Is it necessary for Christians to bear fruit? Are we required to love God and others, obey God, have joy in God, and witness for God? Yes, we are required, but we are not capable, not on our own. This is why the good news really is so good.

God does not get glory simply because He talks about transforming us and certainly not because He talks about us transforming ourselves. He goes ahead and transforms us. He commands that we obey Him and then, as Augustine prayed, God gives what He commands. He wants more fruit, much fruit, abiding fruit. But He does not put us on the table and say, “Grow roots.” He does not lift us up in the air and say, “Produce fruit!” He says, “Apart from me you can do nothing.”

We know His commands and we know the first step is to believe in Him. Then He requires, He summons us, to remain in the vine. Christ doesn’t expect great works without giving great grace. He doesn’t wait until we are full to feed us. He doesn’t graft us in when we’ve produced our quota of fruit. He demands that we bear fruit by derivative. All of it flows out of our communion with Him.

Paul exhorted the Colossians, “as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (Colossians 2:6–7, ESV). We have been taught, we have received Christ, and so we are rooted in Him for a fruitful, thankful walk.