"I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples." - John 15:5 & 8
I did a quick Google search and learned that harvest season typically begins in late summer and early fall, which gives farmers enough time to gather their crops before winter arrives. We're actually in a harvest season now here in the USA and although I've never lived on a farm, I'm excited to enjoy the harvest from the seeds that I planted this year. Let me explain.
A simple definition of [to bear fruit] is "something grew" and as Christians, we understand that a spiritual change precedes a physical manifestation of change. However, in order to discern if what grew is a fruit of the Spirit (good fruit) or a work of the flesh (evil) we need the Holy Spirit's help because bad fruit of any kind can make us sick. Keep in mind that most of the planting that we do as disciples of Jesus Christ are with our prayers followed by our works. The words that we speak can be likened to seeds and when coupled with our faith, we have the ability to move mountains (Matthew 17:20) or create unnecessary mountains like my friend Sherica says. Even Jesus said that we will be justified and condemned by our words (Matthew 12:37), and He also emphasized the importance of telling the truth the first time (Matthew 5:37). That's because God isn't a fan of hypocrisy, which is why Jesus called out the scribes and the Pharisees in Matthew 23:3 telling His followers, "they say, and do not do".
Remember your vow to God.
Let this word from the Holy Spirit be a sobering reminder to all of us that we have a responsibility to honor what we say to the Father. A vow in Hebrew is a promise and a promise in Greek is defined as an announcement, so whether we announce things to the LORD in private or in public, we should do what we said and our lives should bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit in us (Galatians 5). If this isn't your reality, then it's time to check the health of your soil because we know that God doesn't tell lies but humans do all the time. And in my opinion, the only thing worst than standing in a room full of liars is being one.
References:
- Strong's #5088: neder (a vow) - a promise
- Strong's #1860: epaggelia (a promise) - an announcement
