Ye shall know them by their fruits
Matthew 7:15-20
¶ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16 Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17 Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19 Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Why did Jesus teach about the fruits of men? Could it be that he knew that in the future men would attempt to deceive his own people by using Jesus for their profit or personal aims, and or claiming they are a “chosen one”, or even as the Christ?
Matthew 24:3-5
And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? 4 ¶ And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. 5 For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many.
Matthew 24:23-27
Then if any man shall say unto you, Lo, here is Christ, or there; believe it not. 24 For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall shew great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect. 25 Behold, I have told you before. 26 Wherefore if they shall say unto you, Behold, he is in the desert; go not forth: behold, he is in the secret chambers; believe it not. 27 For as the lightning cometh out of the east, and shineth even unto the west; so shall also the coming of the Son of man be.
This is one possible reason, but Jesus clearly was trying to teach us a lesson in discernment of the fruits of men.
A good tree brings forth good fruit, and a corrupt tree brings forth corrupt fruit. A tree cannot bring forth fruit that is contrary to its actual nature.
Jesus then teaches that every tree that brings forth bad fruit, not bringing forth good fruit, is destroyed, hewn down, and cast away into the fire.
John the Baptist also proclaimed this idea.
Luke 3:7-9
Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. 9 And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Jesus is witnessed talking about trees and fruits again.
Mathew 12:33-35
Either make the tree good, and his fruit good; or else make the tree corrupt, and his fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by his fruit. 34 O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things? for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. 35 A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.
Luke 6:43-45
For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.
Jesus, here, is communicating the idea that one can make the tree good and his fruit good or make the tree corrupt. He states that out of the heart, the mouth speaks, and one shall know from what is being said, what kind of fruit the person has. Out of a good heart proceeds good things, but out a corrupt or evil man and his heart, comes evil things.
Jesus continued to elaborate on this theme.
Matthew 15:10-20
¶ And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: 11 Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man. 12 Then came his disciples, and said unto him, Knowest thou that the Pharisees were offended, after they heard this saying? 13 But he answered and said, Every plant, which my heavenly Father hath not planted, shall be rooted up. 14 Let them alone: they be blind leaders of the blind. And if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch. 15 Then answered Peter and said unto him, Declare unto us this parable. 16 And Jesus said, Are ye also yet without understanding? 17 Do not ye yet understand, that whatsoever entereth in at the mouth goeth into the belly, and is cast out into the draught? 18 But those things which proceed out of the mouth come forth from the heart; and they defile the man. 19 For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: 20 These are the things which defile a man: but to eat with unwashen hands defileth not a man.
Mark 7:14-23
And when he had called all the people unto him, he said unto them, Hearken unto me every one of you, and understand: 15 There is nothing from without a man, that entering into him can defile him: but the things which come out of him, those are they that defile the man. 16 If any man have ears to hear, let him hear. 17 And when he was entered into the house from the people, his disciples asked him concerning the parable. 18 And he saith unto them, Are ye so without understanding also? Do ye not perceive, that whatsoever thing from without entereth into the man, it cannot defile him; 19 Because it entereth not into his heart, but into the belly, and goeth out into the draught, purging all meats? 20 And he said, That which cometh out of the man, that defileth the man. 21 For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders, 22 Thefts, covetousness, wickedness, deceit, lasciviousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness: 23 All these evil things come from within, and defile the man.
Jesus was confronting the pharisees and scribes of their Judaism, or their corrupt traditions of men, who think that things that are unclean defile the person touching them. Jesus rejects this, and shows that it is not that which is without a man that defiles a man, but that which comes from within.
Jesus is talking about the heart, from out of the heart come things which can defile a man. Jesus mentions what arises out the heart, or mind of men, are evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, and blasphemies. These are the things which defile a man, not worrying about washing of hands, and washing plates, and keeping things clean such as the legal Judaism’ cleansing laws taught.
Later, Jesus taught his disciples an amazing truth regarding fruits.
John 15:1-8
¶ I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3 Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5 I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6 If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7 If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8 Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples.
Jesus teaches he is the true vine and his Father is the husbandman, or the one who takes care of the vine’s growth. He cuts away that which does not bear fruit, and prunes the vine, so that new growth of good fruit shall take place.
Jesus teaches he is the vine, and we, or those in Christ, are of the branches, and the branches cannot survive except by their attachment to the vine and roots. He that abides in Christ Jesus brings forth much fruit. But he who does not abide in Christ Jesus, is as a withered branch that is cut off and then burned in the fire.
The growth, or fruit, the good fruits, come only if we abide in Jesus the Christ.
Read what Christ’s apostle Paul teaches to the church at Rome.
Romans 6:20-23
For when ye were the servants of sin, ye were free from righteousness. 21 What fruit had ye then in those things whereof ye are now ashamed? for the end of those things is death. 22 But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life. 23 For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Paul is teaching that before we came to Christ, we were of fruits of sin and corruption, but now in Christ Jesus we have the good fruits of holiness, righteousness and everlasting life.
Paul later in his letter to the Galatians, identifies fruits of corruption and the fruits of God’s righteousness.
Galatians 5:19-25
Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. 24 And they that are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Here, we see the corrupt fruits, as Jesus spoke about, coming from an evil heart. Paul writes of them as works of the flesh.
The works of the flesh are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, and revellings, etc.
Paul them describes and identifies the fruits of God’s Spirit.
The Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, and temperance.
These are the good fruits. When Jesus said, "make the tree good and its fruit good," the only way one makes the tree good, is if we choose to believe in Jesus the Christ, and become a fruitful branch of the vine that is Jesus.
Paul also spoke of the fruit of the Spirit to the church of Ephesus.
Ephesians 5:1-11
¶ Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children; 2 And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour. 3 ¶ But fornication, and all uncleanness, or covetousness, let it not be once named among you, as becometh saints; 4 Neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor jesting, which are not convenient: but rather giving of thanks. 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and of God. 6 Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience. 7 Be not ye therefore partakers with them. 8 For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light: 9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) 10 Proving what is acceptable unto the Lord. 11 And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them.
As Jesus said before, out of a good heart proceeds good things, and out of an evil heart proceed evil things. Well, a man is known by his fruit by what he says, and by his actions too.
The mouth is the main place of communication of good or evil speaking.
The apostle James wrote to the church about the evil nature of the tongue.
James 3:8-4:4
But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison. 9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh. 13 ¶ Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work. 17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace. 1 ¶ From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? 2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. 3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts. 4 Ye adulterers and adulteresses, know ye not that the friendship of the world is enmity with God? whosoever therefore will be a friend of the world is the enemy of God.
James is saying the same thing Jesus said, but in a different way.
James writes of the wisdom that is not from God, but earthly, or fleshly wisdom, which is devilish and sensual. For where there is envying and strife, or hatred, there is confusion, hypocrisy, and every evil work.
James teaches that Godly wisdom is peaceable, gentile, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy.
So, if we listen to Jesus and the apostles, or his disciples, we too should be able to discern the difference between good fruits and bad fruits, between men who speak evil and those who speak truth and good. We will then know who are the true ministers of God and who are evil false prophets, and those who deceitfully use Christ, or Christianity, for their purpose and own evil means.
We should be able to know them by their fruits.
I pray that this brief study in the fruits of men will help you to discern between those good and bad or evil fruits of men, whether they be of every day men, or leaders in high authority.
If you don’t know Jesus and are not attached to the true Vine, which is Christ Jesus, then I invite you to learn of him now.
Do you know about Jesus?
He came to die for your sins!
Jesus came that you might have the fruits of eternal life and the righteousness of God.
Is your fruit tree corrupt, or are you in Jesus, bearing good fruit to salvation?
Read this article on what you should do to bear good fruits.