The Root and Fruit of Christian Life

If asked the question… “Are you against Christ?” I think most people would say no, of course not. The real question is not about being against Him, but whether we are positively for and in favor of the real Jesus of the Bible, as he reveals himself to be, and then having come to understand who He is, choosing emphatically and unreservedly that you would want nothing more than to be gathered to Him.

The Pharisees looked like they were on God’s team. White washed graves. The outside of the cup is clean, but the inside is dirty. Jesus is saying that it’s all about the fruit, and the fruit is the result of the root.

When it comes to fruit, Jesus teaches about words and actions. In this text he highlights our words. Earlier in Matthew 7:15-20 he speaks more of actions when he warns of the wolves in sheep clothing. And it’s in that context that Jesus says many will prophesy and cast out demons in the name of Jesus, and then on Judgement day Jesus will say “depart from me, you workers of lawlessness”.

So, it’s more than words. And it’s more than actions. It’s the heart. It’s the root, and if the root is good, the fruit will be good.

Jesus sees the root. One of the questions we need to be asking ourselves this morning is this. “Are the words of my mouth a sweet and heavenly fruit that reflects a healthy life rooted in faith in Christ?

So, that’s what we’re looking at today… it’s a continuation of Jesus’s warning to the Pharisees, but it’s also an expansion of that teaching to include all people, because we will all stand before the judgement seat of Christ and give an account for every word.

So as we walk through this passage, we will consider three main points together.

Examining the fruit of our lives

Understanding the root cause

We will all give account

Look at v33 and the first part of 34 “Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil?

The wisdom and clarity from Christ on this matter is once again what we need to lean into.

Either make the tree good, or make it bad - because the resulting fruit is fully dependent on the kind of tree that it is, or that YOU are. And there’s only two kinds of trees in the Kingdom - two kinds of people.

There are people with good fruit and people with bad fruit.

What is fruit? If I don’t explain this, and you’ve not grown up in a Christian home, or you’re not a Christian, or brand new believer, then this could just be very weird for you. But, in fact, it’s very helpful.

If I asked you to examine the fruit of your life, it’s as simple as asking you what is your life producing? Fruit is produce. A fruitful harvest, whether it be apples, or rice, or dragon fruit, or peanuts, is the result of long hours, faithful planting, healthy and good practices, and a combination of a lot of other circumstances that God has designed to work. When the fruit comes, the farmer examines it. If he planted corn seed, and then goes out and picks an ear of healthy corn....then success. If you go to the corn farmer, and ask if you can go pick from the fruit of his labors, you’re going to go in and expect what? CORN! You will know if it is corn by the fruit of it.

In this passage, the Pharisees had uttered blasphemy from their mouths. That was the fruit. They can stand there all day long and try to convince people that they are of God, but Jesus is quite clearly saying…the fruit says it all. And in this case, he fruit he was referring to was their words. We know their actions spoke loudly as well, as do our actions...but here it’s about the words of our mouth.

As Christians, we are commanded to examine the fruit of our lives, and also to be aware of the fruit of other’s lives for the sake of accountability, and counsel. We know that others can see the fruit quite clearly most of the time. But are you examining the fruit, and are you being honest about what you see?

Because if you can be honest in this, what comes next is much easier.

The Scriptures tell us exactly where the good fruit of a Christian’s life comes from. It comes from a regenerated heart that is justified by Christ through faith, and filled with the Spirit of God. It is the goodness of the Spirit of God within that person that produces fruitfulness.

Turn over to Galatians 5:16-26 and look at v16 with me. Let’s just reminded of these things. Hear the clear word of the Lord.

16 But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. 17 For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do. 18 But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. 19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. 24 And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

25 If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

You can see the harmony between Jesus’s words, and Paul’s. Paul says calls the root of the fruit, desires. It’s desires of the flesh, or desires of the Spirit. And you can see in the list given here in Galatians that, whether you read the good list, or the bad list…Christians should be convicted by all of them.

When I read the evident works of the flesh, I’m struck at how much my heart still needs Jesus. I can’t look at this list and say like the publican, Lord I thank you that I’m just not like those people…those sorcerers, rivalry causing, divisive, angry idolaters. But I also cannot look at the good fruit and say, wow, I’ve arrived at perfection.

What are your thoughts this morning as you think about the fruit your life produces? Is the tree good, or is it bad? If the fruit is good according to Scripture, you’ll humbly confess Jesus as your only righteousness, and the covering for all your failings. If it’s bad, you’ll be bitter. You’ll make excuses. You’ll just work harder in your own strength. Brothers and sisters, we should agree with Paul’s prayer in v26...Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Turn back to Matthew 12:34

Jesus called them out…You brood of vipers. Essentially it’s a term that means, “You children of the snake.” Their hearts are evil. The fruit made it clear. They cannot speak good fruit, because the root was bad.

So that’s the next section...

Understanding the root cause...

In other words, or to put in in the form of a doctrine or teaching we need to know…we’re talking about the doctrine of human depravity, or human nature.

What causes the fruit? It’s the heart. The root cause of the fruit is the heart.

Here’s how Jesus speaks about it in verse 34 and 35 “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil.”

So this is the root. Jesus calls it the good treasure or the bad treasure of the heart. Whether good or bad, whatever there is an abundance of, that’s what comes out.

But don’t miss the pointed nature of what Jesus is saying.

The reason the Pharisees spoke evil regarding Christ is because they WERE evil! It was their nature.

Better them than me, right? WRONG. It’s the nature we’re all born with. That’s the doctrine of human depravity. The heart of all men and women, boys and girls, young and old, until interrupted by a new nature, and outside nature, the nature of someone who is truly good - that being Christ - that person, is evil.

And the world screams in opposition to this teaching…You haters, you bigots, people are basically good, not basically evil…forgetting that the measure of good and evil is not a standard of man but a standard of God. Good according to what standard? Your own?

There’s no good news in that. That’s relativism. That world view want’s human beings to be the inventors of morality and goodness, and seeks to get rid of any absolute truth…but try as one might, the word of God remains the only source of good news for a truly fallen world filled with sinners who have broken the good law of God.

You’ve examined the fruit, and that’s good for Christians to do. But the examination of the heart - to determine whether the heart, the root, the storehouse where your true treasures are kept - to determine its state, you need the divine help of God.

Jeremiah 17:9-10 The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it? “I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.”

This is the language of the Word of God and we must deal with out lives in accordance with this truth. According to God’s word, the sinful human heart cannot even understand how wicked it is. Deceitful, a factory of Idol’s (as John Calvin put it), desperately sick.

As a Christian, though I find myself safely in the hands of Jesus today, and at peace about my forgiveness…I still look at words like this and I am struck with its truth. I’m not beating myself up. I don’t have a self-esteem problem. You know, that’s not the problem with most people, that they don’t esteem themselves enough. The problem is that we esteem ourselves far too highly, and save nothing for God who deserves our praise.

Upon further examination of your heart this morning, going from the fruit to the root…you might find a tendency in you to push against all of this. Even Christians can think of themselves and conclude - “I’m really not that bad.” That’s a life that is ignoring the Word of God.

Spurgeon once said...”If any man thinks ill of you, do not be angry with him, for you are worse than he thinks you to be.”

The root cause of good and evil fruit is a good or evil heart, and no man is good buy Christ, and so we must conclude with Scripture that the only hope for such utter depravity and hardness of heart is the grace of God.

Finally, let’s address the final portion of this text, and that is…We will all give account.

Listen to these next 2 verses.

v37-37 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Another way of saying it is - There will be record books opened, and on that day, every word we’ve spoken will be there. God misses nothing. There will be silly words. Made up words. Funny and joyful words. But just think with me for just a second…our words will have some part in condemning or justifying us on the day of judgement. Some in this room might stand there on that day, wishing to enter, hoping you did enough, but the record books will be open - what have you said?How many idle words have you said?

There will be course words, curses, lies, slanders, gossip, hatred…and at the top of all of these is this category mentioned here in the text. There is a record book in which is kept every idle word you and I have ever spoken. And what is an idle word but words without purpose, utter carelessness, unprofitable foolishness from lips that God created to worship him?

Can you think of a set of words more useless and good for nobody than what the Pharisees’s just said that sparked this whole discourse?

“Only by the prince of demons does He cast out demons.” How utterly foolish. What will be your verdict if judged by your words alone? Justified? or Condemned?

There’s a way that you must see this, and it is through the Gospel lens..

If you’ve examined the fruit of your lives in light of truth, you either feel confident about heaven or condemned. And if we understand the root of the sin nature in light of the truth of Scripture, then we know that there is no way to be right before God without a new nature given to us. There must be a greater power at work to save us, and keep us, and keep giving us a blessed assurance that Jesus is mine, I’ve been purchased, I’ve been washed in His blood. The desperately wicked heart will continue to produce evil until the Spirit of God comes into a sinners life, and when a person, any person, any sinner, no matter who you are, turns from their life of sin and rebellion to believe fully on Jesus the Son of God. Then. Then…the account of words and deeds that would otherwise condemn you are graciously balanced by the blood of Christ.

What does He owe? What does she owe for these idle, sinful, and careless words?

They owe nothing, for Christ has paid the debt in full.

Church, in light of this…let’s be fruitful. Make the tree good, and the fruit will be good. Root yourself in Christ alone, by faith alone…and you will produce good fruit for His glory. Root yourself in the world, and the fruit will continue to rot, and be good for nothing.