October 26, 2018 – Matthew 12:33

“A tree is identified by its fruit. If a tree is good, its fruit will be good. If a tree is bad, its fruit will be bad.” Matthew 12:33.

We don’t expect to see apples on an orange tree, or figs on a walnut tree.  

A person is like a tree, who produces good fruit.  So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of His will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. Colossians 1:9-10.  

 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.  Matthew 7:20.  How does spiritual wisdom and understanding appear in our lives?  What does it look like.  First of all, it comes from the Holy Spirit.  It is not bought or sold, it comes from the heart.   This fruit MARKS a person who LOVES.  

 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! Galatians 5:22-23.

For as he thinks in his heart, so is he. Proverbs 23:7a NKJV.  Finally, brethren, whatever things are true, whatever things are noble, whatever things are just, whatever things are pure, whatever things are lovely, whatever things are of good report, if there is any virtue and if there is anything praiseworthy—meditate on these things.  Philippians 4:8.

“A good person produces good things from the treasury of a good heart, and an evil person produces evil things from the treasury of an evil heart. And I tell you this, you must give an account on judgment day for every idle word you speak. The words you say will either acquit you or condemn you.” Matthew 12:35-37.