And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

I’m no botanist. I walk through the Anchorage Botanical Gardens each week with my daughters’ school program, but if a plant doesn’t have a sign explicitly identifying it, then I am at a loss. However, if I were in an orchard during harvest season when the fruit was at peak ripeness, I would have much more success identifying the trees. I would see oranges and know I was looking at an orange tree or recognize the apples of an apple tree or the plums of a plum tree.

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In Matthew 7, Jesus teaches that this same principle of fruit identification applies to people: “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:16-17). Similarly, John 15:8 says that in bearing fruit, we prove we are truly Jesus’ disciples. There is a very important condition that must be met for a branch to bear fruit: it has to be connected to the tree or vine. In John 15, Jesus describes the necessary connection between us and him using the word “abide.”

In today’s passage, Paul shares his prayer that the Colossians would live in a manner fully pleasing to the Lord. Paul then elaborates by outlining two components of such living. The first is to bear fruit in every good work. The second is to increase in the knowledge of God. Increasing in the knowledge of God doesn’t mean acquiring more facts about him and upping our Bible trivia prowess. The type of knowledge Paul is talking about is relational knowledge, as in becoming more deeply acquainted with God. A verb to describe this state of increasing intimacy with God is “abide.”

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The parallels between Colossians 1 and John 15 don’t end there, with the two-part instruction to bear fruit and abide. Both Paul and Jesus go on to describe the results of living in this manner that is “worthy of the Lord” and “fully pleasing to him.” Paul’s Colossians 1 prayer continues into verses 11 and 12 with his hope that the Colossians would be, “strengthened with all power, according to his glorious might, for all endurance and patience with joy; giving thanks to the Father.”

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Similarly, after his analogy of the vine and the branches in John 15, Jesus says, “These things I have spoken to you, that my joy may be in you, and that your joy may be full.” The abundant life Jesus offers us is a life of deep intimacy with him. As we abide in him and are connected to the vine, those around us will be able to identify us as his followers by our life-giving actions that imitate Jesus, aka: our fruit. And as we do this, as we abide and bear fruit, we will be strengthened with God’s power and filled with his joy. This is life as God intended it.

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I encourage you to go straight to the source today and read John 15, where Jesus describes himself as the true vine and calls his followers his branches. See how often he uses the commands “bear fruit” and “abide.” Is your life characterized by bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God? How does this passage encourage and instruct you toward these ends?

Father in Heaven, you are glorious and mighty. Thank you for inviting me to abide in Jesus and be filled with your strength and joy. I know I am your handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do the good works you have prepared in advance for me. Lead me into a deeper knowledge of you so I bear fruit that points those around me to you. Teach me to abide so I can experience the abundant life you have called me to. In Jesus’ name, amen.