Can God Find Fruit on Your Fig Tree?

A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none (Luke 13:6).

Jesus spoke the parable of the fig tree as a picture of Israel nationally. For three years, the tree produced no fruit. Therefore, doom faced the nation; three years of fruitlessness meant the tree would come down. The tree may have looked nice, but it was merely taking up space. Could we say the same of many Christians and many churches today? Are they just taking up space?

God had blessed Israel abundantly. His patience was obvious during the three-year ministry of Jesus on the earth, during which time the nation rejected their Messiah. God even gave them another forty years before He allowed Rome to come in and cut Jerusalem down. During those years, there was a powerful witness as the apostles established the church in Jerusalem, Samaria and to the uttermost part of the earth (Acts 1:8).

Jesus did not provide a conclusion to the parable, leaving His listeners to determine the full meaning. Applying it personally, every believer ought to ask, How does this apply to me? As believers, are we fruitful or are we just TAKING UP SPACE? If God created us to be fruitful and enabled us to be fruitful by the indwelling Holy Spirit, then it only makes sense that He expects us to be fruitful.

How about our churches? There are so many churches in our society today that once were faithful to the Word of God and produced much fruit and today are doing nothing more than taking up space. Oh yes, many of them are doing some good things in our society and many more of them are advancing social issues that are clearly against God’s Word — that’s substitute fruit. The day will come when God will cut them down. And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from Me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:23).

The subject here is spiritual fruit. Spiritual life should produce spiritual fruit. In our churches, the faithful preaching and teaching of the Word of God that produces fruit through the conviction of the Holy Spirit and subsequent spiritual life within the soul. More fruit is produced as the soul is discipled, growing in the Word of God. Galatians 5:22-23 reveals nine elements of this spiritual fruit that is a by-product of what God is doing in the life of a growing believer – love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and self-control: against such there is no law. In other words, there is no law that prohibits the possession and practice of these fruitful characteristics. The blessing produced in a local church when all the believers produce fruit is incredible, producing much more fruit.

Are you a growing Christian? Is there evidence of fruit? Are you in a church that is producing spiritual fruit? Thank God today for the gift of His Spirit that makes fruit bearing possible. Then yield yourself afresh to God that He might use you as a fruit-bearing instrument for His glory. Neither yield ye your members as instruments of unrighteousness unto sin: but yield yourselves unto God, as those that are alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness unto God (Romans 6:13).

George Stiekes held successful pastorates in churches in Michigan and Washington among other places. He currently resides in North Carolina and blogs at Reverent Reflections. We recommend his ministry and republish his material by permission.