We are one with Christ. He is the vine and we are His branches. That is a very close association! We partake of His nature and are nourished by His life. For His life is our life and His nature is our nature. This is the natural way of a vine with its branches. So it is normal and natural, even effortless, for the fruit to come forth from us branches. It comes, not by our effort or strain but by the law of life. We are branches on the grapevine. It is most natural for us to bear the fruit of the vine! But it is important to see that the life of the vine produces the fruit, not us; we simply bear the fruit. Life produces life. Life bears fruit. Life thrives and grows and brings forth. Christ is our life. Christ brings forth the fruit of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We simply relax in the vine. We do not struggle, try to perform, or keep inspecting ourselves (or others!) for fruit. We simply enjoy the vine we're one with, enjoy the nourishment of the vine. What a life. What an effortless life is produced in us, because it is His life, not our own.
