BEARING FRUIT

Luke 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.(7) Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ()8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: (9) And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.

Many times we look at ourselves and examine ourselves by what we are not doing. If we are not engaged in terrible sin we look around at those that are and it makes us feel a little self-righteous and comfortable. Here Jesus is speaking in a parable about bearing fruit. It is interesting that he was just speaking of some that lost their lives, and he was preaching repentance. He warned that if those failed to repent they would likewise perish. He followed this with the parable about bearing fruit.
Sometimes we try to force ourselves to bear fruit for the Lord. That is like grabbing a fruit tree and shaking it and yelling, "Bear Fruit." What we have to do is take care of it. We nurture it by watering, fertilizing it and pruning it. When a fruit tree is healthy the sap rises within it and the overabundance of the sap causes it to bear fruit.
The same is true in our lives as far as bearing spiritual fruit. We drink the living water and feed ourselves from the Word of God. We then prune away the unproductive things in our life and an abundance of the Love of God will cause us to bear fruit.

Eph 3:19 And to know the love of Christ, which passeth knowledge, that ye might BE FILLED with all the fullness of God.