Again, I say,
“Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever. Be not carried about with divers and strange doctrines. For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”
The Epistle To The Hebrews Chapter 13:8–10
But I speak of the sincerity of our heart, that we might abound in all things, providing the things of God unto the world, and laying the glory with all lowliness of mind, unto the Lord, according to the pattern of Christ Jesus, the brightness of the glory of God the Father.
Jesus, walking with his disciples, approached a fig tree with leaves on it, but without fruit, for it was not the time of its season to bear figs, and seeing it had no fruit, he straightway spoke unto it that it would from henceforth be dry. Soon after, perhaps within a day, the disciples happened to notice that the tree was dried up from its roots and good for nothing.
The Lord, Christ Jesus, knowing all things, by whom all things were created, surely would understand that it was not the season for the tree to bear fruit, yet the Word Of God is parabolic in its understanding, and the ‘parable of the fig tree’ was/ is meant for our understanding as a teaching of God. For the Lord has oft said that we are all as trees, some bearing good fruit, and some bearing corrupt fruit; those upon whom the Lord has showed mercy, being as trees planted by the rivers of water, bearing good fruit, according to the degree of their zeal unto the first commandment; that as David has written, his songs are songs of degrees, and as Jesus has put forth, we are as fruitful trees, some bearing ten fold, some bearing sixty fold, and some bearing hundred fold. Therefore, not all of the house of God are as Moses and Elijah, some vessels having more honor than others. Is it not thenceforth that though we, of the sons and daughters of God, through Christ Jesus our Lord, produce and provide according to our holy diligence in adhering to the pattern so provided by the Lord, that we abound in all things unto the Lord, and not unto ourselves?
“For it is a good thing that the heart be established with grace; not with meats, which have not profited them that have been occupied therein.
We have an altar, whereof they have no right to eat which serve the tabernacle.”
Hebrews Chapter 13:8b-10
The Word of God, the Holy Bible, is open unto all to look therein, and to feed from it with all richness, that in the searching and wearing of it as a garment, we might find grace in the eyes of God, whom cannot be mocked, nor fooled, for he is the source of Wisdom and Understanding, being able to discern the hearts and minds, for the Holy Spirit and the Word is a double-edged sword, sharp and can only be rightly handled by those who find and maintain themselves in the grace of our Lord, according to the pattern of Christ Jesus. For those who would look into the Word, having not prepared their hearts in all holy meekness, but seeking to grasp and steal the ‘meat’ of the book of the perfect law of liberty, wearing such ornaments as a skin of righteousness, find not grace with God, but ultimately condemn themselves, allowing themselves no mercy, openly showing the intent of the hearts to God, that they seek gain and advantage out of vanity through the ‘wearing’ of the holy intelligence, that they might beguile others with craft, bringing forth their devices that they may wrought greater position amongst the people. These approach the edifice, the tabernacle, as it were, that they might be seen, but disdain to worship at the altar, lest their hearts and minds openly condemn them in their insincerity.
Thus forth, they have no right, nor can they approach to bask and find life though the Light of the knowledge of God, that they might grow into goodly trees bearing much fruit, seeing they have gone the way of Satan, who forsook the glory of God, and went forth, I say, went forth away from the brightness of the Lord and into spiritual darkness by way of vanity, corrupting himself through the falsity of gain & advantage: “wherefore they have no right to eat which serve the edifice of the tabernacle and not the Lord himself.
As trees, being about the business of preparing our hearts, in and out of season, that we may at all times be ready to bear fruit unto the Lord, and so, the fig tree, or as the teaching of the parable of the fig tree presents, we are trees that must be about the producing of the things of God, that we might find grace in the sight of our Lord Christ Jesus; that fruit being the provision and mercies of the Lord unto all through us, his vessels of mercy, according to our diligence, our holy zeal unto his Word and the Holy Spirit of His Word; that Truth & Righteousness that is from above, even joy, peace, love, gentleness, temperance, meekness, and long-suffering. Yet with all richness providing also for the awareness of the knowledge and the wearing of the ornaments of God through sincere hearts, even the righteousness of God, through the holy ‘clearing of ourselves,’ having purged away the dross of the corruption of vanity, of gain & advantage, of scarcity, of malice, of strife, of being implacable, of being brawlers, backbiters, despisers, murmurers, complainers, discontent, and haters of life in and through God, who has declared by the works and eternal life of his Sun, Jesus our Lord, that he is the truth, and that the pattern that he has set for us through his example, is the way, that in such man of God, and according to Him, we find we are co-heirs of the garments, and righteousness in the manner of Christ Jesus, (I say, in the face of Christ Jesus) who being glorious and majestic, presented himself lowly and meek to the Lord, that he might bring together all hearts and minds, even all unto himself, through the open showcasing of his power: the conquering of life and death; that we may continue to believe, and abound in that faith in the promises of God, exercising then our confidence as a thanksgiving, having perceived God in ourselves, and readily being liberally fruitful in all holy things, without exhaustion, but abounding with strength, even in the power of the Spirit, for the eternal gift that has been set in us.
How shall we proceed, if not then with thanksgiving? Our good works, being spotless, even as gold and silver without dross because of our diligence of obedience, finding our lightheartedness zealous unto the holy uprightness of God, because we abound with the love and joy of God, us, ourselves, producing, nay, flourishing as fruitful trees in all seasons, finding then that the Lord himself has graciously waited upon us, even waiting upon the doors out our hearts and minds, that we open those doors of our hearts, that he may enter into the throne that his Father, the Lord Almighty, has set within us for his Sun, the Light, that we, might bear that light and easy yoke of steadfastness unto God, through that pattern of living that he has provided for us.
Abounding through the reading and the doing, that our spirit may bear witness with the Holy Spirit of God, that we are his sons and daughters with all genuineness of heart and soundness of Christ-mind, proving our faith unto ourselves, and finally seeing God, who wholeheartedly gives us reassurance that we can then have increasing confidence in him, and unto that, producing and providing the light of God liberally unto all, that we are then, not only trees of righteousness and vessels of mercy, but fountains of living water upon the earth. Not that, I say again, not that we might gain preeminence amongst ourselves, seeking the false advantage of having the greater commendation amongst ourselves because of ‘good works,’ for in such ways God finds spots and blemishes in our works; in our fruit, and our feasts become desolate, devoid of solemnity, seeing that we have cut the Lord out from receiving the glory, and placed ourselves, as Satan tries, placing and beguiling ourselves as it were in the seat of God.
Hence, it is most precious that we see unto the pattern, through the reading and the faith of doing, of the Lord Jesus Christ, even all his Word; that we might fully approach God at all times, in and out of season, in and out of fashion, with all humility, understanding that we are always before his throne, and our works, be they good or evil, according to the degree of our meek diligence to that holy pattern of the Christ mind, being discerned by the Lord, who then will bless us with godly peace, love, joy, gladness of heart, the strength of longsuffering that we endure all things with all gentleness of spirit, and temperance in all worldly living, that we may continue to abound in all things, even the wisdom and understanding of giving the glory unto God.
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