A right relationship with God is revealed by the results that are produced...

This week we have been looking at a section of a famous sermon that Jesus preached, called the Sermon on the Mount, which is recorded for us in a section of an account of Jesus life in the Bible called the gospel of Matthew. Yesterday, in Matthew 7:15, Jesus commanded those who were listening to His sermon to beware of the false prophets. When the letters that make up the Bible refer to false prophets, this term refers to an individual or group of individuals who falsely claim to be a prophet of God who serves as God’s messenger or spokesman.

Jesus painted a word picture that those listening to His sermon would be very familiar with to reveal the reality that, just like wolves, false prophets would be constantly looking for the opportunity to stalk and to hunt down those who were striving to follow God. And these false prophets, in their stalking and hunting of those who were striving to follow God, would externally give the appearance of being right with God and speaking on behalf of God.

However, the reality was that, underneath their external covering that was used to attempt to deceive those who were striving to follow God, these false prophets were marked by an internal heart condition that was opposed to God and that was driven by a desire to destroy the people of God. And because of that reality, Jesus commanded the crowds listening to be on the alert for shady false prophets.

Now a natural question that could arise here is a question that has arisen throughout history. And that question is this: How are we supposed to be able to distinguish between the sheep and the wolves if externally there appears to be no difference between the sheep and the wolves? How are we supposed to recognize a false spokesman for God if they are able to give the external appearance of being right with God and a true spokesman for God? How do we know the difference between a person who is a true spokesman for God and a person who is a false spokesman for God?

 If that question is running through your mind, I just want to let you know that is a great question to be asking. And fortunately for us, we see Jesus provide the answer to that question in what He says next. So, let’s look at what Jesus says next, which is found in Matthew 7:16-18:

"You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? ¹⁷ "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ¹⁸ "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.

Now to fully wrap our minds around what Jesus is communicating here, I want us to think of a crabapple tree and an apple tree. In the winter you cannot tell the difference between a crabapple tree and an apple tree because in the winter these trees are not producing any fruit. However, while these trees look almost identical externally in the winter, they are very different internally. While these trees look identical externally, they produce very different fruit.

Growing up we had a crabapple tree in our front yard, and I can personally tell you that the fruit of a crabapple tree is extremely tart and nasty. A crabapple is a small hard piece of fruit that is only good for throwing at other people. Crabapples look very different than an apple. It is only when the summer and fall come, when the trees begin to produce fruit, are we really able to tell which tree is a crabapple tree and which tree is an apple tree. It is the fruit, or what is produced by these trees, that enables us to distinguish the difference between a sweet apple and a sour nasty crabapple.

And that is Jesus point. Jesus here is revealing the reality that it is the fruit, or the results that are produced in the life of these prophets that will enable one to distinguish between a person who is a true spokesman for God and a person who is a false spokesman for God. In addition, Jesus also revealed to the crowds listening the reality that a tree cannot produce anything externally that is contrary to their true nature internally.

Just as grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, Jesus explained that a good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Jesus point is that the fruit, or the results that are produced externally, provides the evidence of what is present internally. Jesus then hammered His point home in what He says next. So, let’s look together at what Jesus says next in Matthew 7:19-20:

"Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ "So then, you will know them by their fruits.

Here we see Jesus paint a word picture to reveal how God will respond to the evidence of what is present internally in the life of a person that is revealed by the results that are produced externally by the life of that person. When Jesus talks about being thrown into the fire, this word picture is used in the letters that make up the Bible to describe the fires of judgment.  Jesus uses this word picture to reveal the reality that every person whose life produces the results that reveal the reality that they are worthy of punishment as a result of having a heart that is rebellious against God will experience that punishment.

And because of that reality, Jesus explained that you will be able to recognize false prophets by the results that are produced by their lives. And similarly, a true spokesman for God who is living in a right relationship with God will be able to be recognized as a result of the results that are produced by their lives. And it is here that we see Jesus reveal for us a timeless truth about the true nature of what it means to obey the message and teachings of Jesus and the true nature of a lifestyle that is living a right relationship with Jesus.

And that timeless truth is that a right relationship with God is revealed by the results that are produced. The timeless reality is that it is the fruit, or the results that are produced in our lives, that reveals what is going on internally when it comes to the place that God has in our lives.  Once again, we see that Jesus is concerned with our internal heart condition.

Jesus is concerned with our internal heart condition because Jesus knows, and human history has shown, that what is in the heart will eventually spill out. And what spills out of our hearts is the fruit, or the results that are produced as a result of our internal heart condition. And that fruit cannot be faked for any significant period of time.

Sure, you might be able to fool some people for some period of time, but eventually your behavior will betray what you say is going on inside to instead reveal what is truly going on inside. You see, you can only fake it for so long before you become exhausted trying to produce fruit externally that you are unable to produce because of what is present internally.

Friday, we will see Jesus reveal this reality in what He says next...