dangerous to be unfruitful

. . . it is a most dangerous thing to be unfruitful under great religious privileges.

The manner in which our Lord conveys this lesson to us is deeply impressive. He shows us the owner of the barren fig tree complaining that it bore no fruit. “For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.” [Luke 13:7] He describes him as even ordering the destruction of the tree as a useless hindrance to the ground. “Cut it down! Why does it even use up the ground?” He brings in the keeper of the vineyard pleading for the fig tree that it may be spared a little longer. “Let it alone, sir, for this year too.” [v. 8] And He concludes the parable by putting these solemn words into the vineyard-keeper’s mouth: “If it bears fruit next year, fine; but if not, cut it down.” [v. 9]

There is a plain warning here to all professing churches of Christ. If their ministers do not teach sound doctrine, and their members do not live holy lives, then they are in imminent peril of destruction. God is every year observing them and taking account of all their ways. They may abound in ceremonial religion. They may be covered with the leaves of forms, and services, and ordinances. But if they are destitute of the fruits of the Spirit, then they are reckoned to be useless hindrances to the ground. Unless they repent, they will be cut down.

It was so with the Jewish church forty years after our Lord’s ascension. It will be so yet with many others, it may be feared, before the end comes. The ax is lying near the root of many an unfruitful church. The sentence will yet go forth, “Cut it down!”

There is a plainer warning still in the passage for all unconverted professing Christians. There are many in every congregation who hear the gospel who are literally hanging over the brink of the bottomless pit! They have lived for years in the best part of God’s vineyard and yet have borne no fruit. They have heard the gospel preached faithfully for hundreds of Sundays and yet have never embraced it and taken up the cross and followed Christ. They do not perhaps run into open sin, but they do nothing for God’s glory. There is nothing positive about their religion. Of each of these the Lord of the vineyard might say with truth, “I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any. Cut it down!”

There are myriads of respectable professing Christians in this plight. They have not the least idea how near they are to destruction. Never let us forget that to be content with sitting in the congregation and hearing sermons, while we bear no fruit in our lives is conduct which is most offensive to God. It provokes Him to cut us off suddenly, and that without remedy!

—J.C. Ryle, ‘Expository Thoughts on Luke’