The Measure of Discipleship

The life of a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ will bear fruit. That we bear much fruit, said Jesus, is how our heavenly Father is glorified. Fruit, one can say, is the measure of our discipleship.

                                                                            John 15:8:

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

As we have seen, the path of discipleship is the strait and narrow, the way that leads unto life. A fundamental truth taught by our Lord regarding men is that we would know them by their fruit. Just as the fruit a tree produces identifies the tree, a man's fruit identifies what type of man he is.

Matt: 7:14-20:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit;

but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.

Our Lord said, "by their fruits you shall know them." This truth applies to His disciples as well. The above Scriptures teach not only how we are to know men, they also teach us how we are not to know men.

Matt: 7:19:

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Our discipleship is about being made into a good tree so to speak. It is our being made able to bring forth good fruit. Where does this begin, you may ask? It begins with our Salvation.

Matt:3:5-8:

Then went out to him [John the Baptist] Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan,

And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come to his baptism, he said unto them, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

John was warning them that their lives should truly show forth the fruit of their repentance. In other words, he was telling them that hypocrisy is to be a thing of the past for those who truly believe. One who has repented and received the Salvation that is in

Christ, is to bring forth fruits that speak of that Salvation.

Matt:3:9,10:

And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit [fruit of repentance] is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

The axe has indeed been laid to the root of the trees. There is no fooling God. No one is going to be able to talk his or her way into the kingdom of God. Jesus clearly taught, "You must be born again." Now this isn't a teaching on the New Birth, however, we must begin with repentance unto Salvation, also known as Evangelical Repentance, if we are to understand the measure of our discipleship.

Matt:3:11,12:

I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:

Whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and gather his wheat into the garner; but he will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.

Jesus Christ will gather His wheat into the garner. The allegory here should be plain to see. As the wheat is separated from the chaff, must we also keep separate flesh and spirit. "The flesh," said Jesus, "profiteth nothing."

1Cor:15:44:

It is sown a natural body; it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

The following illustration from God's Word will help us to understand this more clearly.

Jn:12:24:

Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.

It is the "death" of the kernel of wheat that brings forth much fruit. As we have seen, the cost of our discipleship is the "death" of self. This "death" brings forth the fruit of a disciplined one of Christ. The fruit of a disciple of Christ is the fruit of the Spirit.

Gal: 5:22-25:

But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.

I was erroneously taught and believed at one time that the operation of the gifts of the Spirit produced the fruit of the Spirit. Fruit; (as was taught) is the end result, the result of operating the gifts. This simply is not the case at all. Fruit is a result, but it is the result of the seed that is sown. That is why it is called the fruit "of the Spirit." The origin of the fruit is the Spirit, not the operation of the gift of the Spirit. 

This was made plain to me when I started having fellowship with Christians who didn't adhere to the doctrine I had formerly been taught. Some of these Christians hadn't even heard about the spiritual gifts, much less use them. So how on earth could these brothers and sisters have so much fruit in their lives, I wondered? In fact, many of them had much more fruit of the Spirit in their lives than those Christians who were instructed as I had been.

As stated previously, it is the seed that is the origin of the fruit. Therefore the question is; "What seed is in a Christian?" The seed that is in the Christian is the seed of the New Birth. The seed that is in the Christian is Christ.

Gal:3:16:

Now to Abraham and his seed were the promises made. He saith not, And to seeds, as of many; but as of one, And to thy seed, which is Christ.

Jesus taught that we must be born again. In fact, He taught that we could not see the kingdom of God unless we were born again. The birth He was speaking of is a spiritual birth, the birth from above. In one short verse of Scripture He makes plain the following.

Jn:3:6:

That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.

Jesus Christ taught of two births, the birth of the flesh and the birth of the Spirit. The first birth is of the flesh, and the second birth (ie. born again) is of the Spirit. Again, in one verse of Scripture we see the seeds of these two births and their contrasts.

1Pt:1:23:

Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever.

In our first birth, the birth of the flesh, the seed that is in us is from our earthly fathers, therefore it is of the flesh. This is known as the corruptible seed. When we are born again, we are born with the seed of our heavenly Father, it is of the Spirit. This is known as the incorruptible seed. This seed is incorruptible because it is of God.

1Jn:3:9:

Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God.

This is the origin of the fruit of the Spirit in the lives of those who believe. It is the Spirit of God at work in us to will and to do of His good pleasure.

Phil:2:13:

For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do of his good pleasure.

The Spirit of God, the incorruptible seed of the New Birth, is at work in us to do things that are well pleasing in His sight.

Heb:13:21:

Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.

 This is the point where some would ask, "you mean if we don't do anything, we will bring forth the fruit of the Spirit? Is it all God's work? The answer, of course, is no.

We do participate in the bringing forth of the fruit of the Spirit, but our participation is not one of using the spiritual abilities; it is one of a willful subjection and submission.  Our participation is that of yielding to the Spirit of God that is at work in us. Our bringing forth fruit is the result of our being in unison with the Spirit, even as Jesus Christ was in unison with His father.

Jn:10:30:

I and my Father are one.

Jesus Christ always did His father's will.

Mt:26:39:

And he [Jesus] went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me: nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt

Lk:22:42:

Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.

With this in mind let us look at the words our Lord spoke concerning Himself and His abilities.

Jn:5:30:

I can of mine own self do nothing: as I hear, I judge: and my judgment is just; because I seek not mine own will, but the will of the Father which hath sent me.

Jesus Christ said that He could do nothing of Himself. He did not seek His own will. He sought the will of the Father.

As we have seen when we looked at the path of our discipleship, our Lord has given us an example to follow with regards to Humility and emptying oneself of self. If we look at Christ's example regarding the measure of our discipleship, we will see that like the Lord Jesus Christ who could of His own self do nothing, we likewise can do nothing without Him.

Jn:15:5:

I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing.

Our Lord was speaking to His disciples. There is a critical point to remember when speaking of the measure of our discipleship. We simply can not bring forth fruit with out Him. He is the vine and we are the branches. Additionally, we learn the following about the fruit we produce.

Jn:15:1-2:

I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

God is the husbandman. Every branch that bears fruit is purged in order to bring forth more fruit. This is God's doing. We are purged (cleansed or purified by separating and carrying off whatever is impure or offensive) by God Almighty Himself. This may for the present time seem harsh, but God has a goal in mind and we should not forget that goal either as we are purged. Therefore we read the following exhortation from God's Word.

Heb:12: 5-10:

And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him:

For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.

If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not?

But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.

Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live?

For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness.

Our scourging, our chastisement from God is for our profit. Indeed, it is "That we might be partakers of His Holiness." His Holiness is the root to which the fruit of the Spirit is the fruit. All of this is done that we might be partakers of His Holiness. As we partake of His Holiness, we will bring forth the measure of discipleship, which is the fruit of the Spirit.

Heb:12:11:

Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.

The peaceable fruit of righteousness is the result of our chastening. As we are purged of God, as we endure His chastening and are exercised thereby, we will yield more and more fruit. This is what our Lord has ordained us to do.

Jn:15:16a

Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that ye should go and bring forth fruit,

Jesus Christ taught that we would know men by their fruit. Moreover, He taught that we would be known by the fruit we bring forth. The measure of our discipleship, of being a disciplined one of Christ, is our bearing of fruit.

Jn:15:8:

Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.

Jesus Christ said that His Father is glorified when we bear much fruit.