The Fig Plant

This year we made a vegetable garden. We got tomato, eggplant, pepper and herb plants. I made a raised  bed and we planted and fertilized and watered. The plants are doing great. In fact they are very fruitful indeed. We also bought a fig plant. We couldn’t figure out where to plant it. So we didn’t. We just placed it next to the raised bed. It gets the same sun as the vegetables and the same watering. It isn’t doing anything. It looks fine, but it isn’t growing and there seems no chance we will get any figs this year.

The Christians I know are like that. I don’t know all of my Christian friends’ theology on eternal security. I do notice this. Some of them are well planted, watered and sunned. They are very secure in who they are and who they are in Christ. They are very fruitful. Others I know are not planted. They tend to roam about without any roots. They get water and sun but they aren’t very secure. They are not fruitful at all.

Is it possible that first comes justification, then assurance, then sanctification with the fruit that goes along with that? I know we should know them by their fruit, but to be fruitful do we need a certain amount of assurance and security. It seems to be that the insecure tend to be very self focused and selfish. All of their energy and concern is focused on themselves. The secure folk aren’t worried about their place. They seem concerned about others. They seem able to focus on their purpose and their mission and not on themselves.

I know Jesus cursed a fig tree that didn’t produce. But I think if next year we plant our little fig plant in its own special place. If we give it a feeling of permanence and security. We may get figs after all.

I don’t know. I’m no botanist and no theologian. I’m just saying.