Every fruit tree the farmer grows in his garden is expected to bear fruit; for the most part, they deliver, bearing fruit in due season. On a few occasions, some fruit trees disappoint the farmer in their failure to bear fruit and prove to be good for nothing.
In a parable, Christians are metaphorically compared to the branches of the vine and a fig tree in a garden. As the natural farmer expects his fruit trees to bear fruit so are Christians expected to bear fruit. Even the earthly farmer observes all the cultural practices to ensure fruitfulness. God, the heavenly farmer, does better. He makes the necessary resources available to the Christian to ensure fruitfulness. The good fruit tree responds to the farmer’s good effort and bears fruit; the apple tree bears apples, the mango tree bears mango, etc. Christians also depend on the resources given by God to bear fruit such as love, loyalty, truthfulness, etc.
However, just as some fruit trees turn out to disappoint the hopes of the farmer with their unfruitfulness, it is possible for some Christian or saved people to be unfruitful or to stop bearing fruit. Jesus talked about this in his sermon on fruit-bearing:
1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. (John 15:1)
‘Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away’ This extract convinces us that it is possible and it happens that some Christians fail to bear fruit.
6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. 7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? 8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: 9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down. (Luke 13:6-9)
These sermons of Jesus say it all. We do not need a lot of explanation to know that it is possible for a Christian to be unfruitful and, some Christians, as I speak, are living in unfruitfulness. The orange farmer appears to be enjoying a lot of success than God; in that in an orange grove, almost all the orange trees are fruit-bearing and they make the farmer’s trade profitable. However, in Christianity, a chunk of those who profess to be Christians either fall under apostate Christians or unfruitful Christians. Jesus’ sermons suggest that only a few Christians are living right and bearing fruit and shall inherit the kingdom of heaven. Jesus said:
For many are called, but few are chosen (Matthew 22:14).
22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Matthew 7:21-23).
What happens to Christians or believers who do not bear fruit?
Naturally, a fruit tree that does not bear fruit proves to be good for nothing but firewood. The farmer will not tolerate the unfruitful tree for long. Sooner or later, when he loses his patience, he will cut it down to be used rather as fuel for the fire.
If the physical fruit tree faces the danger of being cut down and being fed to the fire then the spiritual unfruitful tree is equally doomed.
To understand what happens to unfruitful Christians, let’s look into the sermons of Jesus in John 15. According to John 15:1-2, Jesus is the vine, we Christians are the branches, and God the Father is the farmer. Any branch that does not bear fruit shall be removed from the vine; meaning any Christian that does not bear fruit shall be removed from Christ – that is apostasy.
In the Parable of the barren fig tree (Lu 13:6-9), Jesus likened the unfruitful Christian to an unfruitful fig tree and said that a certain man had a fig tree in his garden but for three years the tree was not bearing fruit; so he told the gardener to cut it down for it is using up space for nothing. Just as the unfruitful fig tree was in danger of being removed from the garden, so is the unfruitful Christian in danger of being removed from the kingdom of God – that is apostasy.
These sermons make us see clearly that the unfruitful Christian is in danger of being removed – from Christ or the kingdom of God. Practically, Christians who are not bearing fruit are not driven away from the church, nor are their names canceled from the church register, nor are they denied entry into the church building – nothing of that sort happens. So how are they removed from Christ or disaffiliated from the body of Christ? Their removal from Christ is more of a spiritual phenomenon.
You know what? Once upon a time, God told Adam that he would die if he disobeyed and ate the forbidden fruit. Adam disobeyed and ate the fruit alright but he did not die immediately; that is, physically he was alive, but spiritually, he was dead because he got separated from God. Initially, we were sinners, separated from Christ. But when we accepted the gospel, we were saved and made part of the body of Christ. Not bearing fruit calls for our removal from Christ and we will become separated as we used to be, but this is more of a spiritual affair. On this same subject of being removed from Christ, Jesus once said in his sermon,
“21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?” 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity. (Matthew 7:21-23).
Jesus did not refute it when those people claimed that they knew Him and that they had prophesied, cast out demons, etc. in His name; their claims were true. However, despite all that they have done in Jesus’ name, they were still denied eternal life because they worked iniquity and did not bear fruit.
Though the unfruitful Christian might still call himself a Christian, donate to the church, and attend church service, he has been removed from Christ; his name is removed from the Book of Life; in the mind and heart of God, he is not regarded as a Christian anymore; and he has lost his salvation and shall not make it to heaven.
Apart from the spiritual aspect, a lot happens in the life of those Christians who do not bear fruit. Sometimes, the unfruitful Christian would drift away completely into the world and disaffiliate himself from the church. Sometimes, the unfruitful Christian would disaffiliate himself from one church and join another church which is more convenient for him. Sometimes, the unfruitful Christian would abandon Christianity and join another religion that is convenient for him.
Conclusion
It is possible for believers or Christians to be unfruitful and there are so many of these unfruitful Christians or believers. We should also bear in mind that unfruitfulness comes at a cost – an unpleasant cost that will have eternal consequences.