Day 163
We are going to continue to look at bearing fruit; today's verse provides a warning. Warnings are good even though we may not like to hear them. When you warn a small child not to do something, it is done to protect them. The same is true with God; when He warns us about something we need to pay close attention because it is in our best interest to do so. Jesus says in Matthew 7:19: "Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire." The word "hewn" means to be cut down and it is in the indicative mood. This means that it is a statement of fact. This is not a maybe or might happen, this is fact.
Adam Clarke explains this warning as follows: "What a terrible sentence is this against Christless pastors, and Christless hearers! Every tree that produceth not good fruit, is to be now cut down; the act of excision is now taking place: the curse of the Lord is even now on the head and the heart of every false teacher, and impenitent hearer." The People's New Testament Commentary says: "The test of good and bad trees, good and bad men, good and bad systems, has been presented. Now the figure is carried farther to show their destiny. The Savior states a principle that seems to run through the whole government of God. Whatever is useless and evil shall finally be swept away." Both these commentaries express the same idea: we are to live the Gospel in our everyday life and in so doing our lives will produce fruit. We know that the Word of God will not return void (Isaiah 55:11) so as we live the Word of God we have an assurance that we will not be swept away and our lives will not be useless.
Today is a good day to make sure we are living the Word of God. We do that by making sure that we are walking in obedience to all we know about the Word. We are to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. As we do that, we will produce fruit. We are to be a praying people and a people that worship God by our lips and our actions. Be faithful in these things and you will produce good fruit no matter what the circumstances look like.
Adam Clarke explains this warning as follows: "What a terrible sentence is this against Christless pastors, and Christless hearers! Every tree that produceth not good fruit, is to be now cut down; the act of excision is now taking place: the curse of the Lord is even now on the head and the heart of every false teacher, and impenitent hearer." The People's New Testament Commentary says: "The test of good and bad trees, good and bad men, good and bad systems, has been presented. Now the figure is carried farther to show their destiny. The Savior states a principle that seems to run through the whole government of God. Whatever is useless and evil shall finally be swept away." Both these commentaries express the same idea: we are to live the Gospel in our everyday life and in so doing our lives will produce fruit. We know that the Word of God will not return void (Isaiah 55:11) so as we live the Word of God we have an assurance that we will not be swept away and our lives will not be useless.
Today is a good day to make sure we are living the Word of God. We do that by making sure that we are walking in obedience to all we know about the Word. We are to love God with all our heart and our neighbor as ourselves. As we do that, we will produce fruit. We are to be a praying people and a people that worship God by our lips and our actions. Be faithful in these things and you will produce good fruit no matter what the circumstances look like.
