“Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” —Matthew 7:17, AMP
What kind of tree are you becoming? The words of Yeshua are clear—our fruit reveals our root. A good tree cannot help but bear good fruit, just as a tree corrupted at the core will bring forth bitterness in season. But too many attempt to fix their fruit without tending to the tree. They adjust behaviors without addressing the soul. They mask sin with service and substitute image for integrity. Yet God sees through every leaf and branch to the heart of the tree itself.
The Lord never said, “By their gifts you will know them.” He said, “By their fruits” (Matthew 7:20). These fruits—love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control (Galatians 5:22–23)—can never be manufactured. They grow only from a heart surrendered to El Shaddai, cleansed by the blood of Yeshua, and filled with the Spirit of holiness.
The Broken Cup
Imagine a cracked cup. You can polish it, decorate it, and fill it with the finest drink, but the leak will remain. Only the Potter can mend what is broken. God is not impressed with how well we appear to hold righteousness; He desires to make us whole. “Now in a large house there are not only vessels of gold and silver, but also of wood and earthenware… If anyone cleanses himself… he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared for every good work” (2 Timothy 2:20–21, NASB).
God calls us not to do more, but to be more like Him. A man of God is first a man possessed by God—his identity, his affections, his mind, and his motives all yielded to the will of the Lord. When this is true, all his work becomes sacred. Whether farming, building, managing, or preaching—every action flows from the same Spirit that raised Christ from the dead.
A Holy Man Makes Holy Work
This is what makes the difference: a holy man makes holy work, not the other way around. Even our best deeds are stained if they do not spring from purity of heart. “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? And who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart” (Psalm 24:3–4, NASB). Holiness is not a performance; it is a possession. It is the Spirit of God indwelling you, purifying your desires, setting you apart.
Paul told Timothy, “Pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life” (1 Timothy 6:11–12, NASB). That charge was not limited to preachers. It is the daily call of every man who longs to walk with God.
Abiding in the Vine
This pursuit is not about striving harder—it is about abiding deeper. “Abide in Me, and I in you. Just as the branch cannot bear fruit of itself unless it remains in the vine… apart from Me you can do nothing” (John 15:4–5, NASB). To become a man of God is to abide in the Son of God. Your fruitfulness depends entirely on your connectedness to Him.
Don’t just polish the leaves. Go to the roots. Invite the Holy Spirit to examine your heart. Confess your sins. Surrender your will. Let His fire purify, and His grace empower. Then your life will not just contain good works—it will become good because He is good.
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O God, plant me by Your living stream,
Let righteousness rise as my only dream.
Purge the rot, the pride, the shame,
That I may bear fruit that glorifies Your Name.
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Prayer
Father, make me a man of God. Not by title, nor by appearance, but by Your Spirit working deep in my heart. Cleanse me from every hidden sin. Mend what is broken. Shape me like the Potter with holy hands. I surrender not just my actions, but my affections. Fill me with Your Spirit, that the fruit of my life may reflect the root of Your righteousness. Let all I do be marked by who I am in You. In Yeshua’s name, Amen.
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