Producing Fruit

      Vineyards are interesting feats of horticultural ingenuity. Take for instance the fact that a significant percentage of wine grapes grown in North America are produced on rootstock that is different than the grape variety itself. Some may wonder why. Well, it all has to do with the quality of the fruit produced and the ability of the plant to produce it. Left alone, most grape vines will produce grapes even in the most neglected conditions. But the quality of the grapes will likely be pretty much useless unless properly tended. Then there is also the problem with grape phylloxera, a tiny aphid-like insect that feeds on certain types of grape roots, stunting the growth of vines or killing them completely. The most effective means of preventing this destructive infestation, or eradicating it once it starts, is to change the rootstock to a variety resistant to the pest.
      What graphic insight this provides into the words of Christ when he says that he is the Vine and we are merely the branches. Vintner and vineyardist know that what is casually called a grapevine is actually rather complex. First, there is the rootstock from which the vine trunk grows. It is to this vine trunk that fruit bearing branches are grafted in order to produce the desired variety of grapes. Thus, when Jesus called himself the Vine, he was saying "I'm the Rootstock and Vine Trunk, and you are the grafted in, fruit bearing branches" (John 15.5). He is the Root and Vine that is resistant to the phylloxera known as sin. Apart from him, growing on our own carnal root, we can do nothing but produce worthless fruit and eventually wither away. But once we are grafted into Him, we are able to resist our innate sinfulness and are capable of producing fruit that far exceeds our natural abilities.
      Therefore, when we abide in Christ, just as a vine branch abides in the rootstock's vine trunk, we are enabled to produce quality fruit. And while it is true that various spiritual gifts are given to individuals (I Corinthians 12.4-11), all Christians are to bear the same fruit. The Apostle Paul gives an overview of this produce, this by-product of a life fully embedded in Jesus Christ, the True Rootstock (Isaiah 11.10). In Galatians 5.22-23 Paul lists these nine characteristics which are:

The Fruit of the Spirit
* Love
* Joy
* Peace
* Patience
* Kindness
* Goodness
* Faithfulness
* Gentleness
* Self-control
      In the next verse, he explains that when a follower of Christ surrenders one's personal will and desires and gives oneself fully to Christ, these character traits will be clearly evident. The same is the case for vinestock that is grafted into roostock resistant to life destroying parasites.
      This section of BranchesInTheVine.org is here to challenge each one of us who follow Christ to examine our daily lives to see if we are bearing the right kind of fruit. If we discover that we are producing more of the carnal traits outlined in Galatians 5.19-21, we are warned by Paul that such individuals will not inherit the kingdom of God. And further more, Christ says in John 15.6 that branches failing to produce wholesome fruit are cut from the vine and thrown into the fire. The list of fleshly fruit is much lengthier than the listing of spiritual fruit. These are the diseased, unsatisfactory fruit produced by phylloxera infested roots and branches.

The Fruit of the Flesh
* Fornication
* Impurity
* Licentiousness
* Idolatry
* Sorcery
* Enmity
* Strife
* Jealousy
* Anger
* Selfishness
* Dissension
* Party spirit
* Envy
* Drunkenness
* Carousing
      Consequently, it is not enough to say that one merely believes in Christ Jesus, for even the demons believe and are in terror as a result (James 2.19). To only believe is to be a sickly grapevine producing miserable fruit and tainted wine. Nor is it acceptable to live life content with such substandard produce. To persist in a lifestyle of sinful behavior is to live in rejection of the Lordship of Christ. Does this mean that Christians never struggle and stumble into sin? No, Christians certainly do struggle with sin. Romans 3.23 clearly states that we are all sinners. But to stumble into sin is far different than abiding in a lifestyle of sin, if only in one area of life. Even the most ardently tended vineyard may have an outbreak of destructive organisms from phylloxera to mold or mildew. If these diseases are left unchecked, the sickness spreads and soon the entire crop and even the vineyard itself will be consumed. Likewise, the disease of sin must be guarded against and removed whenever it is discovered in one's life.
      Our challenge then is to continually hold ourselves accountable to the Word of God; we must inspect our fruit to see if it satisfies God's standards not our own. And in love, we must also hold one another accountable (Matthew 18.15). Therefore, this section of BranchesInTheVine.org will give consideration to each of these nine traits to expound on what they entail and what they look like in daily life. Please join in this discussion and share your thoughts, your struggles, and certainly your victories concerning these fruit. Together we will seek to lay aside our sinful desires and seek to more consistently produce wholesome spiritual fruit in our daily lives. And by God's grace, we will be transformed (Romans 7.24-25) so that our spiritual harvest abounds with healthy and savory fruit.
Fruit of the Vine

COMMENTS

10/20/05 Nick writes -

As Rootstock Project Manager, whose job it is to encourage growers to use rootstocks, it fills me with great heart to know that I am promoting the work of God.  But I am a little confused, there are many different types of rootstock, so does that mean there are many different gods, should I really be following a religion with a range of deities such as Buddhism or Hinduism??

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10/20/05 Lori writes -

Nick - thank you so much for taking time to look at our site and to post a response. As I'm certain you can appreciate, metaphors and illustrations can only be taken so far before reaching the point of the ridiculous. Consequently, the article on rootstock was not meant to promote a polytheistic view of God. Rather than following such a religious faith, I encourage you to pursue faith in the one God. May I enquire as to your current religious faith?

I wish you well in promoting healthy rootstock, especially for the Shiraz, and I hope that the articles on the Branches site perhaps lend a new perspective to your work.

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