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“A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit.”
— Matthew 7:18
That is an absolute statement. Not “sometimes,” not “usually,” but “cannot.” Here we are dealing with a spiritual law established by Jesus Himself. The lyrics of this song simply echo and expand what the Lord said:
> “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.
> You will know them by their fruits.”
> — Matthew 7:17,20
The central theme is this:
What you are by nature will inevitably be revealed by what you produce.
The Christian life is not first a matter of behavior, but of nature. Fruit does not change the tree; the tree determines the fruit. Many believers today are exhausted because they are trying to change their “fruit” without ever addressing the “tree.”
The Lord is dealing here with:
As always, we begin with the Word of God. Jesus’ teaching is clear, simple, and inescapable. The song merely presses these truths into our memory:
> “You will know them by their fruits.”
Matthew 7:18 lies in the heart of the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7). Jesus is bringing His teaching to a climax. He is not addressing pagans. He is speaking to those who claim to be God’s people. He is separating what is real from what is superficial.
In Matthew 7:15–20, He warns:
> “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.”
> — Matthew 7:15
The context is spiritual discernment—how to distinguish the true from the false:
The people of Israel were used to prophets. They valued religious appearance, knowledge of Scripture, and public piety. But Jesus breaks through the external. He says very plainly: “You will know them by their fruits” (v. 16, 20).
Now notice:
He does not say, “You will know them by their gifts.”
He does not say, “You will know them by their miracles.”
He does not say, “You will know them by their correct doctrine.”
He says, “by their fruits.”
Right after this, He gives one of the most sobering warnings in the New Testament:
> “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven… Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’
> And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you
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