(The following is the January 8 devotional from my Next Step Devotions book. Before reading it, I suggest you read Matthew 7 and pay close attention to verses 15-20.)
No human can see with perfect clarity inside another person’s heart. We have difficulty understanding our own hearts with our ongoing battle between the new nature we have in Christ and the desires of the flesh. So it is impossible to perceive with certainty the depths of someone else’s innermost being.
How, then, do we obey Jesus’ command to “be on your guard against false prophets who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravaging wolves” (v. 15)? The answer is in the next verse. We observe the fruit they bear. Jesus said, “You’ll recognize them by their fruit” (v. 16). One of my former pastors said, “We can’t see another person’s heart, but we can be fruit inspectors.”
Jesus noted that we do not get grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles. Healthy trees don’t produce unhealthy fruit, and sick trees don’t yield healthy fruit, so we should look at the fruit of someone’s life to discern whether they are who they claim to be in Christ. Jesus’ warning is in the context of false prophets with hearts like ravaging wolves. They come in sheep’s clothing and damage God’s flock if not recognized and stopped.
All Christians should be fruitful for God’s kingdom. No one gets a pass. Jesus’ warning for the fruitless is dire: “Every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (v. 19). The command to guard against false prophets also applies to us. We must guard against our motives, actions, and doctrines producing unhealthy fruit contrary to God’s will (2 Cor. 13:5).
May we be wise fruit inspectors and start by inspecting our own.
Next Step:
Reflect on your past year of service for Christ. What godly fruit have you produced? Was there anything a Christian fruit inspector might consider unhealthy? Was there enough fruit, given the needs around us? What can you do differently to bear more fruit for God’s kingdom?
