Christ is the true vine and the Heavenly Father is the vinedresser. Heavenly Father takes away people from Christ who don’t bear fruits and thrown into fire. Christ does not have branches for you and bear fruits for you. You are the branches and it is your work to bear fruits by being in Him. If you don’t bear fruit, you will be taken away and thrown in fire.

Luke 13:6-9 He also spoke this parable: “A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard, and he came seeking fruit on it and found none. Then he said to the keeper of his vineyard, ‘Look, for three years I have come seeking fruit on this fig tree and find none. Cut it down; why does it use up the ground? But he answered and said to him, ‘Sir, let it alone this year also, until I dig around it and fertilize it. And if it bears fruit, well. But if not, after that you can cut it down.’ ”

A certain man mentioned in the parable is the Heavenly Father who planted the fig tree in his vineyard and the gardener is Christ. Heavenly Father waited for 3 long years and found no fruit in this fig tree which was planted by the Him and decides to cut it down. Then, Christ pleads with the Heavenly Father to give one more year who dig around it and fertilize it. The pleading of Christ for you and me was acceptable before the Heavenly Father but only for 1 more year. If you still don’t bear any fruit within the gracious time granted to you by the Heavenly Father through Christ, you will be cut down.

Rev 3:1-6 “And to the angel of the church in Sardis write, ‘These things says He who has the seven Spirits of God and the seven stars: “I know your works, that you have a name that you are alive, but you are dead. Be watchful, and strengthen the things which remain, that are ready to die, for I have not found your works perfect before God. Remember therefore how you have received and heard; hold fast and repent. Therefore if you will not watch, I will come upon you as a thief, and you will not know what hour I will come upon you. You have a few names even in Sardis who have not defiled their garments; and they shall walk with Me in white, for they are worthy. He who overcomes shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot out his name from the Book of Life; but I will confess his name before My Father and before His angels. He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.” ’

Christ when addressing to His church of Sardis through the angel of that church, He found that their works were not perfect before God. But some had not defiled their garments and shall walk with Him in white and only those will have their names not blot out from the book of life. Hence, Christ mentions the necessity of overcoming and not defiling our garments as an on-going requirement for our names to not be blot out from the book of Life.

Mark 11:13-14,20 And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it. … Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots.

While the event seem to explain how faith in God can even move mountains, what is generally missed out is why Christ cursed the fig tree when  it is well mentioned that it is not the season for the fig trees to have fruits. Some run to God and be holy only when they need God. These are like the fig tree who bear fruits seasonally. However, Christ expects fruits in us all the time. Those who don’t bear fruits will be cursed by Christ.

Conclusion

How about you? You are saved by grace through Faith in Christ but have no works? no good fruits? no holiness? no righteousness? Thinking you don’t have to do anything to inherit kingdom of Heaven and all is completed by Christ in the cross? Do not be deceived. You must bear good fruits or do good works (like practicing holiness and righteousness etc) to maintain your name in the Book of Life.