Discipleship: Evidence of Discipleship- Fruit

John 15:4–5, 7–8 – “Abide in me… Whoever abides in me bears much fruit. By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.”
- One evidence of discipleship is that we bear fruit that glorifies God the Father. How do we know what this “fruit” is? Within this very passage, Jesus goes on to talk about love for others and the service we provide for one another through our actions. Thus, the fruit we bear for God is the love we show others and how we serve them. Fruit then is not a list of actions but a life characterized by the love of God for other humans. Later, Paul would go on to describe the fruits of the Spirit, which again emphasizes a life transformation not a religious checklist. This lifestyle will result in God being glorified because the needy are being served, the sinners are shown compassion and souls are saved through our love and service. If we do not serve and love as Jesus did then God cannot be glorified and we prove we are not his disciples.