furthermore, unless our Christian character is growing, it becomes impossible to produce the other two types of fruit.
2. Worship & Praise: Through worship and praise we thank God for who He is and what He has done, is doing, and will do. Some call this the highest type of fruit we humans can produce: “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks” (John 4:23). “Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise – the fruit of lips that confess His name” (Hebrews 13:15). Are you a thankful Christian? Do you regularly worship and praise your Lord?
3. Service or Good Works: Concerning service and good works, Paul urges us to “not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people” (Galatians 6:9-10). He prayed for the Colossians, that they would be “bearing fruit in every good work” (Colossians 1:10). He made an even stronger statement in Ephesians: “For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do” (2:10). We have been redeemed in order to serve Him. Our God now prepares good works for us to do. Are we looking for them? Do we happily engage in them?
Apart from Christ we cannot produce anything pleasing to the Father. If I am not living in communion with Christ, my worship is empty and my praise hypocritical. If I am not walking with Christ, my service in the church and personal sacrifices are just acts of my flesh. God the Father is not impressed. He finds no fruit in my efforts.
Life is too short and too precious to spend it producing twigs and leaves! A life in communion with Christ is indispensable to yield the fruit the Father expects from us: a growing Christian character, true worship and thankful praise, good works and sacrificial service. Whether we produce “fruit,” “more fruit,” or “much fruit” depends on our response. (PHILIP NUNN)