A God of Second Chances!

Luke 13:7-9"Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard,Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree,and find none: cut it down;why cumbereth it the ground.And he answering said unto him,Lord,let it alone this year also,till I shall dig about it, and dung it:And if it bear fruit, well:and if not,then after that thou shalt cut it down."

Here we have Jesus telling a parable about a fruitless fig tree. A vineyard owner planted a fig tree, which he left in the care of his gardener. three years later, the owner returned to see if the tree had produced any fruit.It hadn't. In spite of the care and attention of the gardner, the tree was fruitless.In this parable the fig tree represents Gods people.

God wants his peoples lives to be a reflection of his character,and proclaim His love for a lost world. He wants us to live a life that will lead a lost soul to believe on Jesus Christ and Him crucified that they might be saved.God has nurtured and protected us that he could accomplish this purpose.He has given us the best that he had that we might once again bear His Image and His likeness.God wants his careful attention to us to produce spiritual fruit, and fruit that will last.He wants us to be careful not to slip into a fruitless life,giving the appearence of holiness but lacks the quality of true righteousness that God cares about.Simply turning away from our sins is not enough, we need to replace our sinful ways with something better,something more pleasing to God.Just believeing in Jesus is not enough,the devil believes and trimbles,our belief must be an attitude of action.Even though the fig tree deserves to be cut down, the gardener didn't want the tree cut down. Like Jesus did for us , he spoke up against destroying the tree. Jesus continious care is so that we might bear fruit.Through this parable we should learn an important lesson about repentance. Though we might deserve judgment, we have time to repent of our sins and live in a way that honors God.Our past sins may have resulted in a fruitless life , but God is willing to give all who will a second chance.

God expects those who want a right relationship with him to live in a way that honors him. It's not enough just to belive in God or to turn away from sin. We must live a life of belief and obedience that will bear fruit.