Luke 3:9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Do you like good fruits? What do you do with fruits that are bad? You throw them away. What if you have an orange tree that bears sour oranges? Again, you cut it down and plant another tree.
In the same manner, what makes anyone thinks that God will continue to keep a tree that does not bear fruit, or does not bear good fruit? John the Baptist said God will cut it down. Christ said the same too (Matt 7:19).
A tree is known by its fruit. In the immediate context, John was referring to the fruitless Jewish nation who rejected Christ. The tree that is the Jewish nation did not bring forth good fruit and was cut down. God rejects the Jewish nation and opens the gospel of salvation to the Gentiles (Acts 13:46).
Every professing believer is a tree. And every professing believer bears fruit of some kind, whether it is good or bad. Therefore, every professing believer can generally be known by the fruits that he is bearing.
The “fruit” refers to our works. Therefore, in a general sense, we can usually tell who is a true Christian and who is a false one by examining his fruit with the Word of God. We observe the things he does, the kind of words that proceed from his mouth, and how he treats his fellow men. Our Lord says: “Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven” (Matt 6:16).
Good works glorify God. That being said, I must stress that we are not saved by good works. But every Christian who is a true follower of Christ will want to imitate the example of his Saviour and does good works. Every Christian is a product of Christ. Paul wrote: “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them” (Eph 2:10).
We are “his workmanship” means we are God’s new creation: “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new” (2 Cor 5:17).
Christians are the product of God’s creation “unto good works”. And He has “ordained that we should walk in them.” Therefore, a Christian must be a fruitful tree that brings forth good fruit because that's what he is created for; and so are we.
Note that a tree is known not by the fullness of its leaves, but by its fruits. Christ saw a fig tree which was full of leaves but no fruits; he cursed the unfruitful fig tree (Matt 21:19). He was reinforcing His teaching that every tree which does not bring forth good fruit shall be cast down.
A tree can look healthy on the outside, big, strong and full of leaves. Yet, in spite of its outward appearance, if it does not bear good fruit, it is worthless. Christ condemned the Pharisees who outwardly appeared holy but were rotten to the core: “Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which indeed appear beautiful outward, but are within full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness” (Matt 23:27).
In the same way, a professing Christian can make a good and loud pretence of saying he believes in Jesus, but whose heart is full of malice and all covetousness, he is bearing bad fruit. Paul wrote: “Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice” (Eph 4:31). Those are the evil fruits which belong to the devil.
But the Christian who is clothed with Christ bears the fruit of love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance” (Gal 5:22-23).
Are you bearing good fruit? We are known by the fruit that we bear. Let us imitate the example of our Lord and bear good fruit. “For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps” (1 Pet 2:21).
Jimmy Lau
Psa 119:97 Oh how love I thy law! It is my meditation all the day.
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