The Dangers Of Fruitlessness

Hebrews: 6:7-8: “For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned”. (NKJV)

A careful study of the Scriptures will reveal to us that God’s plan of redemption for mankind was designed to be propagated by the redeemed in a chain-like fashion—that is, one person sharing their experience of God’s love, forgiveness and mercy with others, with the sole aim of convincing them to also accept the Lord Jesus into their lives. See John 1:35-45.

John.1:40-42: “One of the two who heard John speak, and followed Him, was Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother.
He first found his own brother Simon, and said to him, “We have found the Messiah” (which is translated, the Christ).

With this strategy, every redeemed person is supposed to be kept preoccupied with the business of sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We can see how this was demonstrated in the scripture passage above: John the Baptizer pointed out Jesus Christ to his disciples as the long awaited Saviour of the sinner. Two of the disciples followed him immediately, with one of them eventually bringing his own brother along to meet Jesus Christ.
Today we are expected to toe that line of action in discipling more and more people, and teaching them about Jesus Christ.
Mark.16:15: “And He said to them, “Go into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature”. (NKJV)

Both the old and new Christian faithful are commanded to engage in preaching the gospel of salvation to the lost people of the world.
As it was with the boy-child Jesus, the newly converted Christian’s motto should be,
“…I must be about My Father’s business” (Luke 2:49).
On the other hand, as it was with the man Jesus, so also the mature Christian’s motto should be: “…My food is to do the will of Him who sent Me and to finish His work” (John 4:34).

Every Christian, irrespective of the depth of their spiritual experience, is duty bound to engage in a fruitful propagation of the gospel of salvation wherever they are: the new convert can begin with the story of how they came to know Jesus Christ, while the mature can go further sharing from the scriptures the message of God’s love and plan of salvation for the sinner.
To the demon-possessed man whom He had just set free from the bondage of satan, Jesus Christ had this to say:
“…Go home to your friends, and tell them what great things the Lord has done for you, and how He has had compassion on you” (Mark 5:19).

All persons redeemed by grace are obligated to spread this message of redemption to those yet unsaved, with the genuine hope and fervent prayer that they might also be saved. They’re to do this with the urgency and dedication that this commission demands.
John.20:2: “So Jesus said to them again, “Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you.” (NKJV)

Where our passion for sharing the gospel of salvation with others matches our zeal for the Lord our God, we become fruitful Christians and an asset to His Kingdom.
John.15:8 “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples”. (NKJV)

On the other hand, where our zeal for the Lord is not complemented by a corresponding passion for the salvation of the perishing souls around us, then our place in God’s plan for His Kingdom becomes shrouded in doubt. This is a dangerous position for a Christian to be in.
John.15:6: “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned”. (NKJV)

Below are some points we shall look into in this study:

1. The Causes And Effects Of Fruitlessness

“For the earth which drinks in the rain that often comes upon it, and bears herbs useful for those by whom it is cultivated, receives blessing from God; but if it bears thorns and briers, it is rejected and near to being cursed, whose end is to be burned” (Hebrews 6:7-8).

Fruitlessness does not occur in isolation. Rather, it is occasioned by a deliberate, nonchalant attitude (which usually begins with a seemingly innocent excuse) of not doing what we are convinced God would have us do at the moment.
Luke.14.18-20:“But they all with one accord began to make excuses. The first said to him, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must go and see it. I ask you to have me excused.’
And another said, “I have bought five yoke of oxen, and I am going to test them. I ask you to have me excused.’
Still another said, “I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ (NKJV)

When we drink in the rain of God’s mercies and are nourished by the riches of His love, it is only natural for us to want to lead others into this same experience because that is how we came into it. However, at whatever time we find out that we cannot do this cheerfully and without any prompting, then something is fundamentally wrong with our relationship with God. Jesus Christ once said in Matthew 12:30“He who is not with Me is against Me, and he who does not gather with Me scatters abroad.” (NKJV)

When nothing is done to arrest or address this deliberate attitude of not preaching the gospel to others, all our spiritual potential would eventually become dormant, and, in effect, we become spiritually fruitless.
A fruitless Christian is like a conduit pipe through which the grace and mercies of God are wastefully drained. This explains God’s severity on fruitlessness:
“And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Luke 3:9).

Read also the following Scriptures: John 15:1, 2, 5, 6; Revelation 3:1-3.

2. The Cure For Fruitlessness

“You did not choose Me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit, and that your fruit should remain…” (John 15:16).

Perhaps the antidote to fruitlessness is to have the knowledge and awareness that God has called appointed and equipped the Christian to bear fruit that will positively affect the lives of others around them. But even so that is dependent on whether that Christian truly loves God and their neighbours.
2Corinthians 5:14-15: “For the love of Christ compels us, because we judge thus: that if One died for all, then all died; and He died for all, that those who live should live no longer for themselves, but for Him who died for them and rose again”. (NKJV)

Loving God automatically translates into loving others and doing for them what Christ would have done were He to be in our position.

The cure for fruitlessness simply lies in our willingness to acknowledge our faults and shortcomings and to ask for God’s forgiveness. After this, we can re-ignite the fire of our lost passion for souls by endeavoring to see the lost through the eyes of Jesus Christ.
Matthew 9:36-38: “But when He saw the multitudes, He was moved with compassion for them, because they were weary and scattered, like sheep having no shepherd. Then He said to His disciples, “The harvest truly is plentiful, but the laborers are few. Therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest.” (NKJV)
Read the following: Matthew 9:35-38; Mark 6:31-34; John 4:31-36. The decision to be fruitfully engaged in sharing the love and mercy of God with others, or otherwise, rests squarely on us: we can decide today, and now, to be obedient to the Lord’s command to reach out to the lost with the gospel, or not. That’s not for heaven to decide because it is our call. Will we obey? The answer truly rests with each one of us.