"A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit." Matthew 7:18
“The good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and the evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For out of the overflow of his heart his mouth speaks." Luke 6:45
Luke 6:45 is a profound verse that Jesus uses to teach his followers about the relationship between the heart and the words that come out of a person's mouth. Jesus says that a good man brings good things out of the good that is stored in his heart, and an evil man brings forth evil from the evil stored up in his heart. This means that whatever is in the heart will ultimately come out in a person's speech and actions. In other words, we cannot say or do anything that is not already present in our hearts.
Jesus uses a simple analogy to reinforce this truth in Matthew 7:18 when he says, "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit." This means that a person's nature is what determines the character of their thoughts, emotions, and actions. If a good nature has been wrought in a person by God, they will produce good fruit, and if they have an evil nature, they will produce bad fruit. Therefore, we need to examine the state of our hearts to ensure that we are keeping in step with the Spirit who produces good fruit in our lives.
This concept is not new to the teachings of Jesus. He had previously addressed it when he spoke to the Jews in John 8:43-44, 47. In this passage, Jesus points out that the reason the Jewish leaders could not understand his teachings was that they were of their father the devil. They were morally impotent to hear the words of Jesus because their nature rendered them incapable of understanding the truth. Jesus goes on to say that only those who are of God can hear his words because they have a nature that is capable of understanding the gospel.
This means that until a person is regenerated by the Holy Spirit, they will not be able to understand the gospel. It is only when a person's heart is transformed by God that they can hear his words, believe and produce good fruit in their lives.
Therefore, it is essential that we guard our hearts and trust in God's grace to work in us, transforming us from the inside out. We need to ask God to reveal any areas of our hearts that need to be purified and to help us produce good fruit in our lives. We must remember that our words and actions are a reflection of our heart, and if we want to glorify God, we maintain constant communion with God, who works in and through us according to his sovereign good pleasure.
In conclusion, Jesus teaches us that our words and actions are a reflection of our heart. We cannot say or do anything that is not already present in our hearts. Therefore, we need to examine the state of our hearts and ask God to transform us from the inside out. Only then can we produce good fruit in our lives and glorify God. Let us seek to have a pure heart that is filled with good things so that we can be a blessing to others and bring glory to our Heavenly Father.
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