from the heart

 

Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.

Matthew 7:20

Jesus, Who warned us not to be sinfully judgmental people (Matthew 7:1), also told us we should discern false prophets by the fruit of their actions. Many people mistakenly think that Jesus taught that we should be totally accepting of all people unconditionally. It is the psychological fallacy of "unconditional love". But all that is a tragic overstatement that misses the depth of Jesus' teaching. Jesus Himself in the Sermon on the Mount, the same place where He said "Judge not", called people hypocrites, dogs, pigs, false prophets, workers of lawlessness, and fools. These statements were made because Jesus understood the principle that "diseased tress bring forth bad fruit". And that bad fruit calls out what is in the heart of the person showing what and who they really are.

Jesus is concerned about the heart. That really is the theme of the entire Sermon on the Mount. Those who live in Christ's kingdom do so with an intentionality of heart that differs dramatically from the world. Our lives must look completely different because we ARE completely different at the core of our being. We are changed and blessed with good fruit that comes from changed hearts. This leads us to surrender sinful motivations in obedience to our Lord. And our lives will stand on the rock amid storms and floods of difficulty because we have wisely built our lives on Jesus.

How we need to follow the Holy Spirit as He searches our hearts! And we need to own what He shows us there. We repent of sin. We celebrate our salvation in Christ. We live holy lives... all from our hearts outward.