Lesson Six: A Tree and Its Fruit
Devotion #6: Should Christians Ever Judge?
Joanna Montgomery
Do you know people in your life who are genuine and kind? I hope each of us has those types of people in our lives. They have the ability to lift us up and bring us hope even in difficult times. I have known genuine, trustworthy people in my life, and they have proven over time to be exactly the person they seem to be. Sadly, in our Christian walk, there are people who appear to be loving and caring; however, with close scrutiny, we find out they are not trustworthy or God-fearing at all but are living for their own glory.
We are warned about this in Matthew 7:15-20, “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.”
An important way for us to discern when someone is not what they appear to be is to judge the fruit in their lives. Look at the lives of those who claim faith in Christ. We should evaluate whether or not who they say they are and the way they actually live their life mirror each other. This passage asks, “Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?” If a person claims to be a Christian, will they lie, cheat, and pursue evil choices? We are sinners, and we all sin; however, do we choose to continue in that sin and excuse it over and over? Do we instead sorrow over sin in our lives and repent? If there is no sorrow, it could be grapes growing on a thistle. We need to test our own spiritual walk.
We will recognize them by their fruits. A healthy tree (a Christian) cannot bear bad fruit (will not enjoy sin but will be disappointed in themself). A diseased tree (one who does not want Christ as their Savior) cannot bear good fruit (truly living their life to glorify Christ). It may take time, but every person will eventually be recognized by their fruit.
Watch Christians whom you admire and discern if their fruits match their claims or if they are a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Additionally, we must look inward and make sure we do not appear to others as a wolf in sheep’s clothing. While God will make the judgment for our eternal destination, we are told to closely watch the lives of those who claim to be Christians and pray for discernment. If we follow Christ and lean on the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we will find our lives are focused in the right direction and not struggling on a path full of problems because we followed a wolf. Ultimately, we are all sheep; we need to know the voice of Christ, our gentle Shepherd, in order to live a joyous life. We must know Him, and then we will produce the fruit that others should see from our lives.