What is the meaning of Matthew 7:18?

A good tree

• Jesus pictures every believer as a “good tree,” made so by God’s grace (2 Corinthians 5:17; Ephesians 2:10).

• Such a tree is rooted in Christ (John 15:5). When the root is healthy, the fruit naturally reflects that life (Galatians 5:22-23).

• Good fruit includes obedience (John 14:23), love for others (1 John 4:7-8), and perseverance in truth (Matthew 13:23).

• Notice the certainty: “cannot.” A genuine work of God leaves no room for a lifestyle characterized by evil (1 John 3:9).

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Cannot bear bad fruit

• “Cannot” speaks to impossibility, not mere difficulty. A new heart will not settle into habitual rebellion (Romans 6:2).

• This does not deny occasional sin (1 John 1:8-9) but rules out unbroken patterns of it (1 John 3:6).

• The Spirit’s indwelling power continually produces holy desires that crowd out the old (Romans 8:12-14; Philippians 2:13).

• When bad fruit appears, the Lord disciplines His own (Hebrews 12:6-11), pruning the branch so that more good fruit follows (John 15:2).

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And a bad tree

• A “bad tree” pictures the unregenerate person—still dead in sin (Ephesians 2:1).

• Its root is corrupt, so what emerges matches the root (Titus 1:15-16).

• Bad fruit shows up as works of the flesh: impurity, idolatry, envy, and the like (Galatians 5:19-21).

• Outward religion cannot change the nature of the tree (Matthew 23:27-28). Regeneration is required (John 3:5-7).

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Cannot bear good fruit

• Just as an apple tree cannot grow thorns, the unbelieving heart cannot produce deeds acceptable to God (Romans 8:7-8).

• Even “good” acts done apart from faith are tainted by self-reliance and lack the motive of God’s glory (Hebrews 11:6; Isaiah 64:6).

• Jesus stresses the need for a new nature, not cosmetic reform (John 15:4).

• The only remedy is the gospel: faith in Christ that transforms the root, resulting in genuine righteousness (Acts 16:31; Romans 5:1).

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summary

Matthew 7:18 teaches that inner nature determines outward product. A life truly joined to Christ will display His character, while a life still in sin will inevitably reveal corruption. The verse calls every hearer to examine the root, not just the fruit, and to rest in the transforming power of the Savior who alone makes bad trees good.