Withering on the Vine
Grace and peace, Saints.
A young lady wrote me about three months ago and told me that the fruit of the Spirit had been lacking in her life. She said that her fruit is “like the leaves on that fig tree,” which I gathered was a reference to the fig tree that Jesus commanded to dry up because it failed to yield fruit. She ended the message with “Help me Lord.”
My heart wept for this dear soul, because it has got to be a very painful experience to want to do the will of the Lord, but be unable to do so. There are many so-called Christians who are not doing the Lord’s will and feel no pangs of conscience about it whatsoever. But for someone who really wants to please the Lord, but can’t, I imagine this can be almost traumatic. Happily, this lady’s problem is neither strange nor hopeless, and its cause is easy to pinpoint. It is a one-syllable word: sin. Lack of the fruit of the Spirit is due to sin in our lives. And when sin enters our lives, the lines of communication between God and us are broken, because the Holy Spirit is no longer directing our steps. Scripture says:
“If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Psalm 66:18).
God is holy. When we are sinning against Him, the Spirit withdraws from us and we can no longer feel His presence. That is why many of us who are backslidden and fallen out of a right relationship with God find ourselves unable to pray effectively and read our Bibles. The Holy Spirit has distanced himself from us. To discover how we can reclaim our fruit, let us first examine the fruits of the Spirit, which are found in Galatians 5:
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [m]eekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22-23).
Now, I doubt that the young lady is lacking every type of the fruit of the Spirit. It was no doubt very difficult for her to admit that she is having difficulty in her Christian walk. To admit this to oneself requires honesty, and to admit it to me required humility, which entails a degree of meekness: a fruit of the Spirit. So though she may feel she is devoid of any fruit, she is not totally destitute. Judging, however, from the tone of the message, I would venture to guess that chief among the fruit she is missing is joy. When we are guilty of sin, joy is among the first things to go, followed closely by peace. King David knew this all too well. As we know, David committed both adultery and murder over the wife of one of his generals. In so doing, he fell out of step with God, and in the depths of his despair, he experienced a considerable deficit of joy:
“Make me to hear joy and gladness” “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalm 51:8, 12).
Twice David petitions God to make him feel joy again. As I said, when sin comes in, joy is often the first thing to go out. David’s sin stole away his joy, because he knew that he had sinned against a holy God. Loss of joy is one of the worse things that can happen to a Christian. Joy is what enables us to endure the manifold temptations that Satan hurls our way. Joy is what enables us to smile and even sing when we are going through an ordeal. Joy is both the inward and outward token of our victory in Christ Jesus. When Satan steals our joy, he steals our victory.
Reclaiming our joy as well as any other fruit of the Spirit can only come after reestablishing a right relationship with Jesus. This is a three-step process involving revelation, realization, and repentance.
Revelation
The process starts with the revelation that it is because of our sin that we find ourselves out of step with the Lord. David’s revelation came when the prophet Nathan told David a story designed to get him to see the sinfulness of his deed (2 Samuel 12:1-4). As we know, David commits adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers, whom he later has killed. God sends Nathan to David to tell him a story, which involves a rich man who took all that his poor servant had—his little lamb—which he kills and prepares for a houseguest. Enflamed at this callous act, David responds that the man should die for his deed. At this, Nathan says to David, “Thou art the man,” implicating David for having killed Uriah and stolen his wife, Bathsheba. With this damning accusation came the revelation that David had sinned horribly.
This shows the bewitching nature and incredible power of sin. David was a man after God’s own heart, and he always endeavored to do that which would please God. David knew that adultery and murder were wrong; he did not have to be told. But in the depths of his sin, David lost his discernment: that is, he lost his moral compass. Loss of discernment is the first thing that happens when we are living in sin. We must only look to King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, for evidence of this.
When Nathan told David that he was the man, it snapped him back into reality, and he instantly understood the gravity of his sin. The revelation of sin involves not only the knowledge of sin, but of God’s punishment for sin. Nathan tells David:
“Because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die” (2 Samuel 12:14).
This is the most sobering part of the revelation: God will punish sin.
It is this knowledge that scares us straight. “It is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” Incidentally, when Nathan said that King David had given God’s enemies “great occasion to blaspheme,” he was implying that, even though David did the deed undercover, his enemies knew exactly what he had done, because they had been watching him.
We should take great heed of this, for there is nothing new under the sun. If King David’s enemies were watching him, then our enemies are watching us. Count on it. Therefore, if you have backslid, then your enemies already know about it, and are probably celebrating at this very moment. We are in a war, Saints.
King Josiah’s revelation came when Hilkiah, the high priest, found the book of the law in the temple of God and brought it to King Josiah. The Bible tells it thus:
“And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shapan the scribe, I have found the book of the law in the house of the Lord. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shapan, and he read it.
“And Shapan the scribe shewed the king, saying, Hilkiah the priest hath delivered me a book. And Shapan read it before the king. “And it came to pass, when the king heard the words of the book of the law, that he rent his clothes.”
The revelation of Judah’s sinfulness came when King Josiah heard the words of God, which the priest read from the book of the Law. The Law deals with sin and God’s punishment for sin.
The Bible says that King Josiah of Judah was a good king, “who did that which was right in the sight of the Lord” (2 Kings 22:2). Most of the kings of Judah and of Israel committed gross abominations against God, chief among which were idolatry and human sacrifice. Not so with Josiah. The revelation that Judah was transgressing against the Lord grieved this righteous king, evidenced by the fact that he rent, or tore, his clothes. Tearing one’s clothes was a sign that one was ashamed, offended, or distraught. Josiah was all three.
Realization
With the revelation of sin comes the realization that we have sinned. What makes sin so sinful is to know that we are sinning against a sinless God. It is when we see our sin through God’s eyes that we see just how grievous it is. Scripture says:
“But sin, that it might appear sin, working death in me by that which is good; that sin by the commandment might become exceeding sinful” (Romans 7:13).
When Josiah heard the words of the law he understood how serious was Judah’s transgression against God. Though he always knew it was wrong, it was when Josiah heard the commandment of God that he really understood how bad it was.
It is important, at this point, to note that both David’s and Josiah’s revelations came through an intermediary. David’s intermediary was Nathan the prophet, while King Josiah’s intermediary was Hilkiah, the high priest. Both were men of God. This motif can be seen throughout the Bible. God often uses godly men to deliver His message, because it helps us to see our sinfulness when God’s words come from the mouth of a righteous man.
Once we realize how sinful we have been, we should acknowledge our sinfulness. We may have a revelation of sin, but once we come to the realization that we have sinned, we must acknowledge our sinfulness, or there can be no healing. The process of reconciliation truly begins when we acknowledge our sinfulness. When David realized the gravity of his actions, he said:
“I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).
Note that David did not merely think these words, but said these words aloud. This was a confession. Confession of sin is vital to the process of reconciliation. Josiah’s confession is inherent in his command to Hilkia and the other priests:
“Go ye, inquire of the Lord for me, and for the people, and for all Judah, concerning the words of this book that is found: for great is the wrath of the Lord that is kindled against us, because our fathers have not hearkened unto the words of this book” (2 Kings 22:13).
Josiah openly confessed the sins of the people, because they had transgressed the words of the law. Confession of sin is the most important part of the process of reconciliation, for without it, there can be no forgiveness:
“If we confess our sins, [then] He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins” (1 John 1:9).
This is a conditional if/then statement, where the performance of the latter is contingent upon the performance of the former. To be forgiven then, we have to confess our sins.
Repentance
Repentance for the backslidden sinner always involves confession of sin and supplication. Psalm 51, for example, which we looked at earlier, is a psalm of repentance, and illustrates David’s anguish at having sinned against his God. Notice how he again acknowledges his sin and confesses his guilt:
“For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me: (v. 3).
It is important to note that while confessing his sins, David emphasizes God’s holiness and His right to punish our sin:
“Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (v. 4).
In doing this, David acknowledges that he is a sinner who has transgressed against a sinless God. God only is holy, and, therefore, is the only person who can rightly judge sin. His judgments are righteous.
Supplication is the act of pleading with God to do something. With regard to repentance, it is asking God to forgive our transgression and to take away His fierce wrath. Listen to what David says:
“Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. “Hide thy face from my sins and blot out all mine iniquities. “Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.”
Did you see that? Purge. Wash. Hide. Blot out. Create. Renew. Cast not. Take not. These are all action words. David is asking God to move. This is a textbook example of supplication following repentance. And not only did David repent, but he also fasted and slept on the floor for a week (2 Samuel 12:16). Supplication often involves fasting, which is going without food for a time in order to afflict oneself as a token of humility. Supplicants would also put earth on their heads and wear sackcloth, a very simple piece of clothing, to humble themselves before God and acknowledge that they were mere dust before His holiness.
When we truly repent, God will forgive us. When we realize that we have sinned against God and determine in our hearts to seek His face and His righteousness, He will restore us to a right relationship with Him. God’s words to Josiah illustrate this beautifully:
“Because thine heart was tender, and thou hast humbled thyself…and hast rent thy clothes, and wept before me; I also have heard thee” (2 Kings 22:19).
Once God understood that Josiah was truly sorry for the sins of Judah and saw that he humbled himself and tore his clothes, God heard his inward prayer and forgave Josiah. As a matter of fact, only Josiah and his progeny were spared God’s judgment. When we truly repent of our sin and determine in our heart to seek God’s face and His forgiveness, God restores our relationship with Him.
One of the best examples of the process of reconciliation can be found in the ninth chapter of the book of Daniel. Daniel, the prophet of God, has come to God in prayer to intercede on the behalf of Israel:
Revelation
“In the first year of his reign I Daniel understood by books the number of the years, whereof the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the prophet, that he would accomplish seventy years in the desolations of Jerusalem” (v. 2).
Realization
“And I set my face unto the Lord God, to seek by prayer and supplications, with fasting, and sackcloth and ashes” (v. 3).
The realization of Israel’s sin is implied in the act of Daniel setting his face unto the Lord. He knew the prophecy concerning God’s punishment of Israel because of their sin, and it troubled him. Notice that Daniel sought the Lord “by prayer and supplications.” Again, supplication is pleading for the Lord to do something, which, in the case of sin, is to turn away His wrath and forgive the sin. Notice also that Daniel is fasting with sackcloth and ashes. In fasting, Daniel is afflicting himself, and by wearing sackcloth and ashes, he is humbling himself. Notice that Daniel’s realization led to a confession:
“And I prayed unto the Lord my God, and made my confession, and said…[w]e have sinned, and have committed iniquity, and have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments” (v. 5).
During his confession, Daniel, like David, acknowledges God’s righteousness:
“Therefore hath the Lord watched upon the evil, and brought it upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous in all His works which he doeth: for we obeyed not His voice” (v. 14).
Repentance
“Oh Lord, according to all thy righteousness, I beseech thee, let thine anger and thy fury be turned away from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy mountain: because for our sins, and for the iniquities of our fathers, Jerusalem and thy people are become a reproach to all that are about us” (v. 16).
Notice that Daniel continually acknowledges Israel’s sin before God. When God reveals to us what is sinful in His eyes, and we realize that we have sinned against Him, acknowledging our sinfulness with repentance, God immediately restores our relationship with Him. This immediate forgiveness can be seen in the case of King David. Notice that immediately following David’s confession, Nathan tells him:
“The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die” (2 Kings 22:13b).
God knew that David would repent of his sin, just like He knew that David was going to sin in the first place. God knows everything.
Forgiveness and restoration are waiting on us. We have only to go to God in all humility and ask His forgiveness, and He will forgive us. Once we confess our sins, truly repent, and seek a renewed relationship with Jesus, He will restore our joy. So let the fact that you are on your knees pouring your heart out to God serve as your receipt of victory.
One final thing: once God forgives us and restores us to a right relationship with Him, we need to do something. We must take action. It is not enough to merely ask God for forgiveness. We must be willing to show Him our gratitude and that we mean business when we say we want to be right with Him.
As an illustration, we return to the example of King Josiah. Josiah was one of the few good kings of Judah, who “turned to the Lord with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his might” (2 Kings 22:25). After he realized how far Israel had transgressed against God Almighty, he resolved to reform Israel and turn them from idolatry back to the worship of the One True God. King Josiah broke down the idols, tore down the houses of the sodomites, cut down the groves, slew the idolatrous priests, and destroyed the place where the Jews practiced human sacrifice. He took action.
True repentance begins in the heart, but it doesn’t end there. True repentance results in some kind of action. Josiah’s repentance began when he rent his clothes and ended with him completely putting down all idolatry in Judah.
So is it when we backslide. Our repentance must also lead to action. When we realize that we have turned our backs on our God, we must take some visible action as a token of our will to again subject our will to His. Whatever the offense that put distance between God and us, we must take steps to get back into a right relationship with Him. We cannot undo the sin, but like Josiah, we can remove any vestiges of the sin from our lives. And we can show God and the world that we mean business.
So, if your fruit is withered and dried up–if you have backslid–don’t despair. There is hope. Get back into a right relationship with the Captain of our Salvation and the Shepherd and Bishop of our souls. You have just been given the revelation that your withered fruit is the result of sin. Now that you realize this, acknowledge it, confess it, and repent of it. And get back right with Jesus.
“If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land” (2 Chronicles 7:14).
Often, the loss of the fruit of the Spirit can be the result of generational sin. To see is this applies to you, read our article on Generational Curses. Whether personal sin or generational sin, loss of joy is the result of sin.
Repent and confess, and get back your joy. The audio version of this teaching is available at the iTunes Store. Subscribe to our podcast today. For your convenience, it is also available below.
Podcast: Play in new window | Download
Be encouraged and look up, for your redemption draweth nigh.
The Still Man