"By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?"

Matthew 7:16 (NIV)

You can fake a lot of things in the Christian life, but fruit isn't one of them. You can fake attendance by showing up to church every week. You can fake knowledge by memorizing Bible verses and answering questions correctly. You can fake service by volunteering when people are watching. You can even fake emotion by raising your hands during worship or crying at the right moments. But you can't fake fruit. Real fruit grows from real roots. It takes time, nourishment, and depth. Jesus said you'll recognize people by their fruit because fruit doesn't lie about what's underneath.

Jesus used agricultural language because everyone understood how trees work. A thornbush doesn't produce grapes no matter how hard it tries. A thistle can't grow figs no matter how much it wants to. The fruit reveals the root system. If the root is bad, the fruit will be bad. If the root is good, the fruit will be good. This principle applies to your spiritual life. You can't manufacture genuine spiritual fruit through effort or performance. It grows naturally from what you're rooted in. If you're rooted in Christ, you'll produce Christ-like fruit. If you're rooted in something else, your fruit will expose it.

Paul told the Colossians what marks firm believers. He said they should be "rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness." Firm fruits grow from firm roots. When you're deeply rooted in Christ and established in sound doctrine, the fruit is unmistakable. Faithfulness to truth and overflowing gratitude aren't things you conjure up through willpower. They're the natural overflow of a heart rooted in the gospel. You can't fake this kind of fruit because it only grows from deep connection to the source.

Here's the diagnostic question: What fruit is actually growing in your life? Not what you wish was growing or what you're trying to display. What's really there? Are you genuinely grateful, or do you just say the right words? Are you faithful to sound doctrine, or do you bend truth to fit what's comfortable? Do you overflow with thanksgiving, or do you struggle to find anything to thank God for? The fruit in your life right now reveals what you're actually rooted in. If the fruit is missing or shallow, it's a sign your roots need attention.

The temptation is to focus on producing fruit without deepening roots. You try harder to be grateful. You force yourself to read more Scripture. You create systems and disciplines to manufacture spiritual fruit. But that's exhausting and unsustainable. Jesus didn't say, "Try really hard to produce fruit." He said the fruit will reveal the root. The solution isn't better effort. It's deeper roots. When you focus on being rooted in Christ, strengthened in truth, and established in the gospel, fruit grows naturally. You don't have to fake it because it's real.

Godseekers, stop trying to fake the fruit and start deepening the roots. Firm fruits grow from firm faith. If your life isn't producing the fruit of faithfulness and gratitude, the problem isn't your effort. It's your foundation. Are you rooted in Christ or something else? Are you strengthened in sound doctrine or chasing feelings? Are you established in what you were taught or distracted by what's new? Get your roots right, and the fruit will follow. You can't fake what's real, and real fruit only grows from real roots.

Prayer

Dear Lord, thank You for Your patience with me as I grow. I confess that I've often tried to fake spiritual fruit instead of deepening my roots in You. Forgive me for focusing on appearance instead of authenticity. Forgive me for trying to manufacture gratitude and faithfulness through my own effort instead of drawing life from You. Help me stop pretending and start growing. Deepen my roots in Christ. Strengthen me in the truth I was taught. Establish me in the gospel so firmly that fruit grows naturally. I don't want fake fruit that withers. I want real fruit that lasts. In Jesus' name, Amen.

Personal Reflection

• What fruit is actually growing in my life right now, and what does it reveal about where my roots are planted?
• Am I trying to fake spiritual fruit through effort, or am I focusing on deepening my roots in Christ and letting fruit grow naturally?

Step of Faith

Today, I will stop trying to manufacture spiritual fruit and instead spend time with God, asking Him to deepen my roots in Christ so real fruit can grow.