Note 47 at Jn. 15:2: What is this fruit that Jesus is speaking of? Some have taken a very narrow interpretation to say that it is producing another Christian and therefore any believer who doesn't reproduce his faith will be taken away. That cannot be verified by other scriptures.

There are many things to which this fruit could be referring. Paul spoke of the fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22- 23), the fruits of righteousness (Phil. 1:11), new converts as fruit (Rom. 1:13), and holiness as a fruit (Rom. 6:22). Jesus could be speaking of any one or any combination of these things. It is most probable that Jesus is simply using the word "fruit" to denote any of the virtues that God's Word advocates.

Note 48 at Jn. 15:2: This purging has been interpreted in many ways. The illustration that Jesus is using is one of pruning; therefore, some have said this purging is a very painful process where the Lord cuts and slashes us through things like sickness, death, poverty, and other forms of tragedy so that eventually we will bear more fruit. This teaching not only promotes problems as a good thing, but as a necessity, if we want to bear more fruit.

That thinking is not consistent with the rest of God's Word or even the context of this verse. The Greek word used for "purge" in this verse is "kathairo," and means "to cleanse." In the next verse, the Greek word translated "cleanse" is "katharos," which is akin to "kathairo," and means "to free from impurities or purge." The text makes it very clear that the purging that Jesus speaks of is done through the word that He had spoken unto us (Jn. 15:3).

Paul said in 2 Timothy 3:16-17 that God's Word was given to us for "doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: That the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works." That is God's method of pruning us, and He doesn't need the devil's help. His word will make us "perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works."

That is not to say that we cannot learn through tragedy. We can. But God has a better way. If we mistakenly think that God is bringing tragedy into our lives to make us more fruitful, then we'll not resist the tragedies and they will not flee from us (Jas. 4:7). All of us will learn by hard knocks, but the man who welcomes that with his arms open wide will suffer greatly and be far behind the man who lets God's Word have His perfect work in him.