A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
A good inner nature can only produce good outward conduct, and a corrupt inner nature can only produce corrupt conduct, so a person's actions reveal the condition of the heart and character within. Spoken in the Sermon on the Mount, it is the rule for detecting false prophets who appear harmless but are inwardly destructive, since people do not gather good produce from worthless plants. Outward profession, church connection, hearing the word, or even striking religious works do not prove a true follower; only doing the will of the Father and living obedience to His commandments does, and every fruitless tree faces destruction by fire. Such good fruit cannot grow apart from a living union with Christ, for only a heart made new by repentance, faith and surrender and daily filled by His Spirit bears fruit to God's glory. That fruit is seen in words, actions, conduct and influence — in love, purity, meekness, honesty, self-denying care for the needy and soul-winning labor — while selfishness, dishonesty, strife, harsh speech, pride and worldliness prove the tree corrupt.
Words and Immediate Setting
The saying belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, spoken especially to the disciples yet within hearing of the multitude. There Christ disappointed hopes of worldly greatness by teaching something infinitely better than men had known, undoing false education and giving a right conception of His kingdom and of His own character. It sets a condition of entrance into the kingdom of God while leaving hearers to draw their own conclusions as to its nature. It states a foundation principle of that kingdom no less important now than for the multitude on the hillside.
Its immediate place is the warning to beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves. They are tested by the rule that men do not gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles, for by their fruits they shall be known. Nature decides fruit and cannot act against itself, so a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit and a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. This is one of the orders that is safe to follow by placing the feet in His footsteps and not listening to personal ideas, plans, or suggestions of the mind. The test is one all may apply if they will, so none need remain in uncertainty and doubt, since there is always sufficient evidence on which to base an intelligent faith.
God will never remove from any man all occasion for doubt, so those who love to dwell in doubt and questioning unbelief may have that privilege, while he who turns from the weight of evidence because a few things cannot be made plain to finite understanding will be left to the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and skepticism and will make shipwreck of faith. The test guards against minds submitted to control that leads farther from light into error and darkness, entangling souls by confusing those who do not walk in the light Providence permits to shine on their pathway, gaining the least advantage and pushing it to the utmost and watching every opportunity to ruin souls. Inward character determines outward life, so words and works testify on which side a person stands, with those who obey the word and respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit as good trees bringing forth only good fruit. A good tree is a heart made pure by repentance and faith with an inward work of cleansing in true conversion, which can only produce good fruit, while a corrupt tree is selfish and self-seeking, speaking fair words while watching for gain, working against God and misusing His goods, which can only produce evil fruit.
Claiming to be righteous without manifesting the fruit of true conversion is utterly worthless, for outward works and external forms, even those commanded by God, are of no value without inward cleansing and never make a person perfect before God. Profession cannot hide the life, and divided living that professes to serve the Lord while scheming to carry out selfish plans that retard the work Christ died to accomplish proves corruption and leads to deception in the confusion near the close of earth's history unless there is repentance and conversion. It stands connected with the strait gate and narrow way that leads to life. Doing the will of the Father rather than only saying Lord, Lord, or prophesying, casting out devils, and doing wonderful works in His name is what enters the kingdom of heaven, and workers of iniquity will hear, I never knew you, depart from Me.
Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Hearing Christ's sayings and doing them is like a wise man building on the rock, so that when rain, floods, and winds beat on the house it stands and falls not. Outward appearance, profession of truth, or claims of religious works cannot establish that someone is good, for false prophets may look like sheep but their fruits expose them. Human beings cannot read hearts or reliably separate the righteous from the wicked, but fruit reveals character and God's angels will gather the wheat without mistake. Those who teach the truth yet are not themselves doers of the Word and doers of the will of the Father prove their profession false by a disobedient life, greatly dishonor God, and turn others out of the way.
Only he that does the will of the Father in heaven shall enter the kingdom of heaven. The seventh chapter of Matthew, including this saying, must be studied most critically again and again, every word as for life, for individual enlightenment and obedience. It is not to be used to prove supposed faults discerned in other church members, for the chapter points out very serious defects in those whose thoughts are absorbed with the faults of others, and unless there are decided conversions many who think they are lights will prove to be stumbling blocks. Heeded together with James 2, James 4:5-12, and James 5:13-20, it calls for the first work to be done in the heart so hearers of the word become doers, know the work given them to do, and reach lost souls.
Matthew 7:16-20 gives the divine standard for the fruit to be borne on the Christian tree. It must be prayerfully consulted to learn what Christ said and to discern what is right for Christians to do about gatherings for pleasure or sport. A superficial professed Christian who has never had the divine touch on heart or mind cannot bear good fruit, but joins such entertainments and draws youth into the ring by attraction, example, and fear of seeming singular. These entertainments are a banquet prepared to keep souls from accepting the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb and from receiving the white robe of character which is the righteousness of Christ, leaving them confused and under an influence that keeps them from becoming Bible Christians.
In the Sermon on the Mount Christ in every way opposed the theories and practice of the scribes and Pharisees and virtually contradicted their self-righteous doctrines. They had so long presented human ideas and endless maxims and traditions of men for the commandments of God without Thus saith the Lord, and had so misrepresented God as a stern judge incapable of compassion, mercy and love, that His teaching swept away misrepresentation to restore confidence in the love of God and present Him in His paternal love as Our Father. Failing to walk in the light God gives separates people from Him, and darkness comes in proportion to the light refused. Obedience to God's plainly revealed will prepares His people to show an elevated character and works in keeping with that light.
Character Determines Conduct
A good tree by its very nature cannot yield evil fruit, and a corrupt tree cannot yield good fruit, so what a person does unfailingly reveals the state of the heart and character within. The root that decides the fruit is the heart itself, for when the heart has been purified and cleansed it produces only good, while a corrupt heart, however productive it may appear, produces only evil. This law applies to churches now, calling for deeper consecration in good works and Christian graces, patience and kindness, humility, dying to self, and sacrifice of will and pride, in order to be prepared to enter the holy city. Those who suppose they are doing the Lord's work while refusing to obey His commandments, refusing correction, clinging to hereditary and cultivated traits, discerning the faults of others while blind to their own, and persisting in their own way show corrupt fruit, are deceived, and will be lost unless converted. Outward morality or claims of religious works do not by themselves establish that anyone is a true Christian or has God's approval.
The deciding line is inward cleansing through true conversion, where a heart made pure by repentance and faith and surrendered to Christ can only bear good fruit. A selfish, self-seeking, unconverted heart that speaks fair words while watching for gain, working against God and misusing His goods, can only bear evil fruit, and claiming to be righteous without manifesting the fruit of true conversion is utterly worthless. Outward works and external forms, even those God commanded, are of no value without inward cleansing and never make a person perfect before God. Self striving for mastery, seeking its own desires, lacking meekness and lowliness of mind, living for self, failing to glorify God, and exerting influence in the wrong direction is evil fruit proving want of experimental knowledge and want of conversion. Good fruit is a burden of soul to seek the wisdom from above which is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, trusting less in self, honoring God by the life, becoming converted while probation lasts, digging deep and laying the foundation sure for the better immortal life, which gives happiness in this life and an anchor for the soul.
When Christ and the Holy Spirit control the heart, life bears pure and peaceful fruit, but when they do not, no good is produced in heart or character and strife is fostered, just as a tree's fruit reveals its root. The tree must be made good and the heart renewed before good fruit can appear, producing a lasting life of love, faith, humility, and obedience rather than temporary reform driven by excitement. Outward appearance, profession, or talk cannot substitute for inward principles, for the state of the heart shapes the life. A changed heart and character are shown in the life lived, since selfishness mars character and self must be surrendered and the heart cleansed, so that lives shaped by Christ lead others to Him.
The predominant character of a person's acts is a certain test of what is inside, for a good heart cannot produce evil deeds and a corrupt heart cannot produce good deeds. Outward acts are a fair transcript of inward principles, so that a man honest before God will deal justly with his fellow men whether or not it is for his own interest. Misleading conduct exposes what words and claims about motives conceal, for actions testify to character. What is not possessed within cannot be communicated outwardly, so no one can truly confess Christ before the world unless the mind and Spirit of Christ live in him. If the heart is sanctified, submissive, and humble, fruit will be seen outwardly in conversation and deportment as a real and visible expression of grace and truth within, and that fruit is the most effectual confession, since words and profession alone are not enough.
False prophets may look like sheep, but their fruits expose them, for good character produces good fruit while corrupt character produces evil fruit. Human beings cannot read hearts or reliably separate the righteous from the wicked, but fruit reveals character, and God's angels will gather the wheat without mistake. Tares may closely resemble wheat, and evil and good do not come from the same kind of source, so people cannot reliably judge one another's hearts by appearance. Plants of righteousness become distinct and plain by the fruit they bear, and rooting up what God has not planted belongs to God, not to human hands, so the separation must wait until the harvest. As long as time shall last wheat will be found among tares and tares among wheat, each known by fruit, and the good fruit marking true disciples is the desire to be with Christ and not go away even when His words about partaking of His flesh and blood offend and many leave, refusing to go back to formalists, scribes and Pharisees, lifeless formalism, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, and the tradition of the elders. Those who merely call Christ Lord or claim mighty works while doing iniquity do not show the good fruit of doing the Father's will.
God judges the tree by the character of its fruit, while human judgment is finite and limited. The test applies to the work required to be done and how it is sustained, measuring enterprises and plans by the fruit they produce. The fruit is the actual results of enterprises and the use of capital entrusted to advance His kingdom throughout the world, showing whether investments do good or do more harm than good, whether plants produce and multiply, and whether absorbing means in one spot robs and hinders the work in other parts of the Lord's vineyard. The world is the Lord's vineyard and it is to be worked, so memorials of truth are to be established to make a proper impression on the world rather than making the work done in America the pattern in every place where there is a large center.
Testing Prophets and Messages
Christ's rule for recognizing false prophets and teachers is that life, teaching and influence reveal what a person is, so no one need remain in uncertainty about true or false claims to divine guidance, since unadulterated truth with sanctifying power does not come from a base deceiver. A good source cannot bring forth evil fruit and a corrupt source cannot bring forth good fruit, and outward appearance, profession of truth, or claims of religious works cannot prove anyone good, for those who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves are known by what their lives and deeds produce. The test must be applied to prove the genuine from the counterfeit, judging by the word of God rather than by fair speeches and exalted professions.
The evil fruit of false prophets is speaking smooth things, prophesying lies and deceit from their own heart, and crying peace and safety and no evil shall come when there is no peace. Such a message makes light of God's precepts, breaks one of the least of His commandments and teaches men so, proving its claims without foundation and without light, and doing the very work that originated with the prince of darkness, the enemy of God, drawing people from the narrow path and the strait gate. Truth mixed with deception does not make a message from God, for though words may contain many true or good things the resulting fruit reveals the source and character of the message. False messages claiming revelation from God may mix truth with error and use accusation, earthly or sensual conduct, and flattering promises, but their fruits show that they lead souls astray. A corrupt mind and heart cannot bring forth good fruit, as seen when a man whose religion is deception has no high reverence for God, misinterprets Scripture to sustain iniquity instead of bringing heart and character to God's standard in His holy precepts, mingles error with truth and teaches heresies in direct opposition to the law of God and all the teachings of Christ, practices adultery and licentiousness and uses influence to beguile souls into sin, proving his tree corrupt by his life even while he pretends to purity, presents clear arguments for the Sabbath, professes to conscientiously observe it, and gains confidence as a very good and righteous man.
The good fruit of God's prophets is faithfully reproving sin even when it brings down wrath upon them. A good tree brings a message that leads to reverence and fear of God and to love for Him shown by loyalty to His commandments, with a felt weight of the moral law. Where present truth as borne by Jones and Waggoner was accepted, vigor and vital energy were brought into the church, and hope, courage and faith beamed in the countenances of all those who opened their eyes to see, their understanding to perceive and their hearts to receive the great treasure of truth.
The same test of nature shown by results applies to the Testimonies and published visions, which bear either God's signet or Satan's, since there is no partnership between God and Satan and no halfway condition. Their teaching and the results of their influence are to be examined, including their spirit and influence and the fact that the visions endured and grew stronger despite opposition, as evidence of whether they bear God's credentials and come from heaven. They cannot be partly from God and partly from Satan, and claims and suspicions should not outweigh the evidence of their fruits.
Doctrine and claims about Scripture are shown by their fruits, for the doctrine people believe is revealed by the deeds and words it produces. Genuine truth produces a Christlike spirit of gentleness, kindness, forbearance and righteousness, while an unchristlike spirit gives evidence against the teaching, however firmly it is defended as scriptural, so claims about divine testimony and interpretations of Scripture are to be tested by spiritual effects rather than forced to conform to cherished ideas. The true measure of a man and the nature of his teaching are seen in the character of his followers, for a skeptical teacher who will not square his life by the Bible rule and seeks the favor of all draws out those not in harmony with God's work, leaving those converted and grounded in truth finding nothing pleasing or profitable in his influence while those defective in character, impure in hands, unholy in heart, loose in habits, unkind at home, or untrustworthy in deal enjoy the new sentiments presented. Bitter fruit proves a bad spirit and position behind it, as in the unbecoming agitation, resistance, and bitter words and works manifested over the theory of the law in Galatians since the Minneapolis meeting, which should lead those wrought up in that manner to question their own spirit and standing. Twisting or misinterpreting Scripture disregards the laws to which the soul is subject as a tree bears fruit appointed by its nature, bringing sickness and death to the soul, loss of Christ's genuine peace, and a condition like a troubled sea for those who follow error.
Ministers and workers are known by their fruit, meaning souls brought to the truth and converts gathered and built up rather than scattered and confused, with good results calling for encouragement rather than harsh judgment and showing the character and virtue of the worker and whether God's blessing is upon the work. A few may receive truth through unqualified labor, but their growth often remains limited by repeating the same deficiencies of those who taught them. Prayers and exhortations may initially impress, yet selfishness, harshness and dishonest dealings expose true character and harmful influence, and unfitness for sacred trust. Worth is shown not by education or worldly standing but by consecrated, self-denying service trusting in God, with the Lord working to bring people to salvation. Good fruits of labor are evidence of a genuine calling, well-directed effort shows fitness for support and responsibility, and a preacher is not entitled to church support until that fruit is shown.
Profession, Obedience, and Judgment
A tree is known by what it grows, for a good tree cannot yield evil fruit and a corrupt tree cannot yield good fruit, so actions and character reveal what a person is inwardly. Outward morality or claims of religious works do not by themselves establish that anyone is a true Christian or has God's approval. Religious profession alone, church membership, hearing the word, or outward appearance do not make a person right with God. Profession without matching practice is worthless; believers must be trees of righteousness whose lives actively do good. What proves genuine faith is obedience to all God's commandments, receiving Christ as personal Saviour, striving to keep His will, and living in His righteousness.
Merely calling Christ Lord is not enough to enter the kingdom of heaven without doing the will of the Father. Prophesying in His name, casting out devils, and doing many wonderful works will not secure entrance while practicing iniquity. Such claimants will hear the sentence, I never knew you, depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. Their disobedient life proves their profession false even when they teach the truth, and those who are not doers of the Word and doers of the Father's will are exposed by the unfailing law that inner character fixes outward works.
Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. That cutting down exposes disobedient teachers and fruitless professors whose lives greatly dishonor God and turn others out of the way. False teachers may seem appealing at first, but their corrupt actions identify them, and trees bearing no good fruit face destruction. Christians living in the last days as the commandment-keeping people of God are therefore called to reveal the most attractive fruit in unselfish actions and in the very best representation of good works, as carefully as farmers exhibiting only their choicest butter, vegetables, and fruit to do credit to their skill, letting words, deportment, dress, and character bear fruit of the very best quality in the precious traits of Christ.
The same test separates the wise virgins from the foolish, for a good tree is known by good fruit. Those counted wise let their light burn in good works, remaining at the feet of Jesus and learning His ways, conformed to the image of Christ, with the oil in the vessel with the lamp as holy grace sent from heaven and an inward adorning. Baptism alone does not save while old habits are clung to, influence is exerted on the side of the world, and life is woven with worldly ideas and customs, giving no evidence of conversion. Those without good fruit have not kept the oil, are not ready for the Bridegroom, and will not be enabled to stand when He appears.
As with the barren fig tree whose leaves concealed its lack of fruit, a life without corresponding fruit of repentance and faith is spiritually barren, for outward profession, knowledge, or religious form cannot take its place and must meet the tree's curse. A church may have great light and opportunities yet become fruitless through selfishness and loss of love for God and one another. A church that has a name to live but bears no good fruit is virtually dead, and without reconversion and repentance it remains like a barren fig tree.
Union With Christ Bears Fruit
A good tree and a corrupt tree each produce only after their own kind, so what appears in a life shows the nature of its connection with Christ. Outward church membership, profession of piety, outward fellowship, or having a name on church books does not make a person a member of His body and does not prove living union with Him. Without that living connection as branch to vine, a person remains unchanged, evil tendencies appear in the life, and no fruit is borne to God's glory. Those abiding in Him receive life from Him and bear fruit like His, holy and elevated and pure, testifying that God's Spirit has worked in them. Those bearing no fruit have no experience in the things of God and are not abiding in Christ, and their unfruitfulness brings separation like a dead branch cast into the fire, so the fruit test prevents deception and reveals whether the union is genuine.
Where that abiding is real the fruit is unto purity and holiness, meekness and lowliness of heart. It appears as patience, kindness, forbearance and self-denial learned from Jesus, self-control under provocation and reproach, serenity under trying circumstances, love for God and for those Christ died for, thankfulness and praise, and faithful performance of ordinary duties. Conversation and deportment become a real and visible expression of grace and truth within, for what is not possessed within cannot be communicated outwardly, and a sanctified, submissive, humble heart is most effectually confessed by outward fruit rather than by words and profession alone. That fruit includes overcoming besetting sins, refusing evil thoughts, putting away harmful habits, turning wrong tendencies in a right direction, and developing holy tempers and sanctified feelings, with every spot and wrinkle effaced and peculiar traits removed by transforming grace, until the life reveals Christ daily, cleanses impurity, deals uprightly without cunning, strengthens others in good purposes, and produces fruit unto righteousness and eternal life.
Such fruit comes only from a root made good, a heart purified, cleansed, emptied and made new by repentance, faith, surrender and true conversion, then daily consecrated and filled by Christ through the Holy Spirit. A selfish, self-seeking heart that strives for mastery, seeks its own desires, lives for self, watches for gain, works against God and misuses His goods can produce only evil fruit, however productive it may appear, while a heart made pure within can produce only good fruit. Selfishness mars character and must be surrendered, for outward works and external forms, even those God commanded, are of no value without inward cleansing and never make a person perfect before God, and claiming righteousness without manifesting the fruit of true conversion is utterly worthless. When Christ and the Holy Spirit control the heart the life bears pure and peaceful fruit, but when they do not, satanic influence produces no good in heart or character and fosters strife; therefore want of meekness and lowliness, influence exerted in the wrong direction, and failure to glorify God prove want of experimental knowledge of Christ and want of conversion. Good fruit is then a burden of soul to seek the wisdom from above which is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, trusting less in self, honoring God by the life, digging deep and laying the foundation sure while probation lasts, transforming words, actions and character rather than temporary reform, and leading others to Him.
Good works of that kind can never purchase salvation. They are evidence of faith that acts by love and purifies the soul, shaping thoughts, words and actions, and a profession without that practical working of truth does not show genuine Christian character nor give ground for self-reliance or for earning God's favor. Though the eternal reward is not bestowed because of merit, it will be in proportion to the work done through the grace of Christ. Only goodness produces goodness, for belief in falsehood and scientific sophistry can never save the soul from death, purify and ennoble character, elevate and refine the soul, sweeten the disposition, or prepare for the kingdom of heaven, and no one who does not honor Jehovah's sacred law, which all the angels respect and honor, can be saved.
Good Fruit Described
The fruit by which the kind of tree is known is the words spoken, the actions done, the conduct lived and the influence exerted, revealing whether faith is genuine and whether profession matches life. Religious profession and impressive claims cannot make bad conduct good, and past faithfulness or blessings cannot excuse present evil works, for a claim to belong to God must be accompanied by obedience. Works, not changing feelings or emotions, bear witness to the spiritual condition and character of the life within, as fruit reveals the kind of tree. One who professes truth while surrounding the soul with an unchristlike atmosphere of strife, dissension, controversy, bitterness, pride and self-seeking proves religion vain, disgusts unbelievers, confuses and disheartens believers, brings moral death to home, church and Sabbath school, and is unfit for teaching or religious responsibility without thorough transformation.
The good fruit of a tree of righteousness is exemplified in preaching good news, healing the brokenhearted, freeing captives, comforting mourners and bringing joy, while mere profession or hearing without deeds reveals the absence of divine credentials and faces judgment, since claims to religious power or service cannot replace doing the will of God. The fruit of a heart ruled by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience or long-suffering, kindness or gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance and self-control, shown in harmony, unity, benevolence, mercy, affection, courtesy, gratitude, cheerful praise, teachableness, refined and elevated character and true Christian politeness in the common courtesies of life. Those truly joined to God are not at variance with one another, but bear one another's burdens, restore the faulty in meekness, do good to all without weariness, crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit, while criticism, faultfinding, vainglory, provoking, envying, contradiction, strife, envy and jealousy are unholy fruit proving a wrong conception of perfection and a heart not in harmony with Christ. Acting out unrefined natural temperament, neglecting spirituality for worldly things and failing to overcome defects of character prove the absence of genuine religion, whatever the profession, experience or church membership.
Genuine fruit grows naturally from a good tree in good works done in patient, self-denying labor and sacrifice for the happiness of others, as against caring for self, shunning care and burden and seeking ease while others bear burdens. That fruit is especially practical, unselfish care for people in need, the needy, the fatherless, widows, orphans, children without parental care, the friendless and youth, with faithful work done together with Christ as true worship more acceptable to God than zealous worship alone. Prayers, exhortation and talk without deeds are cheap fruits merely tied on and not grown from a good heart, and a professed faith that serves only personal interests does not produce true fruit, while faithfulness or unfaithfulness in this labor shapes how others view Bible religion. Everyone will be rewarded exactly as self has been denied and sacrifice made for others, and a life given to self proves a bad tree with no reward of well-doing unless the course is changed.
Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another, shown in honest, faithful business, just dealing, true weights and measures, diligent use of means and paying tithes and offerings, is bright evidence of true religion, for talk is cheap and actions show whether sympathy and love are sincere. Dishonesty such as false weights and measures, sharp and unjust dealings, laziness, indolence and unfaithfulness in ordinary financial matters are evil fruit showing the person cannot truly serve God or enter His kingdom, will also be unfaithful in religious life including by withholding from God, denies Christ in action and fails to uphold the principles of the law even while professing to keep and teach it. Children recognize unbelief in Christ's near coming through such words and actions, and the example becomes a stumbling block to their faith.
Good fruit includes sanctified speech and home conduct, with a good conscience accompanied by good conversation and behavior, patience, kindness, forbearance, self-denial, self-control under provocation and reproach, serenity under trying circumstances, and refusal to abuse, contend, murmur, complain or give way to fretful anger. Unkindness and an overbearing, petulant temper at home will also appear in church, while the mind of Christ makes a person better in every relationship and duty, and only a godly life without defect, with spots and wrinkles effaced and peculiar traits removed by grace, will be approved. Evil speaking, accusing others, tearing down character, coarseness, trifling and corrupting influence are corrupt fruit that demoralize others, so leaders and workers must provide a worthy example with pure speech and conduct that elevates, since their words lead toward life or death.
Missionary fruit is leading souls to Jesus, teaching obedience, speaking of heavenly things, bringing light to others, and earnest efforts to save the perishing as the evidence of a cleansed and renewed life in confession and conduct. The faithful servant's fruit is the increase of people brought to truth and then moved to use influence and means to save others, showing talents gained to return to the Master, while harmful influence that leads away from seeking the Lord is fruit like a bramble bush, not of a tree in the Lord's garden. Belief in Christ's soon coming proved its goodness by its fruits of conviction of unreadiness to meet Christ, desire for purity, strength, grace and readiness, greater love for Jesus and other Christians, and joy in prayer meetings, Bible reading and prayer, with peace and hope.
A reformed life bears inward and outward purity in disposition, temper, heart, conversation, words, dress, home and surroundings, with neatness, cleanliness and care honoring God, and Christians are judged by this fruit in reformatory work. Those who receive truth but show no change in words, conduct, deportment, dress or homes have not been made new in Christ but live unto themselves, for a good tree must bear reformed fruit and an unreformed life proves the heart has not been purified inside and out. Dress and its arrangement serve as an index of character, and habits of eating, drinking and dressing affect spiritual advancement, so character is to be shaped after the pattern of the Word rather than worldly fashion. Show and vanity in dress, putting on the best clothes merely for display, are foolish evil fruit bringing reproach, while true good fruit is not outward adorning but inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit of great price, with neat and trim appearance without adornment and without carelessness or indifference about outward appearance. Love of truth and righteousness are inward graces displayed as good fruit, and attention to outward appearance instead of these graces harms influence and the cause of truth.
Useful, faithful work rather than impressive show of godliness marks genuine Christianity, with a life growing through grace bearing fruit rather than remaining barren, ripening in varied forms under the influence of Christ's righteousness in home and foreign mission service. Youth are as a tree on which fruit must be found, meaning lives producing useful deeds for God's glory and the good of others. The fruit of prayers and confessions shows whether repentance and character are genuine, and where that fruit is borne the Lord works and gives repentance not to be regretted.
Evil Fruit Exposed
A life centered on self proves a corrupt tree, for selfish ambition, worldliness, covetousness, pride, love of pleasure and sin, living for personal ease while others bear burdens, serving the world, following fashion and courting unbelievers' approval all show a heart unconverted and destitute of experimental knowledge of Christ. Such a course exerts influence in the wrong direction, departs from light and covenant to live for God only, quenches His Spirit, and leaves solemn truth unreal, with profession, membership and outward form proving nothing because works testify whether one is a child of light or of darkness. Unless the course is changed through repentance, faith, inward cleansing and true conversion that makes the heart pure, there will be no reward of well-doing but loss of both worlds, since each will be rewarded exactly as self has been denied and sacrifice made for others' happiness. Divine truth rules the heart to produce good works and noble, generous character, while evil influence produces selfishness and evil passions, and moral courage with living principle stands firmly as God's peculiar people rather than deferring to the world.
Jealousy, faultfinding, talebearing and gossip, envy, strife, dissension, evil-surmising, contention for supremacy, stirring up strife and meddling with others' matters are evil fruit a good tree cannot produce, revealing decidedly a corrupt tree that is not a branch of the true vine but manifests Satan's attributes. One who professes truth while surrounding the soul with an unchristlike atmosphere of controversy, bitterness, pride and self-seeking proves religion vain and himself not a Christian, unfit to teach or hold religious responsibility without thorough transformation. Where God's Spirit rules the heart the fruit is harmony, peace, love, unity, meekness, benevolence, kindness and mercy, while the opposite fruit belongs to Satan's work and calls professed followers to examine what rules the heart. Such evil fruit disgusts unbelievers, confuses and disheartens believers, and brings moral death to the home, the church and the Sabbath school.
Selfish, greedy, dishonest and unjust dealing bears bad fruit even when joined with some good actions or religious service, harming others and turning them from the truth. In business, sharp practice, false weights and measures, unfaithfulness with God's goods, withholding tithes and offerings, and continuing in unfaithfulness show inability truly to serve God or enter His kingdom, for unfaithfulness in ordinary financial matters proves unfaithfulness in religious life. Laziness, indolence and dishonesty are not fruits of the Christian life, and practicing dishonesty with what belongs to God denies Christ in action and fails to uphold His law even while professing to keep and teach it. Children recognize unbelief in Christ's near coming through words and actions, especially sharp and unjust dealings, and such an example becomes a stumbling block to their faith.
Harsh, reviling and retaliatory speech, passion, malice, coarseness, trifling, cheap unelevating conversation, frivolity, sport, ridicule, jokes, shameful folly, low fun, coarse jests, levity, complaining and depressed talk are corrupt fruit proving a corrupt tree turned back upon Jesus, under Satan's banner, closing the door against Christ and inviting Satan in. Those truly united with Christ reveal His likeness in meekness and do not answer offense in kind, while knowing and professing truth without its sanctifying power leaves old habits in control. Such fruit desecrates places dedicated to God, pains serious minds who love Him, turns angels away in sorrow, makes evil angels exult, and spreads as a leaven of careless mockery and dissipation that demoralizes others. Leaders and workers must therefore provide a worthy example, with pure, ennobling speech and conduct that elevates rather than corrupts, since response under injustice is itself fruit for which each is accountable.
A pompous, overbearing, dictatorial spirit is not the fruit of the Spirit or the likeness of Christ, and a good conscience accompanies good conversation and behavior as a good tree bears good fruit. Unkindness and harsh temper at home will also appear in church, while the mind of Christ makes a person better in every relationship and duty. Persistently pressing one's own opinions, disregarding a spouse's feelings, acting as though others have no right to disagree, and assertions and advice implying superiority are bad fruit that do not grow on the Christian tree, whereas Christ's love produces considerate, respectful, softening conduct toward family and others. Murmuring, complaining and fretful anger are not fruits of good principles.
Joining gatherings for pleasure or sport without prayerfully consulting Christ's standard of the fruit to be borne on the Christian tree is evil fruit of superficial character and religious experience without the divine touch on heart or mind. Such professed Christians become decoys of Satan, always ready for pleasure, drawing by attraction, example and fear of seeming singular young men and women who tried to be Bible Christians into the ring and toward the world. These entertainments are Satan's banquet, keeping souls from accepting the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb and from receiving the white robe of character which is Christ's righteousness, leaving them confused under influence that never knew divine change. A profession that leaves people indistinguishable from unbelievers and unrestrained from worldly pleasures does not show the fruit of genuine Christian life, for genuine Christianity bears fruit differing from worldly unbelief.
Prayers, exhortations and talk without deeds are cheap fruits merely tied on, not grown from a good heart, for a good tree grows genuine fruit naturally in patient, self-denying labor, especially caring for the needy, fatherless and widows, and working together with Christ is true worship more acceptable than zealous worship alone. Loud profession, religious excitement and strong feelings without changed actions prove absence of conversion and cannot sustain through trials. Claims of holiness, sanctification or spiritual enlightenment while disregarding commandments, showing pride, envy, jealousy, insubordination, division and a stubborn spirit unlike Christ expose corrupt character despite profession, and religious words that accompany actions harming others and the cause do not make a life good.
Watching every word and move, suspicion, conjecture, supposition, misinterpreting and misstating words, loving evil reports, feeding like scavengers on evil while refusing to see good done, twisting words to charge false prophecy, tearing the flock, unsettling faith and sending souls adrift, judging motives to detract from fellow workers, are evil fruit proving absence of Christ's Spirit and presence of the satanic spirit of the dragon. A good tree cannot bring forth deception or accusation of brethren, for the Spirit's operations are silent and humble, not boastful, producing steadfast integrity uncorrupted by praise and unswerved by frowns, advancing in humility through conflict in exact harmony with the written Word and its reproofs. Persistent resistance to reproof, hatred of message and messenger, efforts to silence exposure of wrong, and unbecoming agitation with bitter words and works, as seen over the law in Galatians since Minneapolis, are bitter fruit proving the spirit and position not good and calling those manifesting them to question their standing. False claims to revelation mix truth with error, accusation, sensual conduct and flattering promises, but results expose that they lead astray, while a life's good deeds refute slander against it.
In publishing houses, schools, Sabbath schools and enterprises, conduct and work show whether God's appointed work is done, and each publishing house is to remain distinct rather than merged, its fruit judged by quality. Sabbath-school work is judged by the character and actions of pupils, showing whether it is genuine or pretense, and the fruits of any work show whether it leads toward eternal life or death. Workers who belong to Christ do not gather followers around themselves or foster party spirit, contention and division, but lead to Christ and preach uniting truth, while those not sent or qualified scatter and confuse rather than gather and build up, with converts often repeating their deficiencies. Trifling, flirtatious or morally harmful conduct comes from a corrupt source, produces harmful impressions, encourages coquetry and denies Christ, and truth in the soul creates a pure moral taste that rejects it.
Instruction and discipline are seeds bearing good or evil results for life, for good character bears good fruit and corrupt character evil fruit. Indulging children's wishes and letting them follow their own inclinations forms selfish, demanding and overbearing character. No matter how high the profession, evil in word and deed proves the heart not given to God and truth not dwelling in the soul, and a life estranged from God does not honor truth; the heart is the citadel of the whole man, and until wholly on the Lord's side Satan holds in man a strong agent no earthly power can dislodge. When ministers' selfish actions contradict their teaching, observers judge profession by that fruit and may distrust both ministers and truths proclaimed, and continuing unbelief and criticism despite evidence of God's working rejects offered salvation and grace.
A good inner nature can only produce good outward conduct, and a corrupt inner nature can only produce corrupt conduct, so a person's actions reveal the condition of the heart and character within. Spoken in the Sermon on the Mount, it is the rule for detecting false prophets who appear harmless but are inwardly destructive, since people do not gather good produce from worthless plants. Outward profession, church connection, hearing the word, or even striking religious works do not prove a true follower; only doing the will of the Father and living obedience to His commandments does, and every fruitless tree faces destruction by fire. Such good fruit cannot grow apart from a living union with Christ, for only a heart made new by repentance, faith and surrender and daily filled by His Spirit bears fruit to God's glory. That fruit is seen in words, actions, conduct and influence — in love, purity, meekness, honesty, self-denying care for the needy and soul-winning labor — while selfishness, dishonesty, strife, harsh speech, pride and worldliness prove the tree corrupt.
Words and Immediate Setting
The saying belongs to the Sermon on the Mount, spoken especially to the disciples yet within hearing of the multitude. There Christ disappointed hopes of worldly greatness by teaching something infinitely better than men had known, undoing false education and giving a right conception of His kingdom and of His own character. It sets a condition of entrance into the kingdom of God while leaving hearers to draw their own conclusions as to its nature. It states a foundation principle of that kingdom no less important now than for the multitude on the hillside.
Its immediate place is the warning to beware of false prophets who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves. They are tested by the rule that men do not gather grapes of thorns or figs of thistles, for by their fruits they shall be known. Nature decides fruit and cannot act against itself, so a good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit and a corrupt tree cannot bring forth good fruit. This is one of the orders that is safe to follow by placing the feet in His footsteps and not listening to personal ideas, plans, or suggestions of the mind. The test is one all may apply if they will, so none need remain in uncertainty and doubt, since there is always sufficient evidence on which to base an intelligent faith.
God will never remove from any man all occasion for doubt, so those who love to dwell in doubt and questioning unbelief may have that privilege, while he who turns from the weight of evidence because a few things cannot be made plain to finite understanding will be left to the cold, chilling atmosphere of unbelief and skepticism and will make shipwreck of faith. The test guards against minds submitted to control that leads farther from light into error and darkness, entangling souls by confusing those who do not walk in the light Providence permits to shine on their pathway, gaining the least advantage and pushing it to the utmost and watching every opportunity to ruin souls. Inward character determines outward life, so words and works testify on which side a person stands, with those who obey the word and respond to the leadings of the Holy Spirit as good trees bringing forth only good fruit. A good tree is a heart made pure by repentance and faith with an inward work of cleansing in true conversion, which can only produce good fruit, while a corrupt tree is selfish and self-seeking, speaking fair words while watching for gain, working against God and misusing His goods, which can only produce evil fruit.
Claiming to be righteous without manifesting the fruit of true conversion is utterly worthless, for outward works and external forms, even those commanded by God, are of no value without inward cleansing and never make a person perfect before God. Profession cannot hide the life, and divided living that professes to serve the Lord while scheming to carry out selfish plans that retard the work Christ died to accomplish proves corruption and leads to deception in the confusion near the close of earth's history unless there is repentance and conversion. It stands connected with the strait gate and narrow way that leads to life. Doing the will of the Father rather than only saying Lord, Lord, or prophesying, casting out devils, and doing wonderful works in His name is what enters the kingdom of heaven, and workers of iniquity will hear, I never knew you, depart from Me.
Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. Hearing Christ's sayings and doing them is like a wise man building on the rock, so that when rain, floods, and winds beat on the house it stands and falls not. Outward appearance, profession of truth, or claims of religious works cannot establish that someone is good, for false prophets may look like sheep but their fruits expose them. Human beings cannot read hearts or reliably separate the righteous from the wicked, but fruit reveals character and God's angels will gather the wheat without mistake. Those who teach the truth yet are not themselves doers of the Word and doers of the will of the Father prove their profession false by a disobedient life, greatly dishonor God, and turn others out of the way.
Only he that does the will of the Father in heaven shall enter the kingdom of heaven. The seventh chapter of Matthew, including this saying, must be studied most critically again and again, every word as for life, for individual enlightenment and obedience. It is not to be used to prove supposed faults discerned in other church members, for the chapter points out very serious defects in those whose thoughts are absorbed with the faults of others, and unless there are decided conversions many who think they are lights will prove to be stumbling blocks. Heeded together with James 2, James 4:5-12, and James 5:13-20, it calls for the first work to be done in the heart so hearers of the word become doers, know the work given them to do, and reach lost souls.
Matthew 7:16-20 gives the divine standard for the fruit to be borne on the Christian tree. It must be prayerfully consulted to learn what Christ said and to discern what is right for Christians to do about gatherings for pleasure or sport. A superficial professed Christian who has never had the divine touch on heart or mind cannot bear good fruit, but joins such entertainments and draws youth into the ring by attraction, example, and fear of seeming singular. These entertainments are a banquet prepared to keep souls from accepting the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb and from receiving the white robe of character which is the righteousness of Christ, leaving them confused and under an influence that keeps them from becoming Bible Christians.
In the Sermon on the Mount Christ in every way opposed the theories and practice of the scribes and Pharisees and virtually contradicted their self-righteous doctrines. They had so long presented human ideas and endless maxims and traditions of men for the commandments of God without Thus saith the Lord, and had so misrepresented God as a stern judge incapable of compassion, mercy and love, that His teaching swept away misrepresentation to restore confidence in the love of God and present Him in His paternal love as Our Father. Failing to walk in the light God gives separates people from Him, and darkness comes in proportion to the light refused. Obedience to God's plainly revealed will prepares His people to show an elevated character and works in keeping with that light.
Character Determines Conduct
A good tree by its very nature cannot yield evil fruit, and a corrupt tree cannot yield good fruit, so what a person does unfailingly reveals the state of the heart and character within. The root that decides the fruit is the heart itself, for when the heart has been purified and cleansed it produces only good, while a corrupt heart, however productive it may appear, produces only evil. This law applies to churches now, calling for deeper consecration in good works and Christian graces, patience and kindness, humility, dying to self, and sacrifice of will and pride, in order to be prepared to enter the holy city. Those who suppose they are doing the Lord's work while refusing to obey His commandments, refusing correction, clinging to hereditary and cultivated traits, discerning the faults of others while blind to their own, and persisting in their own way show corrupt fruit, are deceived, and will be lost unless converted. Outward morality or claims of religious works do not by themselves establish that anyone is a true Christian or has God's approval.
The deciding line is inward cleansing through true conversion, where a heart made pure by repentance and faith and surrendered to Christ can only bear good fruit. A selfish, self-seeking, unconverted heart that speaks fair words while watching for gain, working against God and misusing His goods, can only bear evil fruit, and claiming to be righteous without manifesting the fruit of true conversion is utterly worthless. Outward works and external forms, even those God commanded, are of no value without inward cleansing and never make a person perfect before God. Self striving for mastery, seeking its own desires, lacking meekness and lowliness of mind, living for self, failing to glorify God, and exerting influence in the wrong direction is evil fruit proving want of experimental knowledge and want of conversion. Good fruit is a burden of soul to seek the wisdom from above which is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, trusting less in self, honoring God by the life, becoming converted while probation lasts, digging deep and laying the foundation sure for the better immortal life, which gives happiness in this life and an anchor for the soul.
When Christ and the Holy Spirit control the heart, life bears pure and peaceful fruit, but when they do not, no good is produced in heart or character and strife is fostered, just as a tree's fruit reveals its root. The tree must be made good and the heart renewed before good fruit can appear, producing a lasting life of love, faith, humility, and obedience rather than temporary reform driven by excitement. Outward appearance, profession, or talk cannot substitute for inward principles, for the state of the heart shapes the life. A changed heart and character are shown in the life lived, since selfishness mars character and self must be surrendered and the heart cleansed, so that lives shaped by Christ lead others to Him.
The predominant character of a person's acts is a certain test of what is inside, for a good heart cannot produce evil deeds and a corrupt heart cannot produce good deeds. Outward acts are a fair transcript of inward principles, so that a man honest before God will deal justly with his fellow men whether or not it is for his own interest. Misleading conduct exposes what words and claims about motives conceal, for actions testify to character. What is not possessed within cannot be communicated outwardly, so no one can truly confess Christ before the world unless the mind and Spirit of Christ live in him. If the heart is sanctified, submissive, and humble, fruit will be seen outwardly in conversation and deportment as a real and visible expression of grace and truth within, and that fruit is the most effectual confession, since words and profession alone are not enough.
False prophets may look like sheep, but their fruits expose them, for good character produces good fruit while corrupt character produces evil fruit. Human beings cannot read hearts or reliably separate the righteous from the wicked, but fruit reveals character, and God's angels will gather the wheat without mistake. Tares may closely resemble wheat, and evil and good do not come from the same kind of source, so people cannot reliably judge one another's hearts by appearance. Plants of righteousness become distinct and plain by the fruit they bear, and rooting up what God has not planted belongs to God, not to human hands, so the separation must wait until the harvest. As long as time shall last wheat will be found among tares and tares among wheat, each known by fruit, and the good fruit marking true disciples is the desire to be with Christ and not go away even when His words about partaking of His flesh and blood offend and many leave, refusing to go back to formalists, scribes and Pharisees, lifeless formalism, teaching for doctrine the commandments of men, and the tradition of the elders. Those who merely call Christ Lord or claim mighty works while doing iniquity do not show the good fruit of doing the Father's will.
God judges the tree by the character of its fruit, while human judgment is finite and limited. The test applies to the work required to be done and how it is sustained, measuring enterprises and plans by the fruit they produce. The fruit is the actual results of enterprises and the use of capital entrusted to advance His kingdom throughout the world, showing whether investments do good or do more harm than good, whether plants produce and multiply, and whether absorbing means in one spot robs and hinders the work in other parts of the Lord's vineyard. The world is the Lord's vineyard and it is to be worked, so memorials of truth are to be established to make a proper impression on the world rather than making the work done in America the pattern in every place where there is a large center.
Testing Prophets and Messages
Christ's rule for recognizing false prophets and teachers is that life, teaching and influence reveal what a person is, so no one need remain in uncertainty about true or false claims to divine guidance, since unadulterated truth with sanctifying power does not come from a base deceiver. A good source cannot bring forth evil fruit and a corrupt source cannot bring forth good fruit, and outward appearance, profession of truth, or claims of religious works cannot prove anyone good, for those who come in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravening wolves are known by what their lives and deeds produce. The test must be applied to prove the genuine from the counterfeit, judging by the word of God rather than by fair speeches and exalted professions.
The evil fruit of false prophets is speaking smooth things, prophesying lies and deceit from their own heart, and crying peace and safety and no evil shall come when there is no peace. Such a message makes light of God's precepts, breaks one of the least of His commandments and teaches men so, proving its claims without foundation and without light, and doing the very work that originated with the prince of darkness, the enemy of God, drawing people from the narrow path and the strait gate. Truth mixed with deception does not make a message from God, for though words may contain many true or good things the resulting fruit reveals the source and character of the message. False messages claiming revelation from God may mix truth with error and use accusation, earthly or sensual conduct, and flattering promises, but their fruits show that they lead souls astray. A corrupt mind and heart cannot bring forth good fruit, as seen when a man whose religion is deception has no high reverence for God, misinterprets Scripture to sustain iniquity instead of bringing heart and character to God's standard in His holy precepts, mingles error with truth and teaches heresies in direct opposition to the law of God and all the teachings of Christ, practices adultery and licentiousness and uses influence to beguile souls into sin, proving his tree corrupt by his life even while he pretends to purity, presents clear arguments for the Sabbath, professes to conscientiously observe it, and gains confidence as a very good and righteous man.
The good fruit of God's prophets is faithfully reproving sin even when it brings down wrath upon them. A good tree brings a message that leads to reverence and fear of God and to love for Him shown by loyalty to His commandments, with a felt weight of the moral law. Where present truth as borne by Jones and Waggoner was accepted, vigor and vital energy were brought into the church, and hope, courage and faith beamed in the countenances of all those who opened their eyes to see, their understanding to perceive and their hearts to receive the great treasure of truth.
The same test of nature shown by results applies to the Testimonies and published visions, which bear either God's signet or Satan's, since there is no partnership between God and Satan and no halfway condition. Their teaching and the results of their influence are to be examined, including their spirit and influence and the fact that the visions endured and grew stronger despite opposition, as evidence of whether they bear God's credentials and come from heaven. They cannot be partly from God and partly from Satan, and claims and suspicions should not outweigh the evidence of their fruits.
Doctrine and claims about Scripture are shown by their fruits, for the doctrine people believe is revealed by the deeds and words it produces. Genuine truth produces a Christlike spirit of gentleness, kindness, forbearance and righteousness, while an unchristlike spirit gives evidence against the teaching, however firmly it is defended as scriptural, so claims about divine testimony and interpretations of Scripture are to be tested by spiritual effects rather than forced to conform to cherished ideas. The true measure of a man and the nature of his teaching are seen in the character of his followers, for a skeptical teacher who will not square his life by the Bible rule and seeks the favor of all draws out those not in harmony with God's work, leaving those converted and grounded in truth finding nothing pleasing or profitable in his influence while those defective in character, impure in hands, unholy in heart, loose in habits, unkind at home, or untrustworthy in deal enjoy the new sentiments presented. Bitter fruit proves a bad spirit and position behind it, as in the unbecoming agitation, resistance, and bitter words and works manifested over the theory of the law in Galatians since the Minneapolis meeting, which should lead those wrought up in that manner to question their own spirit and standing. Twisting or misinterpreting Scripture disregards the laws to which the soul is subject as a tree bears fruit appointed by its nature, bringing sickness and death to the soul, loss of Christ's genuine peace, and a condition like a troubled sea for those who follow error.
Ministers and workers are known by their fruit, meaning souls brought to the truth and converts gathered and built up rather than scattered and confused, with good results calling for encouragement rather than harsh judgment and showing the character and virtue of the worker and whether God's blessing is upon the work. A few may receive truth through unqualified labor, but their growth often remains limited by repeating the same deficiencies of those who taught them. Prayers and exhortations may initially impress, yet selfishness, harshness and dishonest dealings expose true character and harmful influence, and unfitness for sacred trust. Worth is shown not by education or worldly standing but by consecrated, self-denying service trusting in God, with the Lord working to bring people to salvation. Good fruits of labor are evidence of a genuine calling, well-directed effort shows fitness for support and responsibility, and a preacher is not entitled to church support until that fruit is shown.
Profession, Obedience, and Judgment
A tree is known by what it grows, for a good tree cannot yield evil fruit and a corrupt tree cannot yield good fruit, so actions and character reveal what a person is inwardly. Outward morality or claims of religious works do not by themselves establish that anyone is a true Christian or has God's approval. Religious profession alone, church membership, hearing the word, or outward appearance do not make a person right with God. Profession without matching practice is worthless; believers must be trees of righteousness whose lives actively do good. What proves genuine faith is obedience to all God's commandments, receiving Christ as personal Saviour, striving to keep His will, and living in His righteousness.
Merely calling Christ Lord is not enough to enter the kingdom of heaven without doing the will of the Father. Prophesying in His name, casting out devils, and doing many wonderful works will not secure entrance while practicing iniquity. Such claimants will hear the sentence, I never knew you, depart from Me, ye that work iniquity. Their disobedient life proves their profession false even when they teach the truth, and those who are not doers of the Word and doers of the Father's will are exposed by the unfailing law that inner character fixes outward works.
Every tree that does not bring forth good fruit is hewn down and cast into the fire. That cutting down exposes disobedient teachers and fruitless professors whose lives greatly dishonor God and turn others out of the way. False teachers may seem appealing at first, but their corrupt actions identify them, and trees bearing no good fruit face destruction. Christians living in the last days as the commandment-keeping people of God are therefore called to reveal the most attractive fruit in unselfish actions and in the very best representation of good works, as carefully as farmers exhibiting only their choicest butter, vegetables, and fruit to do credit to their skill, letting words, deportment, dress, and character bear fruit of the very best quality in the precious traits of Christ.
The same test separates the wise virgins from the foolish, for a good tree is known by good fruit. Those counted wise let their light burn in good works, remaining at the feet of Jesus and learning His ways, conformed to the image of Christ, with the oil in the vessel with the lamp as holy grace sent from heaven and an inward adorning. Baptism alone does not save while old habits are clung to, influence is exerted on the side of the world, and life is woven with worldly ideas and customs, giving no evidence of conversion. Those without good fruit have not kept the oil, are not ready for the Bridegroom, and will not be enabled to stand when He appears.
As with the barren fig tree whose leaves concealed its lack of fruit, a life without corresponding fruit of repentance and faith is spiritually barren, for outward profession, knowledge, or religious form cannot take its place and must meet the tree's curse. A church may have great light and opportunities yet become fruitless through selfishness and loss of love for God and one another. A church that has a name to live but bears no good fruit is virtually dead, and without reconversion and repentance it remains like a barren fig tree.
Union With Christ Bears Fruit
A good tree and a corrupt tree each produce only after their own kind, so what appears in a life shows the nature of its connection with Christ. Outward church membership, profession of piety, outward fellowship, or having a name on church books does not make a person a member of His body and does not prove living union with Him. Without that living connection as branch to vine, a person remains unchanged, evil tendencies appear in the life, and no fruit is borne to God's glory. Those abiding in Him receive life from Him and bear fruit like His, holy and elevated and pure, testifying that God's Spirit has worked in them. Those bearing no fruit have no experience in the things of God and are not abiding in Christ, and their unfruitfulness brings separation like a dead branch cast into the fire, so the fruit test prevents deception and reveals whether the union is genuine.
Where that abiding is real the fruit is unto purity and holiness, meekness and lowliness of heart. It appears as patience, kindness, forbearance and self-denial learned from Jesus, self-control under provocation and reproach, serenity under trying circumstances, love for God and for those Christ died for, thankfulness and praise, and faithful performance of ordinary duties. Conversation and deportment become a real and visible expression of grace and truth within, for what is not possessed within cannot be communicated outwardly, and a sanctified, submissive, humble heart is most effectually confessed by outward fruit rather than by words and profession alone. That fruit includes overcoming besetting sins, refusing evil thoughts, putting away harmful habits, turning wrong tendencies in a right direction, and developing holy tempers and sanctified feelings, with every spot and wrinkle effaced and peculiar traits removed by transforming grace, until the life reveals Christ daily, cleanses impurity, deals uprightly without cunning, strengthens others in good purposes, and produces fruit unto righteousness and eternal life.
Such fruit comes only from a root made good, a heart purified, cleansed, emptied and made new by repentance, faith, surrender and true conversion, then daily consecrated and filled by Christ through the Holy Spirit. A selfish, self-seeking heart that strives for mastery, seeks its own desires, lives for self, watches for gain, works against God and misuses His goods can produce only evil fruit, however productive it may appear, while a heart made pure within can produce only good fruit. Selfishness mars character and must be surrendered, for outward works and external forms, even those God commanded, are of no value without inward cleansing and never make a person perfect before God, and claiming righteousness without manifesting the fruit of true conversion is utterly worthless. When Christ and the Holy Spirit control the heart the life bears pure and peaceful fruit, but when they do not, satanic influence produces no good in heart or character and fosters strife; therefore want of meekness and lowliness, influence exerted in the wrong direction, and failure to glorify God prove want of experimental knowledge of Christ and want of conversion. Good fruit is then a burden of soul to seek the wisdom from above which is first pure, then peaceable, easy to be entreated, full of mercy and good fruits, trusting less in self, honoring God by the life, digging deep and laying the foundation sure while probation lasts, transforming words, actions and character rather than temporary reform, and leading others to Him.
Good works of that kind can never purchase salvation. They are evidence of faith that acts by love and purifies the soul, shaping thoughts, words and actions, and a profession without that practical working of truth does not show genuine Christian character nor give ground for self-reliance or for earning God's favor. Though the eternal reward is not bestowed because of merit, it will be in proportion to the work done through the grace of Christ. Only goodness produces goodness, for belief in falsehood and scientific sophistry can never save the soul from death, purify and ennoble character, elevate and refine the soul, sweeten the disposition, or prepare for the kingdom of heaven, and no one who does not honor Jehovah's sacred law, which all the angels respect and honor, can be saved.
Good Fruit Described
The fruit by which the kind of tree is known is the words spoken, the actions done, the conduct lived and the influence exerted, revealing whether faith is genuine and whether profession matches life. Religious profession and impressive claims cannot make bad conduct good, and past faithfulness or blessings cannot excuse present evil works, for a claim to belong to God must be accompanied by obedience. Works, not changing feelings or emotions, bear witness to the spiritual condition and character of the life within, as fruit reveals the kind of tree. One who professes truth while surrounding the soul with an unchristlike atmosphere of strife, dissension, controversy, bitterness, pride and self-seeking proves religion vain, disgusts unbelievers, confuses and disheartens believers, brings moral death to home, church and Sabbath school, and is unfit for teaching or religious responsibility without thorough transformation.
The good fruit of a tree of righteousness is exemplified in preaching good news, healing the brokenhearted, freeing captives, comforting mourners and bringing joy, while mere profession or hearing without deeds reveals the absence of divine credentials and faces judgment, since claims to religious power or service cannot replace doing the will of God. The fruit of a heart ruled by the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience or long-suffering, kindness or gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance and self-control, shown in harmony, unity, benevolence, mercy, affection, courtesy, gratitude, cheerful praise, teachableness, refined and elevated character and true Christian politeness in the common courtesies of life. Those truly joined to God are not at variance with one another, but bear one another's burdens, restore the faulty in meekness, do good to all without weariness, crucify the flesh and walk in the Spirit, while criticism, faultfinding, vainglory, provoking, envying, contradiction, strife, envy and jealousy are unholy fruit proving a wrong conception of perfection and a heart not in harmony with Christ. Acting out unrefined natural temperament, neglecting spirituality for worldly things and failing to overcome defects of character prove the absence of genuine religion, whatever the profession, experience or church membership.
Genuine fruit grows naturally from a good tree in good works done in patient, self-denying labor and sacrifice for the happiness of others, as against caring for self, shunning care and burden and seeking ease while others bear burdens. That fruit is especially practical, unselfish care for people in need, the needy, the fatherless, widows, orphans, children without parental care, the friendless and youth, with faithful work done together with Christ as true worship more acceptable to God than zealous worship alone. Prayers, exhortation and talk without deeds are cheap fruits merely tied on and not grown from a good heart, and a professed faith that serves only personal interests does not produce true fruit, while faithfulness or unfaithfulness in this labor shapes how others view Bible religion. Everyone will be rewarded exactly as self has been denied and sacrifice made for others, and a life given to self proves a bad tree with no reward of well-doing unless the course is changed.
Supreme love for God and unselfish love for one another, shown in honest, faithful business, just dealing, true weights and measures, diligent use of means and paying tithes and offerings, is bright evidence of true religion, for talk is cheap and actions show whether sympathy and love are sincere. Dishonesty such as false weights and measures, sharp and unjust dealings, laziness, indolence and unfaithfulness in ordinary financial matters are evil fruit showing the person cannot truly serve God or enter His kingdom, will also be unfaithful in religious life including by withholding from God, denies Christ in action and fails to uphold the principles of the law even while professing to keep and teach it. Children recognize unbelief in Christ's near coming through such words and actions, and the example becomes a stumbling block to their faith.
Good fruit includes sanctified speech and home conduct, with a good conscience accompanied by good conversation and behavior, patience, kindness, forbearance, self-denial, self-control under provocation and reproach, serenity under trying circumstances, and refusal to abuse, contend, murmur, complain or give way to fretful anger. Unkindness and an overbearing, petulant temper at home will also appear in church, while the mind of Christ makes a person better in every relationship and duty, and only a godly life without defect, with spots and wrinkles effaced and peculiar traits removed by grace, will be approved. Evil speaking, accusing others, tearing down character, coarseness, trifling and corrupting influence are corrupt fruit that demoralize others, so leaders and workers must provide a worthy example with pure speech and conduct that elevates, since their words lead toward life or death.
Missionary fruit is leading souls to Jesus, teaching obedience, speaking of heavenly things, bringing light to others, and earnest efforts to save the perishing as the evidence of a cleansed and renewed life in confession and conduct. The faithful servant's fruit is the increase of people brought to truth and then moved to use influence and means to save others, showing talents gained to return to the Master, while harmful influence that leads away from seeking the Lord is fruit like a bramble bush, not of a tree in the Lord's garden. Belief in Christ's soon coming proved its goodness by its fruits of conviction of unreadiness to meet Christ, desire for purity, strength, grace and readiness, greater love for Jesus and other Christians, and joy in prayer meetings, Bible reading and prayer, with peace and hope.
A reformed life bears inward and outward purity in disposition, temper, heart, conversation, words, dress, home and surroundings, with neatness, cleanliness and care honoring God, and Christians are judged by this fruit in reformatory work. Those who receive truth but show no change in words, conduct, deportment, dress or homes have not been made new in Christ but live unto themselves, for a good tree must bear reformed fruit and an unreformed life proves the heart has not been purified inside and out. Dress and its arrangement serve as an index of character, and habits of eating, drinking and dressing affect spiritual advancement, so character is to be shaped after the pattern of the Word rather than worldly fashion. Show and vanity in dress, putting on the best clothes merely for display, are foolish evil fruit bringing reproach, while true good fruit is not outward adorning but inward adorning of a meek and quiet spirit of great price, with neat and trim appearance without adornment and without carelessness or indifference about outward appearance. Love of truth and righteousness are inward graces displayed as good fruit, and attention to outward appearance instead of these graces harms influence and the cause of truth.
Useful, faithful work rather than impressive show of godliness marks genuine Christianity, with a life growing through grace bearing fruit rather than remaining barren, ripening in varied forms under the influence of Christ's righteousness in home and foreign mission service. Youth are as a tree on which fruit must be found, meaning lives producing useful deeds for God's glory and the good of others. The fruit of prayers and confessions shows whether repentance and character are genuine, and where that fruit is borne the Lord works and gives repentance not to be regretted.
Evil Fruit Exposed
A life centered on self proves a corrupt tree, for selfish ambition, worldliness, covetousness, pride, love of pleasure and sin, living for personal ease while others bear burdens, serving the world, following fashion and courting unbelievers' approval all show a heart unconverted and destitute of experimental knowledge of Christ. Such a course exerts influence in the wrong direction, departs from light and covenant to live for God only, quenches His Spirit, and leaves solemn truth unreal, with profession, membership and outward form proving nothing because works testify whether one is a child of light or of darkness. Unless the course is changed through repentance, faith, inward cleansing and true conversion that makes the heart pure, there will be no reward of well-doing but loss of both worlds, since each will be rewarded exactly as self has been denied and sacrifice made for others' happiness. Divine truth rules the heart to produce good works and noble, generous character, while evil influence produces selfishness and evil passions, and moral courage with living principle stands firmly as God's peculiar people rather than deferring to the world.
Jealousy, faultfinding, talebearing and gossip, envy, strife, dissension, evil-surmising, contention for supremacy, stirring up strife and meddling with others' matters are evil fruit a good tree cannot produce, revealing decidedly a corrupt tree that is not a branch of the true vine but manifests Satan's attributes. One who professes truth while surrounding the soul with an unchristlike atmosphere of controversy, bitterness, pride and self-seeking proves religion vain and himself not a Christian, unfit to teach or hold religious responsibility without thorough transformation. Where God's Spirit rules the heart the fruit is harmony, peace, love, unity, meekness, benevolence, kindness and mercy, while the opposite fruit belongs to Satan's work and calls professed followers to examine what rules the heart. Such evil fruit disgusts unbelievers, confuses and disheartens believers, and brings moral death to the home, the church and the Sabbath school.
Selfish, greedy, dishonest and unjust dealing bears bad fruit even when joined with some good actions or religious service, harming others and turning them from the truth. In business, sharp practice, false weights and measures, unfaithfulness with God's goods, withholding tithes and offerings, and continuing in unfaithfulness show inability truly to serve God or enter His kingdom, for unfaithfulness in ordinary financial matters proves unfaithfulness in religious life. Laziness, indolence and dishonesty are not fruits of the Christian life, and practicing dishonesty with what belongs to God denies Christ in action and fails to uphold His law even while professing to keep and teach it. Children recognize unbelief in Christ's near coming through words and actions, especially sharp and unjust dealings, and such an example becomes a stumbling block to their faith.
Harsh, reviling and retaliatory speech, passion, malice, coarseness, trifling, cheap unelevating conversation, frivolity, sport, ridicule, jokes, shameful folly, low fun, coarse jests, levity, complaining and depressed talk are corrupt fruit proving a corrupt tree turned back upon Jesus, under Satan's banner, closing the door against Christ and inviting Satan in. Those truly united with Christ reveal His likeness in meekness and do not answer offense in kind, while knowing and professing truth without its sanctifying power leaves old habits in control. Such fruit desecrates places dedicated to God, pains serious minds who love Him, turns angels away in sorrow, makes evil angels exult, and spreads as a leaven of careless mockery and dissipation that demoralizes others. Leaders and workers must therefore provide a worthy example, with pure, ennobling speech and conduct that elevates rather than corrupts, since response under injustice is itself fruit for which each is accountable.
A pompous, overbearing, dictatorial spirit is not the fruit of the Spirit or the likeness of Christ, and a good conscience accompanies good conversation and behavior as a good tree bears good fruit. Unkindness and harsh temper at home will also appear in church, while the mind of Christ makes a person better in every relationship and duty. Persistently pressing one's own opinions, disregarding a spouse's feelings, acting as though others have no right to disagree, and assertions and advice implying superiority are bad fruit that do not grow on the Christian tree, whereas Christ's love produces considerate, respectful, softening conduct toward family and others. Murmuring, complaining and fretful anger are not fruits of good principles.
Joining gatherings for pleasure or sport without prayerfully consulting Christ's standard of the fruit to be borne on the Christian tree is evil fruit of superficial character and religious experience without the divine touch on heart or mind. Such professed Christians become decoys of Satan, always ready for pleasure, drawing by attraction, example and fear of seeming singular young men and women who tried to be Bible Christians into the ring and toward the world. These entertainments are Satan's banquet, keeping souls from accepting the call to the marriage supper of the Lamb and from receiving the white robe of character which is Christ's righteousness, leaving them confused under influence that never knew divine change. A profession that leaves people indistinguishable from unbelievers and unrestrained from worldly pleasures does not show the fruit of genuine Christian life, for genuine Christianity bears fruit differing from worldly unbelief.
Prayers, exhortations and talk without deeds are cheap fruits merely tied on, not grown from a good heart, for a good tree grows genuine fruit naturally in patient, self-denying labor, especially caring for the needy, fatherless and widows, and working together with Christ is true worship more acceptable than zealous worship alone. Loud profession, religious excitement and strong feelings without changed actions prove absence of conversion and cannot sustain through trials. Claims of holiness, sanctification or spiritual enlightenment while disregarding commandments, showing pride, envy, jealousy, insubordination, division and a stubborn spirit unlike Christ expose corrupt character despite profession, and religious words that accompany actions harming others and the cause do not make a life good.
Watching every word and move, suspicion, conjecture, supposition, misinterpreting and misstating words, loving evil reports, feeding like scavengers on evil while refusing to see good done, twisting words to charge false prophecy, tearing the flock, unsettling faith and sending souls adrift, judging motives to detract from fellow workers, are evil fruit proving absence of Christ's Spirit and presence of the satanic spirit of the dragon. A good tree cannot bring forth deception or accusation of brethren, for the Spirit's operations are silent and humble, not boastful, producing steadfast integrity uncorrupted by praise and unswerved by frowns, advancing in humility through conflict in exact harmony with the written Word and its reproofs. Persistent resistance to reproof, hatred of message and messenger, efforts to silence exposure of wrong, and unbecoming agitation with bitter words and works, as seen over the law in Galatians since Minneapolis, are bitter fruit proving the spirit and position not good and calling those manifesting them to question their standing. False claims to revelation mix truth with error, accusation, sensual conduct and flattering promises, but results expose that they lead astray, while a life's good deeds refute slander against it.
In publishing houses, schools, Sabbath schools and enterprises, conduct and work show whether God's appointed work is done, and each publishing house is to remain distinct rather than merged, its fruit judged by quality. Sabbath-school work is judged by the character and actions of pupils, showing whether it is genuine or pretense, and the fruits of any work show whether it leads toward eternal life or death. Workers who belong to Christ do not gather followers around themselves or foster party spirit, contention and division, but lead to Christ and preach uniting truth, while those not sent or qualified scatter and confuse rather than gather and build up, with converts often repeating their deficiencies. Trifling, flirtatious or morally harmful conduct comes from a corrupt source, produces harmful impressions, encourages coquetry and denies Christ, and truth in the soul creates a pure moral taste that rejects it.
Instruction and discipline are seeds bearing good or evil results for life, for good character bears good fruit and corrupt character evil fruit. Indulging children's wishes and letting them follow their own inclinations forms selfish, demanding and overbearing character. No matter how high the profession, evil in word and deed proves the heart not given to God and truth not dwelling in the soul, and a life estranged from God does not honor truth; the heart is the citadel of the whole man, and until wholly on the Lord's side Satan holds in man a strong agent no earthly power can dislodge. When ministers' selfish actions contradict their teaching, observers judge profession by that fruit and may distrust both ministers and truths proclaimed, and continuing unbelief and criticism despite evidence of God's working rejects offered salvation and grace.