How Do You Taste?

If you took two containers and filled them, one with salt and one with sugar, do you think that you would be able to tell the difference between them by just looking? I know that I sure couldn’t, as they look practically identical. Really the best way to tell them apart is to taste each of them, because it is by their taste that you will know what they really are.

Jesus taught that it is through the fruit that you will know what kind of a tree they are. An apple tree will produce apples, which will taste like apples. A fig tree will produce figs, and they will taste like figs. “By their fruits ye shall know them.” What they produce is what they are.

The actions of a person can be considered a “fruit,” such as the saying “the fruit of my labor.” It is this fruit, our actions and how we live, that determine what we are. Either our actions are good, just, and holy, good fruit, or they are the opposite. Bad, corrupt, sinful, evil fruit. 

Matthew 7:13-20  “Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:

Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.

Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?

Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.

A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.

Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.”

From a half of a mile away, do you think that you could tell what kind of a tree one was? In most cases probably not. But when you get close to it and see it’s fruit, then you can. It is the exact same with a person. You can walk through a crowded store and see all sorts of different people, but know really nothing about what kind of a person that they are inside. They may be kind, gentle, and loving, or they may be mean, cruel, and evil. Just the outside appearance doesn’t really show who a person truly is. To do that you need to have a look at their works. Their “fruit.” 

It is an example that we use frequently, but the Pharisees in the time of Christ, many of them had an outward appearance that they were holy. That they were righteous, and good. But the works that they produced told a different situation. They were filled with pride, and deceitfulness. They actively sought to put Jesus to death, speaking lies and filled with guile. That is not something that is good and holy. That isn’t right. It wasn’t “good fruit.”

Judas as well. Look at what he did. Even though he had been picked by Jesus to be a disciple, even though he may have seemed at a glance that he was a faithful follower of the Lord, the things that he did and his works showed who he really was. Did he love the poor? No, he loved money. Did he love Jesus? If he had then he wouldn’t have delivered the Lord to the chief priests to be crucified. His works showed that he was corrupt.

Similar to when I planted certain seeds in the past, if you plant pumpkin seeds and zucchini seeds in the same pot you cannot tell which one they are until they begin to produce fruit. They look practically identical when the plants are young, but when mature the fruits are clearly shown.

So when someone looks at you… what do they see? When they see how you act, what do they see? Do they see your good works? Can they see through your life that you are a Christian? Can they see your faith? 

James 2:18-24  “Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.

Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble.

But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar?

Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect?

And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.”

What do your works show? How do you “taste?”

In Christ,

Andrew