Contributor: Folashade Morakinyo

INTRODUCTION

Last week, we began a new series on The Vine and The Branches. We established that our Father in heaven has a garden, with Jesus as the vine in that garden, and we as the branches that stem from the vine. Some branches bear fruit, while others remain fruitless. After a period of grace, the fruitless branches are cut off and cast into the fire, while the fruitful branches are pruned. (“If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned.” - John 15:6 KJV).
Pruning is the process of removing, cutting, and trimming to make the fruitful branches grow healthier and bear more fruit. Although painful, pruning is reserved for those already bearing fruit—branches that may still have dead or overgrown parts needing to be pruned so they can bear even more fruit. Today’s study will explore how we can progressively bear more fruit as we continue in our Christian journey.

Abiding Results in Progress - Progression in Fruit-Bearing

What fruit(s) are we talking about?
1. Fruit of the Spirit: The foundational fruit expected of every believer, as outlined in Galatians 5:22-23: “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.”
2. Soul Winning: As commanded in Mark 16:15: “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature.” (see also Matthew 28:19).
3. Greater Works: John 14:12: "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who believes in Me, the works that I do he will do also; and greater works than these he will do, because I go to My Father."

These are the fruits expected of a fruitful child of God. Even after bearing fruit, we may still undergo pruning. This is not necessarily punishment or correction for wrongdoing, but rather God’s way of helping us grow even better.
Pruning also represents God’s call to us to do more and come closer in our walk with Him. As Paul wrote in Philippians 3:13-14, “Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.” This is progression in fruit-bearing. For example, God might take us through a process that requires a greater level of consecration to produce kingdom results. Perhaps you already fast, but God may ask for deeper commitment to access a higher level of power and anointing for greater works. Or if you already give, He may be calling you to a greater level of giving, leading to prosperity for kingdom advancement. Even in soul-winning, God may inspire us to reach out more persistently, bringing more souls to Him.

From Glory to Glory

Just as a branch can progress from bearing some fruit to bearing much fruit, our faith can grow from weak faith to great faith. God’s plan for us is continual growth, from glory to glory. (John 15:1, Matthew 15:28, Matthew 8:10, 2 Corinthians 3:18)How can we move from one level of glory to the next?
1. Faith in God: Faith opens the door for progressive fruit-bearing (Matthew 8:10).
2. Belief in the Next Level: We must trust God to take us to new levels of glory (Matthew 15:28).
3. Beholding to Become: As we focus on God, we are transformed into His image from one level of glory to another. (“And we all, with unveiled face, continually seeing as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are progressively being transformed into His image from one degree of glory to even more glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.” - 2 Corinthians 3:18 AMP)
Abiding in Christ Leads to Greater Results The conditions for bearing much fruit involve abiding in Christ and allowing Christ to abide in us. If we remain in Him, our best can grow even better. Matthew 5:6; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1:1-3; 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18; Jude 20; Psalm 23:6; Psalm 91:1, 14-15; Matthew 5:48; John 17:17; Philippians 3:13-14.

CONCLUSION
Abiding in Christ is key to our spiritual growth and fruitfulness. As we remain connected to Him, God prunes us to bear even more fruit, transforming us from glory to glory in character, relationship with God, experience and encounter with God, and greater results in our Kingdom assignments.