Fruit

“Ground that … produces vegetation useful to those for whose sake it is also tilled, receives a blessing from God; but if it yields thorns and thistles, it is worthless and close to being cursed, and it ends up being burned.”—Hebrews 6:7–8 NASB

The Bible describes how some people decide to follow Jesus but do not fulfill God’s purposes for their lives or receive all the blessings promised by God. They may have heard some basic biblical teachings but do not press on to maturity.

They may be born again but fail to move on in their faith. Instead, they remain perpetually stuck and don’t press on to deeper things. Some of these people fall away with tragic results. These people may have heard foundational principles but failed to put these principles into action.

To help us understand this truth, Hebrews provides the example of “vegetation.” The Greek word here is the source of the English word botany and is used here for the only time in the Bible. As we might expect, this means a plant that is growing. The principle is that some plants grow and bring forth fruit; some do not. Some are healthy; some are not. Some even die.

This is a challenge that is continually placed before us. We decide if we will press on to maturity or fall away, move forward, or turn our backs on all the things the Holy Spirit has revealed to us.

Through our response, we decide the outcome—whether we receive God’s blessing and experience the fullness He designed for us or fall short. Our choices will determine to what extent our lives will bear fruit.

Reflection Question: What are you doing to facilitate your spiritual growth this week?