Time to Bear Fruit
We live in a moment when the call of the Lord to maturity is unmistakable. What matters is not the noise we make but what remains and speaks for itself: fruit. Jesus set the criterion plainly: “Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” (Matt. 7:17–20). This is not a license to judge others. It is a mirror for the heart, asking what is growing from the seed God has planted in us.
Scripture will not let us replace fruit with gifts or outward displays. Jesus gives a sober warning that searches every believer and every minister alike: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name and in your name drive out demons and in your name perform many miracles?’ Then I will tell them plainly, ‘I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!’” (Matt. 7:21–23). God’s primary purpose for us is to live fruitful lives. When the Father’s will stands at the center, everything else finds its rightful place.
The path to fruit always begins with obeying the word we have heard. Jesus explained it in practical terms that test us when storms come: “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock. But everyone who hears these words of mine and does not put them into practice is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell with a great crash.” (Matt. 7:24–27).
Fruit grows from living fellowship with the Holy Spirit and a word that abides within us. God sows, the Spirit brings growth, and we cooperate through daily choices to listen and to do what He says. Fruit begins with the Word and with a living relationship with the Holy Spirit. Without seed there are no shoots, and without communion with God there is no strength to walk in truth.
Love is the foundation of this way of life. It is tested precisely where it costs us: in forgiveness, in refusing to condemn, in choosing to bless. That is why Jesus commands what only grace can fulfill: “But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you.” (Matt. 5:44). This is not weakness. It is the power of the Kingdom that makes fruit visible to the world.
God is not impressed with religious form if the heart is out of step with His will. When a woman praised the blessedness of His mother, Jesus redirected attention to the true mark of blessedness: “As Jesus was saying these things, a woman in the crowd called out, ‘Blessed is the mother who gave you birth and nursed you.’ He replied, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.’” (Luke 11:27–28). Blessedness is not about emotion but about hearing, keeping, and doing God’s word.
When we ask what it means to do the works of God, Jesus brings us back to the source from which all true fruit flows: “Then they asked him, ‘What must we do to do the works God requires?’ Jesus answered, ‘The work of God is this: to believe in the one he has sent.’” (John 6:28–29). Faith unites us to the Messiah, and from this union come the works that the Father owns as His.
Jesus also unveils the secret of fruitfulness in words as simple as they are searching: “If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.” (John 15:7–8). Fruit is not a random burst of activity. It is the natural outcome of abiding in Christ and letting His words abide in us.
And the atmosphere of true discipleship is defined by a single command that cannot be faked or replaced: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.” (John 15:12). “You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit, fruit that will last, and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you. This is my command: Love each other.” (John 15:16–17). Love is both the climate in which fruit ripens and the sign by which the world recognizes Jesus’ disciples.
Fruit is seen in our witness, not only in words but in a life that speaks. Where love takes shape in concrete service to others, conversations about hope arise naturally, and hearts open to the Gospel. In this way the Church bears fruit in saved lives, and the Father rejoices.
Jesus also teaches us to pay attention to how we hear. He describes the good soil where the word does not just pass by the ears but is received and held fast: “Others, like seed sown on good soil, hear the word, accept it, and produce a crop, some thirty, some sixty, some a hundred times what was sown.” (Mark 4:20). The more faithfully the heart receives and guards the word, the larger the harvest becomes.
Fruit includes an inner rest that comes from trusting God. Anxiety burns energy and provokes fleshly reactions. Rest in the Spirit gives clarity and steadiness. In that rest, our choices become clear: what to listen to, whom to walk with, how to fill our days. We truly can choose the atmosphere where fruit grows rather than withers. God’s way is not frantic striving but faithful abiding that leads to lasting fruit.
Scripture also calls us to patience and straight speech. “Be patient, then, brothers and sisters, until the Lord’s coming. See how the farmer waits for the land to yield its valuable crop, patiently waiting for the autumn and spring rains.” (James 5:7). “Above all, my brothers and sisters, do not swear by heaven or by earth or by anything else. All you need to say is a simple ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Otherwise you will be condemned.” (James 5:12). In sickness and sorrow we are directed to the shared prayer and care of the community: “Is anyone among you sick? Let them call the elders of the church to pray over them and anoint them with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well.” (James 5:14–15). And for those who wander there is a promise that keeps hope alive: “My brothers and sisters, if one of you should wander from the truth and someone should bring that person back, remember this: whoever turns a sinner from the error of their way will save them from death and cover over a multitude of sins.” (James 5:19–20).
All of these calls gather into one living invitation. Remain in the Lord, keep and do His word, love one another, and choose an atmosphere of faith, patience, and prayer. In this way true fruit grows, pleasing to God and life giving to people. It is time to bear fruit today.
Pastor Oren Lev Ari