Cherries on a Dead Stick

 •  2 min. read  •  grade level: 7
 
A religious man, who had for many years been a prominent member of the Church of his fathers, was awakened to see himself a lost sinner, stripped of all his religion, and brought to Christ. His manifest conversion and bold confession of Christ astonished the good folks of the parish, who had been accustomed to look upon this gentleman before, as the very ideal of a Christian. No one was more astonished than the minister, who heard the news of his friend's conversion from his own lips, when they met on the road a day or two after.
"Do you mean to say that all the good works you have done go for nothing?" asked the minister.
The newly-converted man smiled, and holding up his walking-stick, said, "I could no more do good works before I was converted, than that dead stick could bear cherries. There must be life before there can be fruit.”
The minister said nothing: possibly he felt he had nothing to say.
"There must be life before there can be fruit.”
A dead stick can bear no cherries; a lifeless professor of religion can bear no fruit to God. Think of this, reader—until you have been born again of the Spirit of God, until you have become a possessor of life from the Son of God, you can bear no fruit. You can do nothing pleasing to God. Your religion, no matter what form it may assume, is of no value in heaven. Your very best efforts are utterly worthless in God's sight, until you come as a lost sinner, and accept of Christ as your Savior.
This is quite contrary to the thoughts of men, I know, but the Word of the Everlasting God must be our guide in such matters. Listen to what it says, "A corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit." Matt. 7:1717Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. (Matthew 7:17). There must be new life, before there can be good fruit. You must be born of God, and converted to Him, before you can do "good works.”
"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. But to him that worketh not, but believeth on Him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness." Rom. 4:4,54Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt. 5But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness. (Romans 4:4‑5).
We work after we are saved, but not for salvation.
THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST, HIS SON, CLEANSETH US FROM ALL SIN."
"IN WHOM WE HAVE REDEMPTION THROUGH HIS BLOOD, THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS."
"NEITHER IS THERE SALVATION IN ANY OTHER: FOR THERE IS NONE OTHER NAME UNDER HEAVEN GIVEN AMONG MEN, WHEREBY WE MUST BE SAVED."