Jesus Said To Abide in Him For "He That Is Not With Me, Is Against Me ..." - Part 1944

Jesus said, "Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt, for the tree is known by his fruits ..." (Matthew 12:33)

Jesus said, "Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles? Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit, but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore, by their fruits shall ye know them." (Matthew 7:16-20)

Jesus said, "For a good tree brings not both corrupt fruit: neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For ever tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth that which is good: and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth that which is evil; for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks. " (Luke 6:43-45)

Jesus said, "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. Every branch in Me that bears not fruit He takes away: and every branch that bears fruit, He purges it, that it may bring forth more fruit. Now ye are clean through the Word which I have spoken unto you. Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in Me.  I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abides in Me, and I in him, the same brings forth much fruit: for without Me ye can do nothing." (John 15:1-5)

Throughout the New Testament scriptures, Jesus uses agricultural and farming practises to make comparisons between what the world is doing, and what we as "spiritually renewed" believers should be striving toward. [As an aside, I recognize too that many of Jesus' parables are lost on the youth of today, because with the decline of the family farm, there are less and less opportunities for young people to become aware of farming practises and how they can be related to how we live.]

Nevertheless, there is a good example in Matthew 21, that provides insight into how the Lord does a completely new thing in this current dispensation of grace, pointing as well to how our believing in the Lord Jesus by faith should bring forth fruit that includes a personal relationship with Him, wherein His desires become our heart motive (and not the other way around). Let those with ears to hear, hear.

Herein, Jesus has gone out of the city into Bethany to lodge and is now found returning to the city. Jesus becomes hungry, and thus, when He saw a fig tree in the way, He came to it, and found nothing thereon but leaves only. So, Jesus says, "Let no fruit grow on thee henceforward forever." And presently the fig tree withered away. When the disciples of Jesus saw this, they marvelled, saying, "How soon is the fig tree withered away?" (Matthew 21:18-22)

In Mark's account of this same example, Jesus saw the fig tree from afar having leaves, and haply came to find anything thereon which He could eat. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for the time of figs was not [yet]. And Jesus answered and said unto it, "No man eat fruit of thee hereafter forever." And the disciples heard. As they passed by the tree the next morning, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. And Peter asks Jesus, "Master, behold the fig tree which Thou cursed is withered away."

And Jesus answering, said unto His disciples, "Have faith in God. For verily I say unto you that whosoever shall say unto this mountain -- Be thou removed and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in His heart, but shall believe that those things which He saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive, and ye shall have." (Mark 11:12-14, 20, 24)

There is so much to be learned from these scriptural passages so it should not come as a surprise that these have also been taught from many different perspectives. My intent today is to focus on our own personal faith journey -- that our faith should be unwavering that can only emerge from a communal relationship with our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ. Note that Jesus said "when ye pray!" That requires more than feeding off the tree, but actually participating in the conversation, which is what we are witnessing here.

In this example, Jesus is hungry, and thus, comes to the fig tree looking for something to eat. And He fully expects that there will be fruit on that tree, if for no other reason that the fig tree would have also saw the Master coming, while He was still off in the distance. But as we know, the tree did not have anything to offer and thus was cast away. In a similar fashion, but from a spiritual perspective, our faith should be so grounded that we have spiritual fruit/meat to offer back to the Lord -- whether it be in the form of questions, for example, or reasoning with the Lord about a scripture or teaching, or as simple as standing in the gap for a loved one.

The point is our walk does not only consist of enjoying His many blessings -- His goodness, mercy, love and peace -- but that we have something of value to offer back to Him as well. Our hearts? Our minds? Our souls? Our very essence? Thus, having a continuing conversation with the Lord wherein we pray without ceasing, and rejoice evermore.

You see, when the Lord Jesus approached the fig tree, He saw the leaves and thought He could eat from the tree as well. But the fig tree didn't produce anything to eat, so even though it flourished in appearance, the fruit was not there. There were no deep roots to draw from. Now, as we know from Mark's account, the time for figs was not yet so there is more to learn here, but I am trying not to digress.

Jesus answered and said unto them, "Verily, I say unto you - if ye have faith and doubt not, ye shall not only do this [which is done] to the fig tree but also, if ye shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed and be done thou cast into the sea, it shall be done. And ask all things, whatsoever ye shall ask in prayer, believing, ye shall receive." (Matthew 21:18-22; Matthew 17:20; I Corinthians 13:2; Matthew 7:7-11)

This same message is found in James, wherein we are instructed that if we lack wisdom, we are to ask of God, that gives to all men liberally, and upbraids not, and it shall be given him. But the key is to ask the Lord for wisdom in faith, with nothing wavering. "For he that wavers is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." (James 1:5-7)

The conversation has to go both ways. The psalmist often cried unto the Lord and with his voice did he make supplication, and similarly, he poured out his complaints before the Lord, and he did so whether his spirit was overwhelmed within him or not. David knew in whom he served, and from whence came his salvation, and at that time, the promise of the Lord's Christ was only off in the horizon. How much more should we who are privileged to live in this dispensation of grace, wherein the promises of the Lord are true, converse with the Lord every moment of every day.

Indeed, as believers, we should desire to reach this point in our faith journey, wherein every step is in communion with our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ.

It is in this context that believers in Jesus by faith can count it all joy when we fall into diverse temptations, knowing this, that the trying of our faith works patience ... but we are also to let patience have [her] perfect work, that we may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. (James 1:2-4) Remember, the Lord knows our innermost desires of our heart before we ask, and He will provide, but the relationship that He is asking for is two-fold. And this is the point I am making.

Jesus saw the fig tree, that it had leaves, and flourished but the tree, having seen the Master afar off in the distance offered nothing back to its Creator. This is the "neither hot nor cold" that too many of us are in today. We seek the blessings of the Lord but then fail to pursue a personal relationship with Him in our day to day, wherein we can enjoy His joyous and filling meat together.

As the scripture reveals, Jesus went to that particular fig tree because He was physically hungry and wanted meat to eat. He has this same desire in the spiritual, to come unto those who believe and to sup with us. This is why Jesus invites us to "abide in Me and I in you." (John 15:4) Therefore, when we invite Jesus into our heart as both Lord and Christ, it is so that He can abide in us and we in Him. A two-way relationship wherein we can walk and talk with Him, and He with us. His desire then to commune with us -- and our desire also to commune with our Lord God and Saviour, wherein His desires become our own.

How does this happen? When we begin to seek our Lord God and Saviour Jesus the Christ with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and willingly as a consequence, flow through from our heart His blessings unto those who are without, we begin to grow spiritually. We begin to rely more on the Lord and less on ourselves. And just like we witnessed when Paul and Barnabas had ventured together into the synagogue of the Jews in Iconium, and told the Jews, " ... nevertheless, He left not Himself without witness in that He did good, and gave us rain from heaven, and fruitful seasons filling our hearts with food and gladness," we are to remain faithful too so that He can fill our heart and souls with His food and gladness. (Acts 14:17; Romans 1:19-20; Deuteronomy 11:14; Psalm 145:16)

"Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath showed it unto them, for the invisible things of Him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, [even] His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse .." (Romans 1:19-20)

The apostles here are pointing to the many blessings the Lord God Almighty (His Name JESUS in this current dispensation of grace) bestows on those who are both good and evil, and yet, how many times do we who believe stop to thank Him, or praise Him for His wondrous works on our behalf. It is here that we should be desiring to enter into His pavilion, because the Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon His Name, to all that call upon Him in truth ... and as we can now attest, He will fulfill the desires of them that fear Him. (Psalm 145:18-19)

Praise ye the Lord, Praise ye the Lord, O my soul. He that heals the broken in heart and binds up their wounds desires to have that conversation with you this day. Today is the day to sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving, and praise upon the harp unto our God, who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes the grass to grow upon the mountains. Yes, indeed, the Lord takes pleasure in them that fear Him, in those that hope in His mercy. (Psalm 147:1-11)

And this is the point the fig tree missed -- that all Thy works shall praise Thee, O Lord! Let's not be found wanting when the Lord Jesus wanders by, but rather, be every day in our hearts blessing Thee, and praising Thy Name forever and ever. "For great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and His greatness unsearchable." (Psalm 145:1-3)

And as Jesus so clearly said, "... he that received seed into the good ground is he that hears the Word, and understands [it]; which also bears fruit, and brings forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty." (Matthew 13:23)

"The wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy." (James 3:17)

Stand in the offering plate.