Speaking to His disciples in Matthew 7, Jesus describes His people as spiritual fruit “trees” who produce spiritual “fruit.” However, as He also pointed out, Satan’s people are also spiritual fruit trees who produce spiritual fruit. The difference lies in the types of “trees” involved and the types of “fruit” produced. What Jesus says about this issue is of utmost importance in that it distinguishes between true saints who belong to Him and false saints who believe they do.

“Even so, every good tree brings forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree brings forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.” Note that there is no tree that can produce both good fruit (righteousness) and bad fruit (sin). In the eyes of God it is all or nothing–one is either a good tree who produces good fruit OR one is an evil tree that produces evil fruit.  With these Words Jesus condemns the one who claims to be “a sinner saved by grace.” Unless Jesus Christ lied to us, as the church masses proclaim, THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS A SAVED SINNER–A SINNER CANNOT INHERIT ETERNAL LIFE. A profound Truth was proclaimed by the Lord in the Matthew 7 account: One is either righteous OR evil, for the two cannot exist in the same person. He makes this abundantly clear in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18: “… for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness … light with darkness … Christ with Belial (Satan)?” Professing Christendom (Catholicism/Protestantism) loudly and continuously declares that Jesus lied in the above statements. For this reason He commands that true God-seekers have no spiritual dealings with those in the Institutional Church. He commands His people to “… come out from among them and be separate … touch not the unclean thing ….” Only then, He declares, will He be one’s Father and one will be His child. Understanding of this Scriptural principle is of utmost importance. One must totally reject what man (read Satan) says about the tree-fruit situation and wholeheartedly embrace God’s Word on the subject. We are spiritually (righteous or evil) what we consume spiritually (good or bad fruit). We produce spiritually what we consume spiritually. If we consume bad fruit we will produce bad fruit. What we consume is either the Word of God (Truth–Jn. 17:17) or the word of Satan. God knows us by our fruit. The fruit one produces is determined by what one hears from one’s minister who has been sent by either God or Satan. If the word church people are hearing, believing and obeying is the Truth coming from God’s minister they will produce good fruit and be saved at the return of Jesus Christ. The opposite is also true. The problem is that THE INSTITUTIONAL CHURCH HAS NEVER HEARD GOD’S TRUTH. Never having heard the Truth and seeing no reason to search it out, she is easy pickings for the devil. Having lived on Pablum that is ingested without effort, she has no interest in steak that must be chewed. Being hooked on Satan’s “smooth things, lies and deceits” (Isa. 30:10), she has no interest in God’s “strong meat” (Heb. 5:12-14).

“Every tree that brings not forth good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire.” Every tree produces fruit–either good or bad. In professing Christendom we find two kinds of trees that produce two kinds of fruit–either good or bad. Having little knowledge of God’s Word/Truth and having no interest in correcting the problem, parishioners in the Counterfeit Church do not realize that they are bad trees producing bad fruit. Having been deceived by the Great Deceiver (Rev. 12:9), they partake of the forbidden fruit with the same confidence as did Adam and Eve. Unfortunately, when they face the Lord at judgment, they will have the same reaction as did their spiritual ancestors–fear.  To be continued. L.J.