A Tree is Known by its Fruits

“For a good tree does not bear bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit.For every tree is known by its own fruit”
Luke 6: 43-44

Today let’s deepen our reflection on the allegory of the tree as it is referenced multiple times in the Bible. Having established that God the Father is identified like the Great gardener and man as a tree. Jeremiah 17:7 says that every blessed man is like a tree planted by the waterfront..But we also know that every tree or plant is born of a seed, therefore the nature of a tree and its subsequent fruits could easily be traced back from its original seed.

Starting from the book of Genesis, we note the 2 remarkable references appearing about “the seed of the Woman '' and “the seed of the Serpent”. Genetically a woman cannot have a seed so we understand that this speaks about the virgin birth of Christ. Similarly the seed of the serpent refers to the antichrist, the beast from Revelation.”And I will put enmity Between you and the woman, And between your seed and her Seed”( Genesis 3:15 NKJV)

Speaking to the pharisees, Jesus said this:

“For you are the children of your father the devil, and you love to do the evil things he does. He was a murderer from the beginning. He has always hated the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, it is consistent with his character; for he is a liar and the father of lies.”
John 8:44 NLT

Furthermore, the apostle John in his first epistle showed clearly that there are only 2 kind of seeds:

“This is how we know who the children of God are AND who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not God's child, nor is anyone who does not love their brother and sister.”
1 John 3:10 NIV

Thus from the Great gardener (Our heavenly Father ) perspective we can deduct that there are only 2 kinds of seeds or people; there is no neutrality, each producing , living according to its own character. Whether one is born of God or is born of the devil (adamic sinful cursed nature)

Now how do we know what “the seed “mean?

A hint is given by the parable of the sower in the gospels; Mark 4:14 says: “The sower soweth the Word” (KJV).The same in Matthew 13:3 is translated by: “A farmer went out to sow his seed.”

Moreover Genesis 2:17 strongly evidence that the seed is the word : (God sowed his seed) “But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

Satan sowed his seed in Genesis 3:4 “Then the serpent said to the woman, “You will not surely die.”

And finally in John 8:47, Jesus the WORD made flesh concluded by stating this to the pharisees : “Whoever belongs to God hears the words of God. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” (Berean Bible)

Therefore the natural man, not born yet from above,  from the incorruptible seed of the word cannot understand the things of the Spirit or live a life of righteousness only made possible in Christ alone. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.” (2 Cor 5:17 NKJV)

In sum, our words and actions must be the inevitable reflection of the kind of seed we water in our lives. Either the carnal man, born under the Adamic sin or the new man, the spiritual man born of the Spirit by the living word of God we believed in.

So let’s be encouraged daily , not to let our faith be weakened by the “father of lies” but rather let love grow from within by showing all kinds of good works produced out of a christ-like character. “As he is, so are we in this world”. It’s time now ever more than before that we should manifest who we truly are, sons of the most high God, by strengthening the inner man as commanded by these words of the apostle Peter written in 1 Peter 1:22-23:

“Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for each other, love one another deeply, from the heart. For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God.” (NIV)

Further readings: Matthew 13:38; 1 John 4:6; 1 John 3:8; Mark 4:15; John 3:3