PART 2 BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM

What are the FRUITS that churches advocate that prove someone is saved?

1

BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM

The Scriptures we’ll look at are taken from Jesus’ own words during His public ministry on the earth, known as the Incarnation of Christ. Before we examine them, I would like to offer a reminder: There are many Bible teachers and preachers who will use one or more verses from this dispensation to support a biblical view on how a believer’s walk with God should be characterized.

I’m not talking about who Christ is, His life, death, resurrection, and ascension. Rather, I’m talking about the protocol plan for the New Testament believer during the Church Age, the age during which we live. You might respond by saying, “I don’t know what you mean.”

For instance, if a church leader is speaking on the subject of forgiveness, they might use these verses from Matthew. Please turn there in your Bible.

Matthew 6:14-15

For if you forgive men for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions. NASB

This implies that if we don’t forgive (let go, give up a debt) others for their transgressions (deviations from truth; harm they do to you), God the Father will not forgive our transgressions. So, we’re taught that if we don’t forgive others, we’re not obeying God’s word, and we’ll reap the consequences (divine discipline) from Him when we ourselves transgress.

However, when the Scriptures were recorded and revealed to certain men in the early church, i.e., the book of Acts, the Epistles (letters written by the apostles to churches or individuals), and Revelation about forgiveness, a wider scope as to what constitutes forgiveness and how it was to be implemented would be determined based on whether the offenders were believers or unbelievers, the situation at hand, and, if they were believers, whether they repented. Here are some Scriptures to illustrate what I mean. We’ll begin in the book of Acts.

     

Suggested Reading: Acts 6:7-15; Acts 7:1-60

60 And falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, Lord, do not hold this sin against them! And having said this, he fell asleep. NASB

Stephen, one of the seven deacons of the early church, was disputing with the Jewish unbelievers of the synagogue of the Libertines, who brought him before the Jewish council of the Sanhedrin to defend himself from their accusation of blasphemy. Subsequently, while giving his testimony, he was taken out of the city of Jerusalem and murdered by stoning. During the execution, he forgave the offenders, as expressed by the words Lord, do not hold this sin against them. That mean she was asking Jesus not to exact punishment on the perpetrators or hold their act against them, with a view toward their salvation.

This supports the idea that we need to forgive others for their transgressions against us. However, the following verses present a different approach for offenders who are believers. Please turn to Matthew.

Matthew 18:15-17

And if your brother sins, go and reprove him in private; if he listens to you, you have won your brother. But if he does not listen to you, take one or two more with you, so that by the mouth of two or three witnesses every fact may be confirmed. And if he refuses to listen to them, tell it to the church; and if he refuses to listen even to the church, let him be to you as a Gentile and a tax-gatherer. NASB

Jesus outlines the protocol for addressing issues that arise among believers. If a brother (fellow believer) sins (injures thee in any way, by words or conduct³) against another believer, the offended should go to him in private (alone) and address the matter. If the perpetrator chooses to listen (admits wrong), then he is to be forgiven in the sense of having won his brother (gained him, i.e., restored him, to be a consistent Christian⁴).

Another example of forgiveness concerns a believer who sins against another believer and chooses not to repent. How should forgiveness be applied in this instance? Please turn to Luke.

Luke 17:3

Be on your guard! If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. NASB

If a Christian brother sins, rebuke him (charge him with wrong; tell him his fault, and seek an explanation⁵), and if he repents, forgive (give up the debt) him. The word repents doesn’t merely mean “change of mind” as some have gathered from the Greek term; it reflects the Old Testament and Jewish concept of “turning around” or “turning away” from sin.⁶ Another meaning of this word is repentance with restitution.⁷ Furthermore, this verse indicates that if a brother chooses not to repent, then they aren’t to be forgiven.

As we can see, using Scripture from the four gospels to support a doctrinal view on any biblical topic for the New Testament church to adopt should be qualified with limitations. What I mean by this is, a further and complete study on the subject at hand should be gathered from the Scriptures about such in the book of Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation.

With that said, let’s attempt to translate the words from the title of this chapter, BY THEIR FRUITS YOU SHALL KNOW THEM, with reference to verses from the other New Testament books. The words of the headline are from the book of Matthew. Let’s go there.

Matthew 7:15-21

15 Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. NASB  

Jesus was teaching His disciples. He warned them that there would come forth false prophets (teachers of incorrect doctrine) who appear in sheep’s clothing (assume the appearance of sanctity and innocence⁸), but inwardly (within) they are ravening wolves (they magnify themselves, not Jesus Christ, and their purpose is to exploit people, not to edify them⁹).

16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes, nor figs from thistles, are they? NASB

Then he tells us how we can know (distinguish) them, i.e., by their fruits (works of any kind; conduct; true character; the confession of the heart; “A man’s works,” says one, “are the tongue of his heart, and tell honestly whether he is inwardly corrupt or pure”¹⁰). Here’s a question to consider:

Is this about how to determine whether someone in leadership is saved, or is it talking about walking in the sin nature or in the nature of the Holy Spirit? In other words, do fruits reveal whether someone is saved, or do they disclose the nature they’re operating in?

Let’s take a look at a verse from the book of Romans, one of the Epistles, which proclaims that every believer has distinct, yet opposing natures.

Romans 8:5 For those who are according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who are according to the Spirit, the things of the Spirit. NASB

A Christian has two natures residing within: a sin nature and the divine nature of the Holy Spirit. The following verses also talk about fruit.

Matthew 7:17-21 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit; but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. NASB

We’re told that every good tree bears good fruit. Likewise, every bad tree bears bad fruit. What does this mean?

Does this indicate that good fruit or bad fruit reveals whether the good tree or person is saved, or does it mean that good fruit or bad fruit indicates the nature that the believer is operating in?

This can be determined through further study of the connection between salvation and sanctification, as delineated in the book of Acts, the Epistles, and Revelation. Finally, we’ve come to the verse that contains the caption of this chapter.

20 So then, you will know them by their fruits. NASB

 

Will we know them, whether they’re saved, because of the witness of their fruits?

Or is the expression of their fruits or the lack thereof pertinent to their spiritual walk?

21 Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. NASB

Not everyone who says (continually) Lord, Lord, (Jesus is his Lord) shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of His Father. Just because someone proclaims that Jesus is their Lord will enter the kingdom of heaven.

What is it that guarantees they will?

It’s whether they do God’s will.

And what is the will of the Father?

We’ll look at two verses that talk about this. The first one is found in the book of John.

John 6:40 For this is the will of My Father, that everyone who beholds the Son and believes in Him, may have eternal life; and I Myself will raise him up on the last day. NASB

Those who will enter heaven are those who believe in the Father’s Son.

What else is the will of the Father?

Please turn to 1 Thessalonians.

 

1 Thessalonians 4:3

For this is the will of God, your sanctification; that is, that you abstain from sexual immorality; NASB

The Apostle Paul was instructing the believers at Thessalonica, letting them know what the will of God was for them: their sanctification (the progressive sanctification of his readers by which they were conformed to the image of Christ in daily experiences by proper responses to the Word and the Spirit of God¹¹).

Some churches would argue that sanctification is synonymous with the word fruits from Matthew 7:20. They proclaim that if a believer doesn’t evidence fruits (e.g., good works, water baptism, tithing, moral conduct, abstinence from alcohol, speaking in tongues, etc.), that they’re not saved.

Is this accurate?

This is what we’re about to find out. The first fruit that we’ll study is good works. If a believer doesn’t exhibit them, can a conclusion be reached that they’re not saved? Another way of saying this is, is salvation dependent on performing good works? This will be presented by contrasting views. You, the reader, will ultimately decide whether this fruit proves that someone is saved.

Endnotes

³Barnes’ Notes. Pc Study Bible version 5, 2006. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 4 December 2025

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

⁴Barnes’ Notes.

⁵Barnes’ Notes.

⁶IVP Bible Background Commentary Pc Study Bible version 5, 2005. BIBLESOFT. WEB.

20 April 2023

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

⁷IVP Bible Background Commentary.

⁸Barnes’ Notes.

⁹The Bible Exposition Commentary/New Testament, 1989. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 4 December 2025

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

¹⁰Adam Clarke’s CommentaryPc Study Bible version 5, 2004. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 4 December 2025

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

¹¹Bible Knowledge Commentary/New Testament, 2000. BIBLESOFT. WEB. 4 December 2025

˂http://www.biblesoft.com>.

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