On Bearing Fruit

From John 15 it is very evident that God wants us to bear fruit. Verse 2 says that "every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he takes away,.." Though that is an acceptable translation, the phrase "he takes away" can also be translated "he lifts up" which actually fits the the practice of vinegrowing better. When a vine grows and starts dragging on the ground, the vinedresser will take that branch and lift it up. This action enables that branch to more readily bear fruit than the one that is growing on the ground.
But the Lord does not just want us just to bear fruit, he wants us to bear "more fruit". That's where the rest of verse 2 takes us. Jesus goes on, "...and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit". This may point to the role that suffering has in our life. As God takes us through the pruning of suffering, removing the dead wood of our life, He is able to bring us to a place of bearing more fruit.
But God wants even more than that. In verse 5 Jesus says, "I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he is is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing." He also says in verse 8, "By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples." There it is - do you see the progression? Bear fruit, more fruit, much fruit. And so it is very clear that our Lord is very interested in His disciples / followers bearing much fruit.
But what is this fruit that God wants us to bear and how is it we come to bear it?
First, Jesus is very clear that we will only bear fruit as we abide in Him, as we abide in His word, as we receive the commandment of that word, and make it central to our life. And what is this commandment to which Jesus refers (which is the key to the fruit of which He speaks)? Verse 12-13 clearly states it: "This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends." Later in verse 16 Jesus summarizes: "These things I command you, so that you will love one another."
That is the fruit of which God wants us to bear much of. Love others as Jesus has loved.
This is the same message we found today in Ephesians 5. In verses 1-2 Paul said, "Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God."
It is really that simple. God wants us to bear fruit and that fruit is love, but the bearing of that fruit only comes as we abide in Christ - as we live out of our union with Christ which was bought with the price of His precious life.
Let's us all go out today, abiding in Christ, bearing MUCH fruit of love - to His glory!