WHAT DO WE PRODUCE?

Luke 6:43-45

Luk 6:43 “Because no right tree bears wrong fruit, nor again does a useless tree bear the right fruit,
Luk 6:44 because each tree is known by its own fruit. Because figs are not gathered from briers, nor are grapes picked from thornbushes.
Luk 6:45 The right person out of the right treasury of his heart produces a right product, and the wrong person out of his wrong treasury produces a wrong product, because his mouth speaks from what fills his heart.

indicators of authenticity

Jesus is not denying that unbelievers can speak truth. They can. Sometimes they speak it with clarity that even believers fail to show. But that is not His point in this passage. He is preparing His listeners for the piercing question that follows: “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?” Words alone are not the measure of a disciple. Words can reveal the heart, but they can also disguise it. They can be sincere, or they can be hollow. They can be the overflow of faith, or the camouflage of pretense.

The principle Jesus lays down is simple and searching: those who claim to be His disciples should reflect His teaching in their lives. Respect for Jesus should lead to obedience to Jesus. Reverence should lead to repentance. Confession should lead to transformation. If the fruit is missing, the root must be questioned.

This is not meant to crush us but to awaken us. If our lives are not producing the kind of fruit Jesus describes—mercy, generosity, forgiveness, purity, integrity—then the solution is not to pretend harder or speak louder. It is to seek a deeper, truer relationship with Christ. Authentic discipleship is not measured by how well we say the right things, but by how deeply His life has taken root in us.

Our words matter. They reveal something real. But they are not always a reliable indicator of authenticity. The true test is whether our lives echo the One we call Lord.

LORD, make us true disciples, saying and doing what You want.