Inspecting earthly fruit without judging eternal destinies

Bob Russell Oct. 11, 2024

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"Do not judge, and you will not be judged." (Luke 6:37)

"Each tree is recognized by its own fruit." (Luke 6:44)

What is the difference between being a judge and being a fruit inspector?

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus commanded, "Do not judge." Yet, He was not prohibiting us from exercising discernment. In the same sermon, He warned His followers to beware of false prophets and not to cast pearls before swine. We cannot distinguish between true and false prophets or sheep and swine without proper judgment.

The Church at Corinth was commanded to remove from their fellowship a man who was flaunting sexual immorality (1 Cor. 5:2).The Ephesians were told to "have nothing to do with the fruitless deeds of darkness" (Eph. 5:11). The Galatians were instructed to restore those who are caught in some sin (Gal. 6:1). And Timothy was taught to publicly rebuke leaders who sin (1 Tim. 5:20). Each of these responses required wise judgments about other people's behavior.

We have to practice careful discernment about who we marry, who we hire, who we trust with our money, who we allow to babysit our children, and who we vote for. While we must judge character at times, we are not to consign people to heaven or hell. That's God's job alone. We should not judge others with a measurement we are unwilling to impose on ourselves. That is hypocritical. We should not judge others by a standard other than God's Word. That is unjust.

However, we should inspect the fruit of others' lives to determine whether they are authentic followers of Christ or mere pretenders. "Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thorn bushes or grapes from briers" (Luke 6:44).

A genuine Christian produces the fruit of the Spirit. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control" (Gal 5:22-23). Those Christ-like virtues should be increasingly evident in the life of an authentic believer.

A genuine Christian produces the fruit of evangelism. A healthy tree reproduces itself. Jesus accused the Pharisees of making converts who were twice the children of hell as they were. Authenticity can be determined by evaluating converts. Are there any new converts? Are their followers genuinely walking with Christ? Each tree is recognized by its own fruit.

A genuine Christian produces the fruit of godly children. The Apostle Paul cautioned against appointing elders whose own children were disrespectful and unbelieving (1 Timothy 3:4-5). Of course, there are exceptions. Sometimes worms invade an apple on a healthy apple tree, but we can tell a lot about a person by the fruit of their loins.

A genuine Christian speaks in a way that is pure and godly. "For out of the overflow of his heart the mouth speaks" (Luke 6:45). You can tell the nature of a tree by the fruit that bursts forth from its branches. You can discern much about a person by how they talk."Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name"(Heb 13:15).

A genuine Christian produces the fruit of increasing maturity. No Christian is perfect, but a genuine Christian grows in service to others and deepens in doctrinal understanding. "And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God" (Col 1:10).

It has been said that nailing apples to a telephone pole doesn't make it an apple tree. Likewise, just tacking a label or some good deeds onto a person doesn't make them a Christian. A genuine Christian naturally produces fruit that bears evidence of a life abiding in the Vine.

"This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples" (John 15:8).

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Bob Russell became the pastor of Southeast Christian Church at just 22 years old. That small congregation of 120 members became one of the largest churches in America, with 18,000 people attending the four worship services every weekend in 2006 when Bob retired. Now through Bob Russell Ministries, Bob continues to preach at churches; conferences throughout the United States, provide guidance for church leadership, mentor other ministers and author Bible study videos for use in small groups. Learn More »

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