FIRST! Again

By Lin Pearson

Every Christian has been given the means to bear fruit for Christ. “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me” (John 15:4 NLT).

In his book The Disciple Making Pastor, Bill Hull writes,

“The non-negotiable for the fruitful Christian is remaining in Christ. Christ does not emphasize fruit bearing, but remaining in him. By remaining in Christ, as a branch depends on the vine, the believer will bear fruit; indeed, he cannot avoid bearing fruit.”

The words of Christ, “Remain in me”, suggests intimacy, and not just superficial acquaintance. So, for us to be fruitful, Christ must be at the centre of our lives, our affections, our choices and our actions. He alone should be our focus. We need to cultivate a deep and cherished relationship with Christ.

There is no denying that mission is physically, emotionally and spiritually demanding. Nevertheless, it need not be a strain to witness, or a struggle to win souls for Christ. Fruit bearing will be the natural outcome of a life which is consistently and vitally united to the living Vine, Christ.

To win the lost we need the power of the Holy Spirit, we need creative ways to communicate effectively, we need pure lives…we need so much. But our first and greatest need is to dwell deeply in Christ. All else flows from that. Then we can know that, as he said, “those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit” (John 15:5)