Sobering thoughts-

Oh, how dreadful the thought--to go to Hell through the church of God!

(James Smith, "The Alarming Sentence!")

"A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it--but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard: For three years now, I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree--and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil!" Luke 13:6-7

Let us look at Christ's figure a little:
A fig-tree--or a professor of the religion of Christ.
A fruitless fig-tree--or a barren, useless professor.
A fig-tree with leaves of profession--but not the fruit of holiness.

No place is as dangerous for an unconverted person--as the church of God! It is to be feared that many join the church before they are truly converted; and yet very, very few are ever converted after.

Once under a profession--God expects you to live up to that profession.
If you are planted in His vineyard--God expects you to bring forth fruit.

The owner of the vineyard comes and seeks fruit; He comes again, and again; and if He find none, He passes this solemn sentence, "Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil!"

Concerning every fruitless professor God says, "Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil! It drains the ground of its nourishment, for no good purpose. Labor is but lost upon it; expectation is disappointed by it; therefore, Cut it down! My patience and forbearance are worn out; I have come three years seeking fruit--and find none; so, Cut it down!"

It is a fearful sentence! God gives the command to some disease--He says, "Go, cut that barren professor down!" He sends death, like the woodsman with his sharpened axe--at length he strikes the fatal blow; and then the fruitless professor falls!

This command of God is fearful--it is full of terror--it includes utter destruction!

This command is irresistible--we cannot evade it--we cannot brave it out--the boldest heart fails--the strongest body yields to God's "Cut it down!"

This command is final! There is all that is dreadful wrapped up in it--even a certain, fearful expectation of God's judgment, and the raging fire that will consume His enemies!

The fruitless professor is to be cut down and committed to the eternal flames of Hell!
Here is wrath--fearful wrath!
Here is justice--inflexible justice!
Here is vengeance--the vengeance of an infinite God!

O fruitless professor. . .
Consider!
Fear!
Tremble!
Repent!

God looks for fruit from every professor. He will certainly punish--if there is no fruit.

Fruitless professor--where will you be soon? The axe lies at your root, even now! The executioner is only awaiting the command!

Divine mercy will soon urge her last plea; the year of reprieve will soon expire--and then, "Cut it down!" is all that remains! Oh, how dreadful the thought--to go to Hell through the church of God! To profess that you are traveling to Heaven--when in reality you are going with the lost multitude to eternal perdition!

C/O Gracegems

Daily Readings from the Life of Christ

Many will say to Me on that day, “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?” And then I will declare to them, “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.” -Matthew 7:22–23

On first reading, these are some of the most startling, convicting words Jesus ever uttered. The key issue for Him is obedience to His Word and will. He later declared, “If you continue in My word, then you are truly disciples of Mine” (John 8:31; cf. Rom. 6:16; Col. 1:22–23; Heb. 5:9).

All the empty words and professions of respect for Christ and the shallow works of supposed dedication now come to condemn all disobedient claimers to the Lord. When Jesus tells them, “I never knew you,” it does not mean He didn’t know their identities, but in essence, “I didn’t know you as My disciples, and you didn’t really know Me as Lord and Savior. You chose your kingdom, but it wasn’t My kingdom.”

A life that professes to be a Christian but in no way actually reflects His holiness does not possess true salvation. Such a profession comes from a dead faith that results in no good works (James 2:17).

It’s not that faithful disciples will not stumble and sin sometimes; otherwise Jesus would not have taught about forgiveness of debts (Matt. 6:12) and confession of sins (cf. 1 John 1:9). Believers cannot expect perfection in this life, but they should expect to be heading in that direction.

Those who persist in lawlessness show that they are not Christians. No matter how orthodox and outwardly fervent, religious activity that doesn’t stem from repentance of sin and manifest a desire for obedience to Christ is still rebellion against God’s law.

*Compliments of Pastor John MacArthur and gty.org*