fruitfulness

¹“I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. ²Every branch in me that does not bear fruit, he will take away. And each one that does bear fruit, he will cleanse, so that it may bring forth more fruit. ³You are clean now, because of the word that I have spoken to you. ⁴Abide in me, and I in you. Just as the branch is not able to bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, so also are you unable, unless you abide in me. ⁵I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me, and I in him, bears much fruit. For without me, you are able to do nothing. ⁶If anyone does not abide in me, he will be cast away, like a branch, and he will wither, and they will gather him and cast him into the fire, and he burns.

²⁸And God blessed them, and he said, “Increase and multiply, and fill the earth, and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and the flying creatures of the air, and over every living thing that moves upon the earth.”

²²But the fruit of the Spirit is charity, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, forbearance, ²³meekness, faith, modesty, abstinence, chastity. There is no law against such things.

¹⁶You have not chosen me, but I have chosen you. And I have appointed you, so that you may go forth and bear fruit, and so that your fruit may last. Then whatever you have asked of the Father in my name, he shall give to you.

⁵But as for you, taking up every concern, minister virtue in your faith; and in virtue, knowledge; ⁶and in knowledge, moderation; and in moderation, patience; and in patience, piety; ⁷and in piety, love of brotherhood; and in love of brotherhood, charity. ⁸For if these things are with you, and if they abound, they will cause you to be neither empty, nor without fruit, within the plan of our Lord Jesus Christ. ⁹For he who does not have these things at hand is blind and groping, being forgetful of his purification from his former offenses.

¹⁴My brothers, what benefit is there if someone claims to have faith, but he does not have works? How would faith be able to save him? ¹⁵So if a brother or sister is naked and daily in need of food, ¹⁶and if anyone of you were to say to them: “Go in peace, keep warm and nourished,” and yet not give them the things that are necessary for the body, of what benefit is this? ¹⁷Thus even faith, if it does not have works, is dead, in and of itself. ¹⁸Now someone may say: “You have faith, and I have works.” Show me your faith without works! But I will show you my faith by means of works. ¹⁹You believe that there is one God. You do well. But the demons also believe, and they tremble greatly.

⁸In this, my Father is glorified: that you should bring forth very much fruit and become my disciples.

⁶I am confident of this very thing: that he who has begun this good work in you will perfect it, unto the day of Christ Jesus.

⁵And he saved us, not by works of justice that we had done, but, in accord with his mercy, by the washing of regeneration and by the renovation of the Holy Spirit, ⁶whom he has poured out upon us in abundance, through Jesus Christ our Savior,

³And he will be like a tree that has been planted beside running waters, which will provide its fruit in its time, and its leaf will not fall away, and all things whatsoever that he does will prosper.

⁸Therefore, produce fruit worthy of repentance.