For God is not unjust so as to overlook your work and the love that you have shown for his name in serving the saints, as you still do.
We have a lemon tree in our backyard. I have to admit that after we first moved into our home, while the fruit were ripening, they were green, and I thought that they were limes. Can you imagine how nice a key lime pie would taste made out of under-developed Meyer lemons? Yes, you are right… not good at all!
As mentioned in one step: Hebrews 6.2, the language of Hebrews 6 leaves room for a lot of interpretation. Here in verses 9-12, however, the author clearly encourages the church and the fruit that he sees in their lives.*
The fruit that we see in Hebrews 6 is work, love, and service to the people of God.* As Sigurd Grindheim shares, “The believers’ work is an expression of their love for God. In turn, this work and this love are manifested as service to God’s people.” Work, love, and service synergize into a beautiful symphony played in the life of a believer.
The fact that God sees the fruit of our lives does not imply that God intends our relationship with Him to be one of performance and fear of failure. As Ray Stedman states,
The only reliable sign of regeneration is a faith that does not fail and continues to the end of life. It may at times falter and grow dim as it faces various trials and pressures, but it cannot be wholly abandoned, for Jesus has promised, “I give them eternal life, and they shall never perish; no one can snatch them out of my hand” (Jn 10:28).
The fruit of a believer’s life does not earn God’s favor.* That is the work of Christ. Said another way, a failure to produce enough fruit does not lose God’s favor. The author of Hebrews simply provides the encouraging truth that God is aware of the fruit that we produce.* He sees you, your love, your work, and your service. We are not perfect, thus our fruit is sometimes, like a green Meyer lemon, in-process and under-developed. Our eternal security is not tied to our own efforts, but to the effort of Christ on the cross and out of the tomb.
The people around you may not see your good works, the fruit of your efforts to remain faithful to God and serve His people, but God does. At times, people misinterpret our hearts and what we are trying to do. We can feel misunderstood or overlooked. We can feel like the fruit that is developing in our lives through great work and sacrifice are misinterpreted as limes. Take a deep breath. God is just; He sees you and your lemons.
Today, take a step.
Maybe today the one step God wants you to take is to be patient with yourself as God is patient. Perhaps today God wants you to see the fruit in your life the way that He sees it. Maybe today God wants you to know that you are not invisible. Perhaps today God wants you to know that He sees the work, love, and service that you offer up to Him and His people. Maybe today God wants you to receive His acceptance. Perhaps today is the day to stop fearing the loss of your salvation and receive that your future is securely held in the hands of Christ.
Whatever the step, ask God to direct it. Take a moment to take that step. Invite Him to speak. He will.
Life is a long road. Walk it with Jesus.
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*Stedman, R. C. (1992). Hebrews (Heb 6:9–12). IVP Academic.
Grindheim, S. (2023). The Letter to the Hebrews (D. A. Carson, Ed.; pp. 322–324). William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company.
France, R. T. (2006). Hebrews. In T. Longman III & D. E. Garland (Eds.), The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Hebrews–Revelation (Revised Edition) (Vol. 13, p. 85). Zondervan.
Guthrie, G. (1998). Hebrews (p. 231–232). Zondervan Publishing House.