Reformed Doctrine Daily Devotions

 ⁷  “And he said to the vineyard-keeper, ‘Behold, for three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree without finding any.  Cut it down!  Why does it even use up the ground?’

 ⁸  “And he answered and said to him, ‘Let it alone, sir, for this year too, until I dig around it and put in fertilizer;

 ⁹  and if it bears fruit next year, fine;  but if not, cut it down.’ ”  Luke 13:6-9.

Whether today’s Scripture applies to the set of collective group of people or to the set of individuals, there are other Scriptures that more clearly and expressly show this warning applies to both sets.  

Regarding the set of collective group of people, there is Matthew 21:43 .  “Therefore I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people, producing the fruit of it.”  “When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard His parables, they understood that He was speaking about them.”  Matthew 21:45. 

Regarding the set of individuals there is John 15:2 . “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit, He takes away;  and every branch that bears fruit, He prunes it so that it may bear more fruit.” 

So, let us study how to bear fruit.

John 15:8
“My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and so prove to be My disciples.

John 15:16
“You did not choose Me but I chose you, and appointed you that you would go and bear fruit, and that your fruit would remain, so that whatever you ask of the Father in My name He may give to you.”

Romans 7:4
“Therefore, my brethren, you also were made to die to the Law through the body of Christ, so that you might be joined to another, to Him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit for God.”

Colossians 1:3-12.                                                                                                                            “We give thanks to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, praying always for you, since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and the love which you have for all the saints;  because of the hope laid up for you in heaven, of which you previously heard in the word of truth, the gospel which has come to you, just as in all the world also it is constantly bearing fruit and increasing, even as it has been doing in you also since the day you heard of it and understood the grace of God in truth;  just as you learned it from Epaphras, our beloved fellow bond-servant, who is a faithful servant of Christ on our behalf, and he also informed us of your love in the Spirit.