Jan 2, 2011

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

Matthew 12:33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit."

Welcome back to the journey. I know that for me these last two weeks have been times of family gatherings, celebrations of the season and reflections on the future. I think that is why as we begin this New Year with Jesus, these words really spoke to me. We as Christians are known by what we produce. That is a pretty simple and straightforward understanding of this passage; however, there is more to the journey than just being good fruit producers. There is the journey to becoming a good person, there is the process of maintaining a good person, and there is the issue of finishing well.

The journey to becoming a good person has its beginning in the realization that within ourselves we are not able to achieve goodness. Real goodness, goodness with purpose, is the result of acceptance of Jesus as our Savior. We call that salvation. It all begins here. Yes, a person can be good without Jesus, but what’s the purpose in that? So what, a life lived without Jesus is a life lived without hope, purpose, fulfillment, direction, and the promise of eternity with God. Goodness is not only about what we do; it is also about what we become. Scripture teaches that at salvation we are changed--life becomes different; the OLD natures are destroyed and behold all things become new. (ref. 2 Cor. 5:17). It is at that point we are set on a journey of goodness. We have become something different than what we were.

The second point is that now we are on a new journey toward that for which we are created--to bring Glory to God. Our journey is filled with trials and success, failures and joys, and new “goodness stuff” to become more of what God has created us to be. Goodness is not a product created on its own but that which is grafted into us. This gives us the promise that if we allow God to change us He will. God is the one who can make the tree good; therefore, God is the one who can produce good in us. What we need to do is trust Him to change us and allow Him to make us good.

Finally, goodness needs to finish well. That is the purpose of the Jesus walk. To keep us reading the word, praying, sharing with others and doing things which bring about good to others. I have discovered that if I don’t put into practice the things I learn, I soon forget them and then the good in me takes longer to produce.

So, my call to you today is to begin the journey to goodness. Let God change you and stay the course so that we finish well! See you on the journey.