No Good Tree Bears Bad Fruit (Luke 6:43-45)

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:43-45)

All bears fruits anyways either good or bad. In the parable Jesus gave tells that truth so pertinently and aptly, saying “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.” They are simply and plainly demonstrated in nature all the time. God made figs and grapes as well as thornbushes and briers, so that we can see the difference.

The principle is exactly applied to humanity as well. Jesus says, “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” No man can pretend to bear good fruits in the sight of God because he sees and knows what is in man’s heart.

Whatever is treasured up in heart will be manifested externally, not necessarily immediately but eventually. Apostle Paul explained it so accurately, saying “To those who by persistence in doing good seek glory, honor and immortality, he will give eternal life. But for those who are self-seeking and who reject the truth and follow evil, there will be wrath and anger.” (Romans 2:7-8) Man may deceive man but not God. It is the universal law of truth.

Bearing fruits is essential and significant for Christians and shall be manifested if they are truly born again by the Spirit. It is not automatically bearing fruits even after experiencing the great joy of salvation. Years and years after the conversion experience, many a people do not show any marks of bearing fruits in life. It is not very difficult to find someone who are not easy to live with, not loving, hard and stubborn even among many church-goers.

If the lifestyle continues to do evil persistently while maintaining all religious forms, they are not genuinely born again but just deceived and duped by the devil. The change and transformation in genuine Christians shall be inevitably followed by the power of the Spirit who indwells within forever.

Paul spells out the question of going on sinning without being changed of the lifestyle and gives the answer, saying “What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer?” (Romans 6:1-2)

We all are born in Adam, fallen and corrupt and blind. All has been locked in the darkness of evil power and dead in sin. But when Jesus came into our hearts, that bondage has been broken and we are made alive which means we have died to sin. Our human spirit is made alive and functioning and operating as God intended it to be before the time began.

As God is spirit we are spirits (John 4:24). Our bodies are still under the influence and power of sin, groaning to be redeemed and clothed with imperishable and incorruptible ones. However, sin shall no longer reign over us for we are not under the law but under grace (Romans 6:14). In Christ Jesus, we are made righteous and justified by the power of God so that we can choose not to sin but obey the perfect law. Christ Jesus is that power available always for all believers.

That’s the good news. We were all bad tree which cannot but bear bad fruits. But in Christ, we are made good tree which cannot but bear good fruits. The fruits that our God pleases is to love one another. Our Lord Jesus Christ gave us a new command.

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.” (John 13:34-35)