The Expected Fruit

Recently my wife decided she wanted to plant some vegetables in a flower bed we have out back. She planted some jalapeno peppers, some okra, tomatoes, and squash. It will be a little while, but if we give these plants plenty of water, and keep the rabbits from eating them, eventually, they should produce the veggies that they are supposed to. It just makes sense. The okra plant doesn't find its value in simply being an okra plant. In order for it to be useful, it must produce something, otherwise it is just taking up space and resources that could be used for more useful purposes.

Luke 3:7-14

John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
" What should we do then?" the crowd asked.
John answered, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none and the one who has food should do the same."
Tax collectors also came to be baptized. "Teacher," they asked, "what should we do?"
"Don't collect any more than you are required to," he told them.
Then some soldiers asked him, "And what should we do?"
He replied, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely--be content with your pay."

The Jewish people had a nationalistic pride. They were proud of the fact that they were Jewish. They were God's chosen people, and they believed that their claim as a descendant of Abraham was enough to make them right with God. The problem was, however, that they were no better than the people living around them. Although they looked down on others for their actions, their lawlessness was just as sinful in the eyes of God, and no amount of being Abraham's descendant could make them right with Him.

Most of the people that will read this blog are Gentiles (Non-Jews). We cannot claim the lineage of Abraham, yet many of us are guilty of the same type of pride as the Jews. We claim that we are Christians, and we even participate in the ritualistic rites that are associated with following Christ. We attend church and LifeGroup; we read our Bibles (sometimes); we feel like we can pray to God and when things get tough sometimes we do. We often appeal to our Christianity in the same way that the Jews referred to their Jewishness-- It doesn't matter what I do, I'm a Christian!

John calls the Jews a "brood of vipers," and I fear that most of the time we aren't much better. Three different groups asked John what they needed to do. They were essentially asking what type of fruit they were supposed to be producing. Look at his responses:

1) To the crowd he says, "The man with two tunics should share with him who has none, and the one who has food should do the same."
2) To the tax collectors he says, "Don't collect any more than you are required to."
3) To the soldiers he says, "Don't extort money and don't accuse people falsely-- be content with your pay."

Not once does he tell them to join his Wednesday night Beth Moore Bible study. Not once does he tell them that they should spend more time in public worship. He doesn't even mention that they need to bolster up their private worship lives. None of that. Not that these things aren't important and very good things. They just aren't the type of fruit that gives testimony to the change that takes place in you at the time of conversion. The actions that show fruit in a Christians life all involve loving other people. Giving to those who are in need, treating others fairly, not cheating others. Loving one another the way that you would like to be loved.

Jesus reiterates this point when he states in John 13:34-35:
A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.

The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. What kind of fruit does your life bear?