Just as the Lord Jesus Christ cursed the fruitless fig tree in our lesson yesterday, we see a similar scenario playing out in Luke 13:6-9. These two examples are indicative of heaven’s standpoint of zero tolerance for fruitlessness. This principle is laid bare by the Master Himself in John 15:2, where He says:
“Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.”
Heaven values fruitfulness and would rather preserve and purge a fruitful tree to make it bring forth more fruits. On the other hand, every unfruitful tree stands the risk of being uprooted and done away with.

In continuation of the subject matter studied yesterday, we must never lose sight of the lesson learnt not to lead a fake life. Acts 5:1-5 tells of a man in the early Church who attracted capital punishment to himself by living a pretentious life. One thing we learn from the story of Ananias and Sapphira is that the lie they told was unnecessary. This fact is buttressed by Peter’s question to Ananias in Acts 5:4, saying:
“Whiles it remained, was it not thine own? And after it was sold, was it not in thine own power? Why hast thou conceived this thing in thine heart? Thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God.”
In other words, “Ananias, why should you lie to the Holy Spirit who knows everything? The land belonged to you. If you gave 50% and chose to keep the remaining 50% for your personal use, nobody would query you for doing so.” The problem with Ananias and Sapphira was that they wanted to be recognised to have a virtue they did not actually possess. Prior to their unfortunate act, Joses Barnabas has sold his land, bought the total proceeds and had been commended by the apostles. He was even given a nickname: “The Son of Consolation”. Ananias and Sapphira wanted to receive the same level of commendation but they could not do what Barnabas did, and so they lied to earn it. Romans 12:3 says:
“For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly that he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to everyman the measure of faith.”
You must therefore learn from the fig tree and from Ananias and Sapphira that living a fake life can only earn you a bad reputation, shame and untimely death. This will not be your portion in Jesus’ Name.
Written by Pastor E.A. Adeboye.