By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
Not everyone who says to me, "Lord, Lord," will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will sat to me on that day, "Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?" Then I will tell them plainly, "I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers."
~ Matthew 7:16-23
This was the passage of scripture my son and I studied this morning for school. Instead of thinking of someone else when I read this (as is my custom), I almost couldn't talk about it with him feeling that the bad tree and bad fruit were descriptions of me.
... A good tree cannot bear bad fruit ... A person who "loves the Lord" cannot "have a lack of love of people". That's how I read that.
I am a bad tree. I cannot bear good fruit.
How do I become a good tree again? Have I ever been a good tree?
Man, oh man.
Strangely, The Message version is talking about preachers when it is talking about good trees and bad trees. It is talking about preachers with charisma, out to rip you off. That is the context of the passage. {Aren't we all preachers of the gospel, however? So maybe it's warning to any of us claiming to be preaching the gospel. It's not about charisma and us looking good and taking glory. It's about God.}
But, versus 21-23 in The Message say this ...
"Knowing the correct password—saying 'Master, Master,' for instance— isn't going to get you anywhere with me. What is required is serious obedience—doing what my Father wills. I can see it now—at the Final Judgment thousands strutting up to me and saying, 'Master, we preached the Message, we bashed the demons, our God-sponsored projects had everyone talking.' And do you know what I am going to say? 'You missed the boat. All you did was use me to make yourselves important. You don't impress me one bit. You're out of here.'
What is required is serious obedience!
Ooohhh ... I have a lot of trouble with the issue of obedience.
I've always known that obedience is my problem. I have always said I have a disobedient spirit. I don't like to be told what to do. I have pride issues. I think I know everything. I never follow the crowd, whether in good things or bad. {It's truly a God-given miracle that I am reading this book because it's something many are doing, and I don't do the things "many are doing".}
Anyway, back to obedience.
I guess it's time for me to get down to the nitty-gritty.
Ugghhhhhh ..... I hate getting dirty.
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