"The terrors of Law and of God"

[Laura]

The title is quoting "A Debtor to Mercy Alone" and the phrase ends, "...with me can have nothing to do." I heard a sermon tonight on Luke 13:6-9, the barren fig-tree. The application to the members of the congregation was that we must remember both the kindness and the severity of God, and that we do not know the "hidden boundary line" between His patience and His wrath. In other words, don't presume on God's grace, and bear fruit in keeping with repentance.

I understand how the fruit of the Spirit and assurance of faith are closely intertwined, but assurance wasn't ever mentioned. I see how pointing Christians to their duty from the Word is good and right and we need to be stirred up to love and good deeds. I do not see how threatening Christians into "bearing fruit" is. Maybe during the sermon I was thinking too much of a poem I once heard, and so am attributing too much of the poem's spirit to the sermon, but regardless, here is a stanza (it is by John Bunyan, drawn from the same parable, and every stanza ends the same way to emphasize the urgency of the command):

What, barren here! in this so good a soil?
The sight of this doth make God’s heart recoil
From giving thee his blessing; barren tree,
Bear fruit, or else thine end will cursed be!

If I am understanding the poem in the context of the parable, I can only see three options:
a) we are Pelagians who believe that it is our duty to bring forth the fruit of the Spirit, and if our efforts are not good enough, then we will be cast off by God;
b) we are aware that not all who profess faith are truly regenerate, and as their works before God are not borne of the Spirit and covered by Christ's blood, they will indeed be eternally cut off from God; or
c) we are Calvinists who believe that God does require that His people bear the fruit of a new heart; yet that fruit is ultimately wrought in them by God's own Spirit, and our status as His beloved people does not change regardless of our degree of sanctification or "fruit-bearing," in which case the application of this poem and the sermon I heard Confuses Me Greatly.

I thought there was a fundamental difference between the fear of God that a Christian has---a reverent yet childlike disposition to please Him---and the fear of God that an unbeliever has, which is more like hatred of God mixed with fear of judgment. In short, what place does fear of judgment have in a Christian's life? I thought we were supposed to take refuge in Christ, knowing that we have been saved unto His service, rather than anxiously eyeing the law, counting up our failures to bear fruit, and counting on something akin to threats to stir us up to obedience.

One last thing: is it possible that the parable of the barren fig tree is chiefly directed toward Jerusalem in Jesus' time, who would not repent and believe on account of His signs or His words? Then there would be no personal application to "bear fruit or be cut off," which would resolve my confusion. Any help on this front is much appreciated, and I hope I have not been too long-winded or confusing in the way I've written.

 

[MW]

Hebrews 6 applies the same principle to the Hebrew Christians in danger of turning back. "Turning back" would be an essential pastoral qualifier to these kinds of warnings. One should not issue them for the sake of making Christians more fruitful. If there is evidence of fruit in their lives then that should be used to encourage them to further growth. The apostle's "more and more" statements are applicable here.

 

[ChariotsofFire]

Bearing good fruit is an important part of the Christian life, and we need to bear good fruit not out of fear, but out of a love for God. However, if we find that we do not bear good fruit, then there is a reason to fear. You mentioned taking refuge in Christ and knowing that we have been saved. But how do we know we are in Christ? How can we take refuge in him if we are not new creatures in him? Was our conversion genuine? Where is the evidence of our repentance and faith in Christ?

We have to look at our lives and see if they reflect the new creatures we are to be in Christ. Yes we will still commit sin, but we need to look at the consistent pattern of our life. If we do not bear good fruit, and if we do not struggle with sin, and if we do not grow spiritually, then we should be fearful. We then should fear that our conversion was not genuine, and that it was only external. That is what the application of the poem is. Look to Christ, and then follow him. Bear good fruit, and struggle not to sin, because that is what the true Christian does in Christ by the power of his Spirit.

 

[Laura]

Hebrews 6 applies the same principle to the Hebrew Christians in danger of turning back. "Turning back" would be an essential pastoral qualifier to these kinds of warnings. One should not issue them for the sake of making Christians more fruitful. If there is evidence of fruit in their lives then that should be used to encourage them to further growth. The apostle's "more and more" statements are applicable here.

Yes, now that you mention it, I see that Paul's methods of encouraging the saints in his churches varied according to what he observed about them in particular. I just now thought of the oft-quoted passage on self-examination at the end of 2 Corinthians---"examine yourselves to see whether ye be in the faith, etc...." Would you say, Pastor, that this injunction is directly connected to the fact that some of the Corinthians were showing a worrisome lack of fruitfulness? In fact, in the preceding verses, Paul warns that he is coming to them a third time to deal with the charges regarding those who were continuing in sin. I never noticed that. As someone who is much more prone to morbid introspection and groundless but intense fears that I am an unconscious hypocrite than to presumption, I would be very happy to have such an understanding of the purpose and occasion for self-examination.

-----Added 11/8/2009 at 09:40:31 EST-----

Bearing good fruit is an important part of the Christian life, and we need to bear good fruit not out of fear, but out of a love for God. However, if we find that we do not bear good fruit, then there is a reason to fear. You mentioned taking refuge in Christ and knowing that we have been saved. But how do we know we are in Christ? How can we take refuge in him if we are not new creatures in him? Was our conversion genuine? Where is the evidence of our repentance and faith in Christ?

Yes, I understand this. It's just that it seems a common experience that further sanctification brings further awareness of sin, and I have a history of focusing altogether too much on my sin, almost to the exclusion of the good works God is doing through me, which always appear comparatively weak. So I guess that's when we rest in Christ and know that it is the mere presence, not so much the degree, of fruit-bearing that counts as "evidence." GI Williamson said something to that effect in his commentary on the Shorter Catechism, and it has stayed with me and helped me greatly with assurance.

 

[MW]

Yes, now that you mention it, I see that Paul's methods of encouraging the saints in his churches varied according to what he observed about them in particular. I just now thought of the oft-quoted passage on self-examination at the end of 2 Corinthians---"examine yourselves to see whether ye be in the faith, etc...." Would you say, Pastor, that this injunction is directly connected to the fact that some of the Corinthians were showing a worrisome lack of fruitfulness? In fact, in the preceding verses, Paul warns that he is coming to them a third time to deal with the charges regarding those who were continuing in sin. I never noticed that. As someone who is much more prone to morbid introspection and groundless but intense fears that I am an unconscious hypocrite than to presumption, I would be very happy to have such an understanding of the purpose and occasion for self-examination.

The Corinthians were looking on the apostle and his ministry as worthless in comparison to the super apostles. He required them to try themselves by the faith (objectively) and by Christ in them (subjectively) instead of trying him by standards other than these. Again, it presupposes a removal from the foundations of Christianity. Also, they would be reprobates if they could not examine themselves by these revealed standards. When earnest souls willingly examine themselves by these revealed standards it is a sign of non-reprobation.

It is likely your proneness to morbid introspection and fears of hypocrisy are actually an expression of serious minded Christianity earnest to walk worthy of the calling you have received in Christ. If you were presumptuously turning away from biblical Christianity, then the warning of Hebrews 6:1-8 would be the antidote. But from what I can see you are seeking to bring forth fruits which accompany salvation, so Hebrews 6:9-20 is more applicable in your case. Such souls need the strong consolation afforded in the unchanging promises of the unchangeable God made sure through the unchanging Priesthood of Christ.

 

[Laura]

Thank you very much for the time you took to explain that to me, and for what I can trust is discerning encouragement.