Just as a fruit tree is expected to bear fruit, God's people should produce a crop of good deeds. God has no use for people who call themselves Christians, but do nothing. God wants us to be productive. In James 2:26, God states, "26 As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead". What does this mean? True faith always results in deeds, but the deeds do not justify us. We're not justified by what we do in any way. We are justified by faith in Christ Jesus. However, if we do nothing productive for God and we stay idle, then faith is dead. Like many people in John's day who were God's people in name only, were of no value. If we are Christians in name only and other's can't see our faith in the way we treat them, what does that say about us?

In Matthew 3:7-10, the Pharisees and Sadducees confront John the Baptist as he is baptizing people in the Jordan River to confess their sins. The passage reads (Matthew 3:7-10):

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? 8 Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. 10 The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. 

God's message hasn't changed since the Old Testament - people will be judged for their unproductive lives. God calls us to be active in our obedience. John compared people who claim they believe God, but don't live for God to unproductive trees that will be cut down. To be productive for God, we must obey his teachings, resist temptation, actively serve, help others and share our faith. Are you being productive for God?