“Then he said to it, ‘May no one ever eat fruit from you again.’ And his disciples heard it“ — Mark 11:14

The Christian life is burdened by the believer, not by God. Religion imposes laws to follow before experiencing God’s delights, whereas God seeks a relationship, not religion. If your identity as a child of God has been granted to you, why do you assume that everything else must be earned? If for the most difficult part (becoming a child of God), He did it freely out of love, at the cost of His Son, why would He become more demanding for the details of your journey? The same love that saved you is the one that will lift you from your falls and keep you from them. Do not try to bypass the work of salvation by relying on your own performance.

The Fig Tree and the Believer

“Philip found Nathanael and told him, ‘We have found the one Moses wrote about in the Law, and about whom the prophets also wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.’ ‘Nazareth! Can anything good come from there?’ Nathanael asked. ‘Come and see,’ said Philip. When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, ‘Here truly is an Israelite in whom there is no deceit.’ ‘How do you know me?’ Nathanael asked. Jesus answered, ‘I saw you while you were still under the fig tree before Philip called you.’ Then Nathanael declared, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel.’ Jesus said, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.’ He then added, ‘Very truly I tell you, you will see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.’“ John 1:45-51

Nathanael, a righteous man sitting under the fig tree, struggled to believe in the goodness that emanated from Christ. This is the reality of many Christians who live under the law; they doubt the Lord’s goodness because the law fills them with the notion of merit, which excludes God’s grace. This is evident in our attitudes, such as a Christian who exhausts themselves in their work, thinking: “If I don’t do this, God will be angry with me and will no longer love or bless me.”

The law makes you lose sight of God’s infinitely varied goodness toward you. Nathanael, despite all his righteousness based on his own efforts, did not see the true glory of God. It was only when he left the fig tree that he met the bearer of that glory—Jesus of Nazareth-and gained this honorable privilege: to see the angels ascending and descending. This expression symbolizes a constant interaction between heaven and earth, between the divine and humanity. Isn’t it a great privilege to live in this partnership?

Christ sees you under the fig tree, but that is not where He wants to meet you. He sends His messenger of grace toward you, just as He sent Philip, to lead you out of the curse of the law and plant you in the kingdom of light and life that His grace provides.

Our churches are filled with believers who acknowledge that Christ is indeed the truth, yet they think He alone is not enough-they believe they must add the law. But no! Either you leave the fig tree to see God’s glory in Christ, or you stay under it and miss that glory. You cannot be in both places at the same time. It is either the law or grace, never both. Like Nathanael, you cannot witness the revealed righteousness of God while still under the fig tree.

“But now, apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify“. Romans 3:21

Have you read this verse? “But now”—this truth is relevant today. It is about now, today. It did not end with the death of the Lord Jesus; rather, His death activated it to continue for every generation following the cross. “Apart from the law, the righteousness of God has been made known.“ This means that righteousness is granted without fig leaves, without your own efforts. Nathanael received it when he believed in Christ’s words:

“Jesus answered, ‘You believe because I told you I saw you under the fig tree. You will see greater things than that.‘” — John 1:50

Access God’s glory by faith, as Nathanael did. Leave behind your fig tree of self-righteousness and walk humbly in faith toward the One who justifies…

This text is an excerpt from the book “EDEN IS IN YOU” written by Osée Ilunga.

We invite you to read the following article: “EDEN IS YOUR GOD-DESIRED HABITAT“.

SELF-JUSTIFICATION. SELF-JUSTIFICATION. SELF-JUSTIFICATION.

SELF-JUSTIFICATION. TO SELF-JUSTIFICATION.