"YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS!"

Matthew 7:15-20                     (ESV)

"15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.

16 You will "YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS". Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?

17 So, every "healthy tree" bears "good fruit", but the "diseased tree" bears "bad fruit".

18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit.

19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

20 Thus "YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS."

Recently there was a somewhat "risqué" picture on my Facebook wall posted by a friend I had accepted within the past month.  I "hid" the picture from view and continued looking at my wall. A little further down my wall another post from the same friend was quoting scripture and had a statement about living for CHRIST.  My mind immediately went to the verse that says "YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS"!  

In reading in Matthew 7:17 though, I noticed something that caught my attention.  Being human, there are none of us "without fault" in our lives.  If my life were examined, it would be a rather humbling observation.  But according to scripture a "healthy tree" produces "good fruit"!  It is not because the healthy tree TRIES harder, or is has a better genealogy.  It simply is because their is "good" inside that tree and the "fruits" have no choice but to be "good"!  Conversely, a "diseased tree" has no option to produce anything but "bad fruit"!  We can attempt to display "good fruit", but if we don't have "good" inside us, we will continually some up short.  

We are not to judge, according to scripture (Matthew 7:1).  But JESUS said "YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS".  No one us can produce fruits that are different from what is inside us.  It is incumbent upon us to be able to INSPECT the FRUIT of those around us.  Not to ridicule and condemn, but to encourage and exhort them to have their lives transplanted into a "NEW CREATION"!  

Our GOD is a loving and HOLY GOD and HE cannot abide a sinful life.  HE loves us so much that HE sent JESUS as our only hope of reconciliation to HIM.  All humankind is required to do is admit that JESUS is GOD and surrender our desires and direction of our lives to HIM.  When we do this, HE will make sure our lives are transplanted and "YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THEM BY THEIR FRUITS"!