If we fail to bear fruit, are we truly Christians?
The Bible says many things to comfort and assure us of our acceptance with God. The Bible also says many things that emphasize the conditional nature of our relationship with him. These Scriptures warn us we need to do certain things or repent of certain sins to have a relationship with God.
All these verses in the Bible are true, and we need to hold on to both the assurances and the warnings. They do harmonize. But most people will focus on one or the other. Some people focus on the verses of assurance and rarely think about where they fall short of God’s will. Others focus on the warnings, and they lack confidence in God’s love for them and acceptance of them through Jesus Christ.
We need to maintain both sides of the equation.
In this post we will consider an important warning.
Warnings from Jesus
You may have noticed that Jesus gives many warnings. It seems to me he gives more warnings than assurances. That suggests that we need them. Here is one of his warnings given in the form of a parable:
“A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. And he said to the vinedresser, ‘Look, for three years now I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and I find none. Cut it down. Why should it use up the ground?’ And he answered him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and put on manure. Then if it should bear fruit next year, well and good; but if not, you can cut it down.’” (Luke 13:6–9 ESV)
The unmistakable point of this short parable is that farmers require fruit from their trees. Farmers are in business. They do not farm for recreation or entertainment; they need to make a profit. So, they maximize the use of the ground, planting as many fruit-bearing trees as their land will allow. They cut down barren trees and replace them with trees that they hope will bear much fruit.
What fruit does God look for?
So, what spiritual point is Jesus making?
The context of this parable is important. In the preceding verse, Luke 13:5, Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you will all likewise perish.”
So, the fruit God looks for in us is repentance. God seeks increasing Christlikeness and decreasing worldliness, more fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22–23) and less works of the flesh (Galatians 5:16–21).
What about the barren?
What is striking about this parable is the readiness of the farmer to cut down the barren tree. There is no sentimentality. He has given the tree three years, and that is enough time for fruitfulness to begin.
Yet, surely Jesus is not saying our merciful God removes people who regard themselves as Christians yet fail to repent, grow, and show the fruit of walking with Jesus Christ. Surely Jesus is not saying our gracious God is this businesslike in his evaluation of supposed believers.
Does God really remove barren believers? Other Scriptures explicitly say yes. Jesus elsewhere said, “I am the true vine, and my Father is the vinedresser. Every branch in me that does not bear fruit he takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit he prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (John 15:1–2 ESV)
Hebrews 6:7–8 says, “Land that has drunk the rain that often falls on it, and produces a crop useful to those for whose sake it is cultivated, receives a blessing from God. But if it bears thorns and thistles, it is worthless and near to being cursed, and its end is to be burned.”
Fruit matters
The parable of Jesus about the barren tree is an important warning for every person who calls himself or herself a Christian yet does not live as a true disciple of Jesus (see John 8:31–32). A true disciple of Jesus follows him daily, learns, and obeys his words. A true disciple is devoted preeminently to him, not to the things of this world. A true disciple bears the fruit of repentance and obedience.
There are other marks of a true disciple, and that is the theme of this series. Stay tuned—and be true.