We’ve all heard the expression: “by their fruits you will know them.” It’s from Matthew 7:16.

The actual phrase, in context, in the recent Catholic translation: “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.”

But what is good fruit—and what’s bad?

Obviously, blatant evil is no good: crime, hatred, sexual immorality, greed, satanism, violence, lying, abortion, destruction of anything God has made.

That fruit is rotten to the core.

But how about when it comes to more subtle discernment—as indeed with “mystics:” seers, locutionists, healers?

And everyone else?

Scripture tells us that “the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control” (Galatians 5:22-23). This is very important. Who around you, and in public life, passes the test?

A person’s true nature is revealed through words and, more importantly, actions.

How do you feel in the presence of a person? How does he or she make you feel about yourself?

Anxiety: not good.

Depression: a sure bad sign.

And: are they doing the Will of the Father (or the will of the world)?

Are they and we walking in the flesh or Spirit?

What a person has done with his or her gifts is a good marker. Beware selfish ambition. Beware hubris. Beware ego. Fruits can be deceptive. Ask Eve and Adam. Also, though, a fruit can seem both good and bad. A lemon is sour but has its purpose. Do we have ours?

A positive marker is self-discipline. Produce the right environment and a tree produces.

Balance is key. Too much or too little of anything can affect that production. Authentic selfless intention produces the highest yield in God’s Eyes. Be consistent in your pruning, weeding, fertilizing, and watering.

It gets down to a very simple question, when it comes to being a “fruit inspector”: Does who or what you are weighing, you are trying to discern, bring you closer to God or away from Him?

No matter how nice, if it or they don’t bring you closer to God, it or they lack at least a degree of goodness and perhaps much worse.

Think of this the next time you listen to music, or read about a person, or are viewing someone or considering closeness with a person, place, or thing.

The standard is the Lord, and anything or anyone who causes trouble—however “minor”—in walking with Him (confusion, dispute, division, deception, anxiety, and especially distance) is not functioning with the Grace of Heaven no matter what they say or what they try to project on the surface.

 

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