What is the meaning of Luke 6:43? No good tree Jesus’ picture begins with a “good tree.” He is speaking literally of a healthy, vigorous tree, and by extension of a person whose life has been transformed by God. Scripture constantly ties goodness to God’s work within us—Psalm 1:3 calls the righteous “a tree planted by streams of water, yielding its fruit in season.” In John 15:5 Jesus says, “Whoever remains in Me and I in him will bear much fruit.” A good tree, then, is anyone rooted in Christ, receiving life from Him. Bears bad fruit A healthy tree does not suddenly put out rotten, diseased fruit. Likewise, a heart regenerated by the Holy Spirit will not habitually produce sin’s corruption. Galatians 5:22-23 lists the “fruit of the Spirit” as love, joy, peace, and more; these are the natural outgrowth of genuine faith. Ephesians 2:10 reminds us we are “created in Christ Jesus to do good works.” When those works flow, they verify the inner reality. Nor does a bad tree Jesus flips the image: a diseased tree cannot disguise itself by offering wholesome produce. In Matthew 7:17-18 He repeats, “Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit.” Here “bad” speaks of a life untouched by God’s saving power—unchanged, unrepentant, still captive to sin (Romans 6:17-18). The inner condition dictates the outward result. Bear good fruit Because the tree is bad, its fruit will inevitably match its nature. Trying harder, stapling on plastic fruit, or polishing appearances cannot change the underlying root. Jesus’ point is moral impossibility: without new birth (John 3:3), no one can genuinely produce righteousness. Titus 1:15 declares, “To the pure, all things are pure, but to the unbelieving nothing is pure.” Real goodness flows only from a renewed heart. summary Luke 6:43 teaches that inner nature determines outward conduct. Those rooted in Christ (the good tree) naturally exhibit the Spirit’s fruit, while those without Him (the bad tree) inevitably reveal their corrupt roots. Authentic faith is proven, not by words, but by the consistent harvest of a transformed life. |
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