"And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." [Mt 3:10]
In Isaiah, one of the effects of Jesus’ salvation upon a soul is, “that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of The LORD, that He might be glorified.” [Isa 61:3] The Holy Spirit often compares the Christian to a tree; it is one of the analogies He uses to describe our growth and our relationship with God. For again, in Psalms it is written,
“The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of The LORD shall flourish in the courts of our God.” [Psa 92:12-13]
And in our verse for today, John the Baptist shows us by The Spirit how that God expects His trees to bear fruit. Those trees “which bringeth not forth good fruit [are] hewn down, and cast into the fire;” that is, they were never God’s trees to begin with, for “the trees of The LORD are satisfied; the cedars of Lebanon, which He hath planted.” [Psa 104:16] That is, The LORD’s trees are well-watered and green, even as we are told through Jeremiah, “blessed is the man that trusteth in The LORD, and whose hope The LORD is. For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters…[whose] leaf shall be green…neither shall cease from yielding fruit.” [Jer 17:7-8] Yes, and so those trees which are not producing fruit are treated by God as the bad fig tree in Jesus’ parable, of which the man says, “behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?” [Lk 13:7] For again, Jesus tells us in Matthew quite seriously,
“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” [Mt 7:16-20]
Jesus continues in the same line of thought, showing us that those who profess to be The LORD’s trees may not necessarily be His, as our Lord speaks, “not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.” [Mt 7:21] But who shall enter in? It is the one who produces fruit: who hears God’s words and obeys them, thus producing the fruit of the blessed seed which is The Word of God. And to this Jesus explains, continuing, “but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven;” [Mt 7:21] and again, “therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man…” [Mt 7:24] Let us clearly see the hard truth which God would have us learn: those who do not bear good fruit are not The Lord’s; they will not be accepted in the last day, for though we are saved by faith and God’s grace alone, the man who does not bear fruit bears witness to his lostness, for James writes, “faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone.” [Jam 2:17]
Surely, because of this fact of scripture, many have no doubt looked upon their lives with doubt. Perhaps they have looked at themselves and have not been able to discern much growth, and knowing God expects such, have thus become discouraged. But let us remember what Paul said, “yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself; yet am I not hereby justified: but He that judgeth me is The Lord.” [1 Cor 4:3-4] Though we have not seen what we expected or wanted to see, yet may the Christian yet take comfort: for “He that judgeth [him] is The Lord,” and thus not another, nor even himself. If we look upon ourselves and are discouraged at our growth, whether it is the rate or the production of fruit, let us who have trusted in Christ take comfort. Let us take comfort and encouragement in the tree, to which we are compared. For just as growth in a large tree is hard to discern over even a few years, so too the growth in a mature Christian is often hard to discern. Though others may see it well; though God surely knows it: yet, often the Christian cannot perceive that growth in himself, though it is there: for as the tree, we too grow slowly. But even though the growth is slow, it is growing still. And even though the Christian’s growth may be slow, or hard to notice, yet it is there.
Therefore, let the true Christian who has placed his faith in Jesus take heart. In those times of darkness, in those times of doubt; in those times where growth seems so slow, and one’s mind may begin to wonder if perhaps he was never The Lord’s to begin with, yes, at that time, let the true Christian take heart, knowing that as the tree’s growth is hard to discern, so too is the Christian man who has been planted of The LORD.