WISDOM FOR LIVING DAILY DEVOTIONAL
MARCH 15, 2026
TOPIC: THE AXE OF GOD’S JUDGMENT
BY T. O. BANSO
“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” (Matthew 3:10 New International Version).
Trees and forests are sometimes used in the Bible as symbols of individuals, kingdoms, and nations on which God executed judgment (Ezekiel 31:3-18; Isaiah 10:18-19, 33-34). The trees and forests were cut down. In Matthew 3, John the Baptist spoke about the impending judgment of God because of unfruitfulness or failure to bear good fruit.
John the Baptist preached in the Judean wilderness. He asked the people to repent, for the kingdom of heaven was at hand. The people of Jerusalem, Judea, and the entire region around the Jordan went out to John, and he baptised them in the Jordan as they confessed their sins (Matthew 3:1-2, 5-6).
Many of the Pharisees and Sadducees also went to him for baptism. John called them “brood of vipers” and asked them who warned them to flee from the wrath to come. He told them to bear fruit worthy of repentance and not say that Abraham was their father. He said that God was able to raise children to Abraham from the stones (Matthew 3:7-9). Luke 3:7-8 also records this. Jesus also later made a similar reference to the scribes and Pharisees as “brood of vipers” and warned them, saying, “Serpents, brood of vipers! How can you escape the condemnation of hell?” (Matthew 23:33 New King James Version).
In Matthew 3:10, John further told the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to him for baptism, “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” (New International Version). John didn’t mince words by telling these Pharisees and Sadducees of the impending judgment. Luke 3:9 says the same thing.
John said the axe of God’s judgment was laid at the root of the trees. He didn’t say it would be laid. He meant that the axe was already laid. It was ready to cut down the trees. The trees referred to the Jewish nation, but prophetically, they also referred to all sinners. The only thing that would stop the axe from cutting down the tree was for the tree to bear good fruit. This is also true today. “And every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10b New International Version).
John called the people to true repentance – repentance that would produce good deeds, not repentance by words of mouth alone. God does not want a barren tree or a tree that produces bad fruit. He wants a tree that will produce good fruit. Are you a fruitful tree? Do you produce good fruit? God does not lay His axe of judgment in vain.
Your deeds or fruit will reveal who you are. Any tree that does not produce good fruit will be hewn down and cast into the fire. Jesus said, “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 7:16-19 New International Version).
Being a nominal Christian will not save anyone from the axe and the fire. Everyone must be a true Christian whose deeds show that he is living a new life in Christ Jesus. Jesus stated a similar thing about true and false prophets, saying every tree that does not bear good fruit shall be cut down and thrown into the fire. “By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them” (Matthew 7:16-20 New King James Version).
Behold, the axe is laid at the root of the trees, as John the Baptist said in Matthew 3:10 and Luke 3:9. After a certain man planted a fig tree in his garden and found no fruit on it for three years, he decided to cut it down so that it would not take up space. He decided to lay the axe at the root of the tree. But the keeper of the vineyard begged the man for one year for him to dig around it and fertilise it, after which he could cut it down if it didn’t produce fruit. The parable underlines God’s patience before the final judgment (Luke 13:6-9).
A fruitless tree is a useless tree, and it is only fit for nothing but being cut down and burnt. “If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned” (John 15:6 New King James Version). This is everlasting fire, hellfire (Matthew 18:8, 9; 5:22; 25:41; Mark 9:47). The worms never die, and the fire never goes out (Mark 9:44, 46, 48; Isaiah 66:24). It is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment (Hebrews 9:27).
How long has God been waiting for you to bear fruit? How many more years will you keep God waiting? Or how many more years do you think God will wait? Bear fruit worthy of repentance. Don’t be a Christian in name only.
TAKE ACTION!
If you are not born again, you must give your heart to Jesus now. Please take the following steps: *Admit that you are a sinner and you cannot save yourself, and repent of your sins. *Confess Jesus as your Lord and Saviour. *Renounce your past way of life – your relationship with the devil and his works. *Invite Jesus into your heart. *As a mark of seriousness to mature in the faith, start attending a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church. There, they will teach you how to grow in the Kingdom of God.
Kindly say this prayer now: O Lord God, I come unto You today. I know I am a sinner, and I cannot save myself. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God who died on the cross to save me, and God raised Him on the third day. I repent of my sins and confess Jesus as my Lord and Saviour. I invite Jesus into my heart. By this prayer, I know I am saved. Thank You, Jesus, for saving me and making me a child of God.
I believe you have said this prayer from your heart. Congratulations! You must join a Bible-believing, Bible-teaching, and Bible-practising church where they will teach you how to live your new life in Christ Jesus. I pray that you flourish like a palm tree and grow like a cedar of Lebanon. May you grow into Christ in all things and become all God wants you to be. I will be glad to hear from you. The Lord be with you.
PRAYER POINTS: Holy Spirit, help me to abide in Jesus. I shall be fruitful in Jesus’ name. I shall bear good fruit and not be like a tree that does not bear good fruit and is cut down and thrown into the fire in Jesus’ name. I pray for true repentance for those who have not given their hearts to Jesus and are not bearing fruit, and that they will become fruitful and not end in hellfire. They will surrender their lives to Jesus today and escape hellfire.
(For over 900 in-depth and powerful messages by T. O. Banso, visit www.cedarministry.org).
T. O. Banso is the President of Cedar Ministry International, Abuja, Nigeria.
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