Month: May 2012

Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground?’ But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ “
Luk 13:7-9

Great, extensive mercy had already been shown the fig tree.  For three years the owner had come to it expecting fruit and year after year was disappointed.  The fig tree belonged to him.  He had every right to pluck it up after the first year and replace it with a tree that would bring forth fruit, but for three long years, he had tirelessly cared for this tree.  As the Lord said of the men of Judah in Is 5:4, “What more could have been done to My vineyard That I have not done in it?”  Surely, the owner had gone above and beyond concerning this fig tree, but when the owner would pronounce final judgment upon the tree, another voice was heard.  The keeper exclaims, “Let it alone one more year!”

What a beautiful picture we have before us of the intercession of our Lord Jesus Christ!  Surely, if it was not for Him, all of us fruitless fig trees would have been plucked up at the outset of our existence.  Rom 3:23 is clear that “all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God”.  None of us have a chance outside of Christ!  We were born in the constant rebellion of sin, and yet God was merciful to us as we celebrated one birthday after another.  Even the wicked have been constant recipients of God’s mercy!  “The LORD is gracious and full of compassion, slow to anger and great in mercy.  The LORD is good to all, And His tender mercies are over all His works.” (Psa 145:8-9) God had every right throughout our lives to judge us eternally long before we were ever brought to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ, but when judgment was hard upon, there was a Voice that cried, “Let it alone one more year!”

There is perhaps no more vivid picture of the great love of this heavenly Intercessor than the words spoken as He hung upon the cross.  Beaten and despised by those that He hung before, even there we hear His glorious intercessory prayer to the Father on our behalf: “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do!” (Lk 23:34) Surely, there has never been another man like this Man!  He is both the Son of man AND the Son of God!  He is the one and only Mediator between God and men! (1 Tim 2:5)

There was no hope found among mankind, yet man needed an intercessor because his judgment was certain.  In that dark place, without any hope, the Lord responded to our need!  “He saw that there was no man, And wondered that there was no intercessor; Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him; And His own righteousness, it sustained Him.” (Is 59:16) There was no intercessor found, so the Lord Himself interceded on our behalf!  No wonder the subject of the new song of the righteous in Rev 5:9 is “You are worthy”!  What is it that Christ has done that has their heart overflowing with such praise?  “For You were slain, And have redeemed us to God by Your blood…”  Jesus is our eternal Intercessor!  “Therefore He is also able to save to the uttermost those who come to God through Him, since He always lives to make intercession for them.” (Heb 7:25) All glory to His name!

Jamie

And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
Matthew 21:19

Can a man lose his salvation?  As we considered our text above last week, we compared it to another passage related to fruitlessness.  In Jn 15:1-2, Jesus explained, “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 bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.”  Is the point to this statement that we’d better watch our step in walking with the Lord or He just might retract our salvation?  Is that the spiritual lesson in our text above as the fig tree is cursed and withers away?  Can a man lose his salvation?  If that man is truly saved, I say emphatically, “No!”

Some teach today that our salvation is not certain, that we can get it and lose it and then even get it back again!  God doesn’t play around with souls that way.  The reason men consider salvation with such uncertainty is because they don’t really understand how salvation works.  They view salvation as a work of man.  If man decides to be saved, then certainly he can undecide as well, right?  But, what if salvation is a supernatural act of the sovereign God?  What if Eph 2:8-9 is actually true?!!  “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.”  If God is all-powerful and He alone saves the sinner, surely He is also able to keep him from falling!  Indeed He is able, and that’s exactly what the word of God teaches.

One fact that clears up these misconceptions regarding salvation is to understand that salvation is a birth.  As Christians, we’re familiar with the term “born again”, but it seems that many have forgotten that’s exactly how we are saved!  As Jesus told Nicodemus in Jn 3:3, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”  He clarified this statement further when He said in v. 5, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”  You are saved because you were born of the Spirit of God, making you a child of God.  Salvation is a birth!  Can a child be “unborn” once it is conceived?  No way!  Can a child no longer be your child once it is conceived?  That child may break your heart, but he or she will always be your child.  You can’t undo that fact.  God made birth in the natural that way to teach us about the spiritual birth.  Remember the prodigal?  When he returned, he told his father, “Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.” (Lk 15:21) However, the father made it clear (even as our heavenly Father makes it clear), “you will always be ‘my son'”! (v. 24)

Jesus makes some powerful comments in Jn 6 which convey clearly that salvation is a work of God that cannot be undone!  In v. 37, He begins, “All that the Father gives Me will come to Me…”  That portion reveals the sovereign work of the Father in drawing His children to Himself.  The verse continues with the obvious response of those that are drawn: “…and the one who comes to Me I will by no means cast out.”  Those that the Father gives will come to Christ!  This verse describes the beginning of salvation, but how certain is it that it will last?  Listen to v. 39: “This is the will of the Father who sent Me, that of all He has given Me I should lose nothing, but should raise it up at the last day.”  How many will Christ lose?  None!  They will all be raised up to eternal glory at the last day!

If salvation is a work of man, we’d have reason to fear, but if it’s a work of God, with Whom all things are possible, we have great reason to rejoice!  Does the hymn, “Blessed Assurance” come to mind?!!  Rest in that assurance, dear soul.  Rejoice knowing that if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed! (Jn 8:36) The devil can never have you again.  God saved you, and He’s also able to keep you!  The Good Shepherd will see to it that you will dwell in the house of the Lord forever. (Ps 23:6) “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me. And I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; neither shall anyone snatch them out of My hand. My Father, who has given them to Me, is greater than all; and no one is able to snatch them out of My Father’s hand. (Jn 10:27-29) God’s holding on to you, and He won’t let go–ever! 🙂

Jamie

And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
Mt 21:19

A few weeks back, we considered Rom 16:17 which encouraged us to “note those who cause divisions and offenses, contrary to the doctrine which you learned, and avoid them.”  As we discussed recognizing these invididuals that would disrupt the unity within the church, one person pointed out that “you will know them by their fruits.” (Mt 7:16)  Indeed, as Christ continued in that same passage, “every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” (v. 17) But, there’s a difference in our Mt 21:19 text.  A distinction is made.  The problem with this tree is that it produces no fruit!

So, what do we do with such a tree?  I want to point out that the outcome is the same for this tree as the one that produces evil fruit because Jesus says, “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Mt 7:19) But, I also want to point out that the tree with no fruit is in worse shape than the one producing evil fruit!  Listen to the word of Christ to the Laodiceans in Rev 3:15-16:

“I know your works, that you are neither cold nor hot. I could wish you were cold or hot. So then, because you are lukewarm, and neither cold nor hot, I will vomit you out of My mouth.”

This fig tree represents an individual that is lukewarm!  The Lord says it would be better to be cold–producing evil fruit in open rebellion against God–than to be lukewarm.  This lukewarm person is a hypocrite because he’s got the outward evidence of being a good tree, but under closer inspection, we find he lacks in one crucial area.  As the blessed man is described as a tree in Ps 1:3, we find that his “leaf also shall not wither”.  The righteous are evergreens!  They don’t lose their leaves, but always have that evidence of life.  Well, what do we find concerning this fig tree as the Lord approaches it?  It’s covered in leaves!  The outward evidence points to life.  It has every indication of being a good tree.  It’s not a tree we would identify as producing poisonous or inedible fruit.  It is a tree that ought to produce good fruit and yet it has none at all!  That’s the crucial difference between him and the blessed man in Ps 1:3.  The good tree “brings forth its fruit in its season”.

You see, everyone born of the Spirit produces fruit!  Jesus said in Jn 15:16, “You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…”  Without a doubt, without an exception, every single one of the Lord’s children will bear fruit!  It is the evidence that sets them apart from mere professors of faith.  There are some that have superficially attached themselves to the vine, but they will never bear fruit.  The outcome is the same for them as it is for the fig tree: “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away…” But, I’ve got good news!  The fruit-producing branches will be made to bear more!  “…and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.” (Jn 15:2)

That verse makes an important point.  Fruit-bearing is the job of the Father as He prunes His vine.  We can’t make ourselves produce fruit.  Our job is to keep our hearts fixed on Christ.  Abide in Him, and fruit will abound to the praise of His glory!  “Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.” (Jn 15:4) And, guess what happens as the fruit comes forth?  Inside that fruit is that precious seed, that seed of the gospel.  As we bear that fruit of the Spirit in our lives, the gospel goes forth and other seeds are planted.  Others are born into the kingdom of God!  Don’t you want that, dear soul?  We don’t need some fresh, new evangelistic campaign to win souls to Christ!  We need to simply abide in Him, and, before you know it, good trees will be popping up all over the place!

Jamie

Now in the morning, as He returned to the city, He was hungry. And seeing a fig tree by the road, He came to it and found nothing on it but leaves, and said to it, “Let no fruit grow on you ever again.” Immediately the fig tree withered away.
Mat 21:18-19

If God has a need, it’s because He’s determined to have one for a specific purpose because He doesn’t need anything!  Ac 17:25says that God is not “worshiped with men’s hands, as though He needed anything, since He gives to all life, breath, and all things.”  He doesn’t need us.  We need Him!  But, God had a need this day.  He was hungry.  When God determines to have a need, that is an opportunity, a special privilege, for someone to fill that need.  Recognizing this fact will change the way we minister to others—when we stop thinking we’re really doing something for God and realize rather that God has blessed us by permitting us to work with Him in that which He could do all by Himself!  It is our privilege to fill the needs that God brings to us.

The Literal translation says our main text reads that the Lord came upon “one fig tree by the road”.  It was singled out for this visit.  The point is that if Christ comes to you with a need, He expects YOU to fill it.  Don’t go around looking for someone else to fill it.  If God brought it to you, it’s your job!  Don’t say, “It’s too hard for me” and start looking for recruits.  God knows your ability.  If you need assistance, God will see that you have.  Your job is not to recruit, especially by guilting others into taking on your burden.  It’s not their burden!  If you guilt someone else into it, they will be totally unprepared to assist in that need because God didn’t give them that burden!

Recruiting is not our job.  Jesus didn’t call Peter, James, and John and tell them, “I need nine more guys, so go get me some recruits!”  What did He say in Jn 6:70?  “Did I not choose you, the twelve, and one of you is a devil?”  If Jesus knows it’s a twelve-man job, He will choose twelve men, not you!  If He had given that task to only a few, would they have made sure they picked a devil in the process?  Absolutely not!  The point is that the Lord alone knew a devil named Judas was a necessary part of His plan.  Leave the recruiting to Him, and just focus on what He’s called you to do.  When Peter came to Jesus asking what the plan was for John, Jesus in essence said, “That’s none of your business!”  What was the simple instruction for Peter?  “You follow Me!” (Jn 21:22)

When the need of the people of God came to Esther’s attention, listen to what her uncle Mordecai told her in Es 4:14: “if you remain completely silent at this time, relief and deliverance will arise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish.”  God will accomplish His purposes one way or another, but we see the consequences for the fruitless fig tree in the day that the Lord approached with His need.  Will we be ready in the day the Lord approaches?  Don’t look around when the need comes.  Do what God requires!  This tree was cursed because it wasn’t ready to fill the Lord’s need in the hour He visited.  “Watch therefore, for you do not know what hour your Lord is coming.” (Mt 24:42)

Jamie