What Is Your Fruit?

“Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.” (Mt 7:16-17 AV)

This passage is often used to justify the practice of discerning who is a believer and who is not.  However, this passage is about false prophets in the business of their prophesying, not the believer in his lifestyle.  It can be helpful to attempt to discern the genuineness of a profession of faith when considering an individual for membership or service.  Sometimes it is even necessary.  Using this passage as a means of judging one another was not the intent.  What Christ was teaching his disciples was the principle of following qualified leadership and one way we do that is to see what they are producing.

The Spirit wishes us to consider this passage from the prophet’s point of view.  In short, what are we producing?  What kind of disciples are we bringing forth?  Are they wholly following the LORD?  Do they care about what the Bible says?  Do they pray oft?  Are they reproducing themselves in the lives of others?  Do they last?  I am afraid in our rush to build bigger and better kingdom estates, we have neglected the fruit.  Are our churches just as riddled with sin as the world?  Do we see any distinction between those who attend church and those who do not?  Just because there are professions and the baptismal waters stir does not mean there are conversion.  When we begin to look at our own ministries, do we spend as much or more time on discipleship as we do winning the lost?  What are we leaving behind?  How much Bible do our converts know much less how many verses can they recite from memory?

Being a prophet of God is a great honor.  However, if the fruit we leave behind hasn’t truly made a difference, then we are not doing a service to the LORD Jesus.  We are much like the false prophets who love to be heard but do not wish to do the hard work of raising babes in Christ.  It is sad to see so many churches struggling today.  Not so much with numerical growth.  But a lack of true holiness.  We have the drums, but not the diligence.  We have to fellowships, but not the following.  We have the services, but not the sacrifice.  We have the happy times, but not the holiness.  Something is missing and it starts with the pulpits!