While mowing the lawn with an electric mower, someone in our house who will remain unnamed ran over the wire. Instant silence. Without the connection the mower ceased to be useful. John 15 came rushing to the forefront of my brain. Unless we are connected to the vine, no matter how hearty the branch it cannot bear any fruit. It is useless. Jesus goes on to say He is the vine and we are the branches. If we remain connected we will bear much fruit. I long for a much fruit experience. Sometimes we think a much fruit experience means lots of baptisms. That is pretty discouraging because few of us can boast of bringing thousands to Jesus. However when we read about the fruit of the Spirit, baptizing people isn’t even mentioned. The fruit is “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.” See Galatians 5
It is true. Jesus did commission His disciples to go and baptize. But it is also true that Paul speaks of a variety of gifts. Each of us is to play our part in the great Gospel Commission. Not everyone is to be a baptizer and not everyone is to be an administrator. But what all of us are capable of is being and remaining connected. Some of the finest Christians I have ever known cannot point to one person and say I baptized that person. However, they are the most generous people. They would give anything if convinced of the need.
It would be so grand if we had engraved on our gravestone the word “Connected.” It would say it all because fruit happens. It doesn’t have to be forced.
Written by Roger Bothwell on July 13, 2009
Spring of Life Ministry, PO Box 124, St. Helena, CA 94574
rogerbothwell.org