Good Fruit on a Solid Foundation

Luke 6:43-49

A Tree Is Known by Its Fruit

43 "For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. 44 For every tree is known by its own fruit. For men do not gather figs from thorns, nor do they gather grapes from a bramble bush. 45 A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

Build on the Rock

46 "But why do you call Me 'Lord, Lord,' and not do the things which I say? 47 Whoever comes to Me, and hears My sayings and does them, I will show you whom he is like: 48 He is like a man building a house, who dug deep and laid the foundation on the rock. And when the flood arose, the stream beat vehemently against that house, and could not shake it, for it was founded on the rock. 49 But he who heard and did nothing is like a man who built a house on the earth without a foundation, against which the stream beat vehemently; and immediately it fell. And the ruin of that house was great."

Here is a teaching of Jesus Christ about a tree and a solid foundation.  The tree must bear fruit for it to be good because if it remains barren then it received no fertilizer to enable a change in its ability ability to be fruitful.  It remains a bad tree with nothing to show for its true value.  Such is the case with us if we do not receive Christ (John 1:12) through the enabling change of the gospel which makes us different and fruitful with good fruit (Ephesians 2:10) in place of the bad (Ecclesiastes 7:20, Romans 3:10-12) fruit growing out of an unregenerate heart.  Only a remade heart of a reborn soul is able to bear good fruit reflecting God instead of evil fruit of a fallen sinful nature inherited from Adam (Romans 5:12, 18).  Neither can figs grow in a thorn bush or grapes from prickly vines or shrubs.  Figs are good fruit of a healthy tree and grapes grow on cultivated vines carefully pruned to bring forth fruit to eat and drink.  These visual parables teach us that what is in the heart is reflected in the fruit of the life, and the heart in its natural state is evil (Genesis 6:5) unless it is remade and God’s laws written upon it (Jeremiah 31:33, 2 Corinthians 3:3) to bear good fruit prepared for it (Ephesians 2:10) and made possible by God.  The proof of a good tree therefore is the good fruit of a life lived in Christ’s righteousness that overflows from a heart changed by and moved by Him.  Those without a changed heart of rebirth continue to bear the bad fruit of what they say and do accordingly.  Jesus took this to the deeper truth of needing to build on the solid foundation of Himself by receiving Him and what He was saying to have a house that stands through the judgment to come on us all to test if we do His work for salvation which literally is believing and receiving His work and not attempting to earn deliverance or change our hearts on our own (John 6:29).  Faith that takes God at His word and receives Christ alone is what saves us when we realize our sin, turn from it to Him, and take Him at His word to receive Him and His work and righteousness for us.  This is building on Christ as the solid rock of our souls.  This is where we can plant good trees that are fertilized by grace and the scriptures to bear fruit pleasing to our Father in heaven.  We must dig deep into this word to find Christ and build our lives’ foundation on Him alone to weather the coming storm of judgment and bear fruit worthy (Ephesians 4:1, Colossians 1:10, 1 Thessalonians 1:11) of our calling.  We need the solid foundation of Christ and a new heart to plant good trees that bear good fruit (Mark 4:20) that lasts (John 15:16) to righteousness.  If we then call Him our Lord, let us do as He says in willing obedience to the truth and follow Him as we build on this solid foundation with a changed life.  We then are able to bear good fruit on the right tree of His goodness in our hearts.