What is fruit

Jesus refers to in Matthew 7:16-20 is a metaphor for the outward evidence of a person's character, actions, and heart. In this passage, Jesus warns about false prophets and teaches that their true nature will be revealed by their "fruit." Here’s the key verse:

"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?" (Matthew 7:16).

Understanding the "Fruit"

  1. The Fruit Represents Actions and Behavior: Just as a tree produces fruit that reflects its nature (e.g., an apple tree produces apples), a person's actions and behaviors reveal the state of their heart and their relationship with God. Jesus emphasizes that good trees produce good fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. This means that a true follower of Christ will demonstrate godly qualities, while a false prophet or insincere believer will exhibit ungodly behavior.

  2. The Fruit Reflects the Holy Spirit:
    For believers, the "fruit" of their lives should align with the fruit of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5:22-23:

    "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control." When someone is walking in step with the Holy Spirit, their life will naturally display these characteristics.

  3. False Prophets Show Corrupt Fruit:
    False teachers or people with ungodly motives may appear righteous outwardly, but their fruit will ultimately reveal their true nature. This aligns with Matthew 7:21-23, where Jesus explains that not everyone who claims to know Him truly does, saying, "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."

How to Discern Good vs. Bad Fruit

  • Examine Their Teaching: Does what they teach align with Scripture? (See Acts 17:11 where the Bereans are commended for checking Paul’s teaching against Scripture.)
  • Observe Their Actions: Are their lives characterized by love, humility, and obedience to God's Word? Or do they display greed, pride, and selfishness?
  • Assess Their Impact: Are they building others up in faith, or are they causing division, confusion, or harm?

Practical Application

For us as believers, this teaching calls us to:

  1. Examine Our Own Lives: Are we producing fruit consistent with a life transformed by Christ? Jesus said, "Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself" (John 15:4).
  2. Be Discerning: We are called to be wise and discerning in identifying leaders, teachers, or influences that could harm our faith or lead us astray.

Closing Thought

The "fruit" is ultimately about authenticity—living in a way that genuinely reflects Christ. As Jesus reminds us in John 15:8:

"This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples."

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