Praise the LORD
By their fruits you shall know them Part 3

Text: Matthew 7:16-20

¹⁸ A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. ¹⁹ Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ²⁰ Therefore by their fruits you will know them. Matthew 7:15-20

When you hear “Cut down” It sounds and feels like a hard judgment. No one likes to be judged or condemned, but judgment, especially by God himself is inevitable. For “… it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, Hebrews 9:27 The priority of Jesus in this chapter is to preserve the relationship between the good tree and its branches. Instead of judging it, He cleanses and cares, so that it continually bears good fruits and much fruit. As you know, a good tree “cannot” bear bad fruit, you only get corrupt fruits from bad tree. The Christian life is an individual life or branch on the good tree –

I am the true vine Jesus said and He produces only good fruits. This is how the Lord wants us to see our place in life and in Christ, as He is with the Father in heaven so are, we in this world. 1 John 4:16-17   The Gospel of John 15 provides a clearer picture of how Jesus wants us to live the Christian life.

First, He said, abide in me and I will abide in you. As you might know, the Christian life begins with a personal encounter with Jesus. Behold I stand at the door and knock, He said, if anyone opens the door, I will come in and live in and with him. Rev. 3:20 While you abide in Christ and He in you, your outer man can be challenged by Sin, Satan, evil, wind and storms of life Jesus said be fearless but faithful. For example, Jesus was in a ship with His disciples, but asleep and The storm raged against the boat. Fearfully they woke Him and said, “Teacher, do You not care that we are perishing?” Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, “Peace, be still!” And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. ⁴⁰But He said to them, “Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?” Mark 4:38-41)

The Apostle James and John respectively said also, “resist the devil and he will flee from you.”  And “greater is He who is in you than he that is in the world.” This is the powerful and productive way Jesus wants us to live our lives and work our ministry in Him. Therefore, let your thoughts, words, and actions be fearless, faithful, and fruitful in Jesus.

Paul said, through Christ I can do all things – not only to conquer evil or gain material things but as a matter of life in Christ, you can bear good fruits. And be true ambassador of Jesus Christ in this present world. For by your fruits you will be known, by God and people around you. Secondly Jesus said, this is my commandment to you, Love God, abide in my love and love one another.   For God is love and hate is murder. 1 John 2:11

While hate destroys lives and properties, Love gives and build lives. God demonstrated His love for us, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Rom. 5:8 And what greater love than this, than that a man should give his life for his friends. True love from the perspective of a Christian life, is to be a fruitful branch, showing and sharing the love of God through Christ. This is the fruit that will identify you – “for by their fruits you will know them.” There is no better way to say it than as Paul said, “the life which I now live I do by faith in the son of God who loved me and gave himself for me.” Gal. 2:20 To be successful in life and ministry, you must allow Jesus, to flow through you as the river of living waters. Consequently, through Christ you are able produce good fruits, which glorifies God and bless people.

In conclusion, the Lord promised answers to your prayers with the following conditions:

1. if you live in Him and He lives in you,
2. if you live by His word and His word lives in you, and
3.  if you abide in His love and love one another.

To live in Christ, if you are not there yet, is to turn from yourself, Satan or sin and accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. To live in his word, is to develop hunger and thirst for the reading and study of the Bible. Psalm 119:103 And to love is, through Christ, you share the goodness and mercy of God, with your family, friends, and the world around you. Now when you ask whatever you will, it shall be done for you. Love is the answer to prayers.   With the love of God in Christ, Your Christian life and Prayer life now becomes a vessel of divine agenda. A powerful spiritual weapon of war, which is mighty through God to the pulling down of strong holds; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5 of the lust of the flesh, the pride of life, and the lust of the eyes. Remember, you are no longer impaired to bear good fruits, you are empowered to bate the enemies of your Christian life. Fear not therefore, Christ is in the boat. Abide in Him, be fruitful and multiply so that God is glorified. And by your fruits you will be known. God bless you