Fruit Reveals the Heart

One key aspect of discipleship is understanding how a person’s behavior reveals their heart. In Matthew 7:16, Jesus says, “You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thorn bushes or figs from thistles?” This passage illustrates a logical and common-sense approach to discerning a person’s relationship with God based on the fruit in their life.

To put it simply: Show me the fruit in someone’s life, and I will tell you what they think about God. Observing the fruit gives insight into their relationship with God. This isn’t about judging them but discerning their spiritual state. Some may accuse you of being judgmental, but you’re not being uncharitable—you’re inspecting the fruit.

Consider a person’s life, words, and behavior—the fruit they produce. Based on this fruit, you can draw conclusions about their heart. Let’s break it down from the fruit to the heart:

1. Fruit: This includes their words, behavior, and actions. What you see, hear, and experience from them is the outward manifestation of their heart.
2. Choices: Their behavior stems from their choices. For example, if someone chooses to get angry, that choice reveals something deeper.
3. Beliefs: Choices are based on beliefs. If someone believes anger is the right response, it shows their underlying belief system.
4. Motives: Beneath beliefs lie motives—the desires and motivations of the heart. These motives drive their beliefs and choices.
5. Relationship with God: Ultimately, their motives reveal their thoughts about God. Everyone has thoughts about God, but those thoughts influence their entire life differently.

As you examine these layers, you can discern how their relationship with God influences their life. For example, if someone gets angry, you can trace it back to a choice, which stems from a belief, rooted in a motive, ultimately reflecting their relationship with God. The key idea is that the fruit reveals the heart.

By starting with observable choices and working down to motives and beliefs, you can help someone understand where their relationship with God might be lacking. This approach isn’t about condemnation but about guiding them to a deeper understanding of their spiritual state.