-A BIBLE MEDITATION-
God's blessed Word-"Meditate therein.. .make thy war prosperous.. .have good success"'-Josh. I:6.
HIS-Our loving, glorious Lord would not "abide alone," but by His "dying" has brought forth "much fruit." His redeemed.-John 12:24.
From the travail of His soul He reaps eternal satisfaction.-Isa. 53:11. "Better than gold," He declares.-Prov. 8:19. "Thou art all fair My love;" His joyous portion.- Cant. 4:7.
"Under His shadow with great delight;" sweet to our taste.-Cant. 2:2.
"We, Thy redeemed, are reaping what Thou didst sow in tears."
"Christ the first-fruits, afterwards they that are Christ's at His coming."-1 Cor. 15:23. "I and the children," wondrous harvest to God's glory!-Heb.2:13.
OURS-FOR HIM ALONE.-His life expressed in us.
"A garden enclosed"-for the Owner's enjoyment.
-Cant. 4:12.
"My soul desired first ripe fruit"-Micah 7:1.
"His garden," "His pleasant fruit."-Cant. 4:16.
Oh, to be able to invite His coming and to hear His
answer-"I am come."-Cant. 5:1.
"Fruit is the Lord's"; "holy unto the Lord." His
Word asserts His claim.-Lev. 27:30; Deut. 26:1-11.
For what does the husbandman toil? "Fruit."-
2 Tim. 2:6.
SOURCE-No fruit from Christian lives without living, vital union.-John 15:5.
Only from a hidden source-He is indispensable, and all-sufficient.
Produced from one Stock alone-"I am the Vine."
-John 15:1.
He has said:"Without Me.. .nothing."-John 15:5.
"Cannot bear fruit of itself."-John 15:4.
No method of manufacture produces living fruit-
it grows.
"From Me is thy fruit found."-Hosea 14:8.
"The planting of the Lord." – Isa. 60:21;61:8;
Matt. 15:13.
"My Father is the Husbandman."-John 15:1.- God's tillage."-! Cor. 3:9.
"Fruit by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God."-Phil. 1:11.
"He that hath wrought us…is God."-2 Cor. 5:5. The work of God, all things new and of God! Amazing reality!
"Fruits of the Spirit."-Gal. 5:22. His blessed Person.-"Abide in Me."-John 15:4. "Rooted in Him."-Col. 2:7.
His holy Word:"heareth.. .understandeth.. .bringeth forth fruit."-Matt. 13:23. "Distilling as dew," tenderly as "small rain," as "showers"-Deut. 32:2.
His Word longed for, listened to, obeyed, cherished, as spoken by the One dearer than every loved one. Prayer, in response to His word and will.-John 15:7.
To be prayerless is to be fruitless. Enjoyment of love that passeth knowledge constrains response to it.
Abiding where grace has put us-in Him. Result:fruitful.
Derive from Him, draw upon Him, abide in Him. -John 15:9.
Secret of fruit-bearing, "abiding."-John 15:5. Power for fruit-bearing, "the Spirit."-Gal. 6:22,23. Character of fruit, "holy"-Rom. 6:22.
VALUE-Of value to Him. "Seeking fruit"-Luke 13:6,7. "Kept," watered every moment, night and day.- Isa. 27:3-6.
Only fruit "of the land" of value. None from Egypt.
The royal vineyard of Cant. 8:12 yields for Him who says:"The vineyard is Mine," 1000; and for servants, 200.He excels. Christ displayed in us is fruit precious to the Husbandman. Not leaves, but fruit, expressive of value. The tree displays its nature by the fruit the branches bear.
"Abide in Thee, one life is mine and Thine;
All fulness that's in Thee is counted mine;
As branch must bear the life-fruit of the tree,
So thus to show Thyself, Thou needest me,
As I need Thee."
PRIVILEGED, RESPONSIBLE TO YIELD IT-Yielding fruit a holy privilege and responsibility, for the tree is "known by its fruit".-Matt. 12:33.
By God's appointment-ordination by His pierced hand.-John 15:16. Proof of discipleship.-John 15:8.
"Fruit to your account," solemn consideration! There is an account, a heavenly record of much or little fruit.-Phil. 4:17.
VARIETIES – QUALITIES – Holiness – Rom. 6:29.
Patience-Luke 8:15; Jas. 5:7.
Separation, subjection.-Ps. 1:1-3.
Dependence and obedience-John 15:5,10.
Fruit of lips "by Him"-Heb. 13:15. Pleasing to God.
Wise-pure-peaceable-good fruits. Jas. 8:17.
"Fruitful in every good work."-Col. 1:6.
Kindness, meekness, gentleness, forbearance, forgiveness, love, joy, peace, longsuffering, all are fruits for His pleasure.
CULTURE – GROWTH – No end to growing – growing "up into Him in all things."
In grace and knowledge of Lord and Saviour.-2 Pet. 3:18.
By communion-not result of effort-"Consider the lilies how they grow." No growth without exercise.-Heb. 12:10. Ever needing chastening or training – purging, pruning-the hand that prunes is then nearest to the vine, blessed nearness! What is cut away (though painful) makes more room for Christ's life.
His eye is ever on us, sees every fruitless tendency and employs the treatment given by a skillful gardener to a haughty branch, stretching itself high above others, but fruitless. The sharp pruning knife soon disposes of useless growth and, laid low, the humbled branch yields the richest cluster for the Master's pleasure.
EXOTIC SOIL-His life to find expression in our fruit-bearing.
Belongs to heaven-living Him where He is not. "Planted in the house of the Lord…shall flourish," fruitful for not one year only, but every year, "to old age."-Ps. 92:12-14.
Fruitful in the land "of my affliction"-Gen. 41:52 -and undiminished by adversity.-Jer. 17:8. "The trees of the Lord are full of sap."-Ps. 104:16. "In a dry place" "His rivers of waters" flow.-Isa. 32:2; Ps. 107 :35.
ABHORRENT- Corrupt flesh produces only thorns (they pierced His brow) Heb. 6:8, rejected. Our own way, hitter, tendeth to sin.-Prov. 1:31; 10:16.
Our own thoughts.-Jer. 6:19. Barrenness.-Ps. 1:4. Corrupt.-Matt. 7:17.
Self-reliance-Hosea 10:13. Destroyed, Judged.- Ps. 21:10.
Independency's fairest fruits-Cain's-rejected. Unfruitful works of darkness.-Eph. 5:11. Imitation unmasked and judged.-Jer. 12:1-3. Bearing fruit to itself (Hosea 10:1)-wicked.
DISEASE-RECOVERY-If fruit is not brought to perfection, it is because of earthly cares, riches, pleasures.-Matt. 13:4-7; Luke 8:14. Affections set upon "things on the earth."-Col.3:2. Such His grace that He tenderly recovers from sad failure to be fruitful, and by holy lessons learned, the restored soul yields "better than at beginning." -Ezek. 36:11; 47:12. Consider John 21:17-19.
Christian, thou shouldest fruitful be,
Since the Lord hath planted thee
To produce, for His delight,
Fruit, the fairest in His sight.
He has said, "Thy fruits for Me,
By Christ Jesus," e'er must be-
Nothing of the flesh to dim
Praise and glory due to Him.
He has said, "In Me abide;"
Hear My Word, whate'er betide.
To thy Father's glory be;
Fruitfully depend on Me.
"I am come," we hear Him say,
"To My garden day by day;
Pleasant fruits to gather there
From fond hearts that hold Me dear."
Love, joy, peace and every grace,
Works of flesh should now replace.
By the Spirit we may bring
Holy fruit, just suiting Him.
His the watering and the care,
That His people's lives may bear
Fruit for Him, for Him alone,
Harvesting what He has sown.
E. J. Checkley