Daily Inspiration

“Jesus said to his disciples: “A good tree does not bear rotten fruit, nor does a rotten tree bear good fruit. For every tree is known by its own fruit. For people do not pick figs from thornbushes, nor do they gather grapes from brambles. A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks. “Why do you call me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ but not do what I command? I will show you what someone is like who comes to me, listens to my words, and acts on them. That one is like a man building a house, who dug deeply and laid the foundation on rock; when the flood came, the river burst against that house but could not shake it because it had been well built. But the one who listens and does not act is like a person who built a house on the ground without a foundation. When the river burst against it, it collapsed at once and was completely destroyed.” -Luke 6:43-49

A person chooses what is stored in his heart. He decides to store the goodness of God or the evilness of the enemy, and from what is stored in his heart, he bears fruit. Those with evil in their hearts never seem to withhold their fruit, but why do many Christians?

It is more than just professing Jesus is Lord and choosing to believe. Christ calls us, through our works, to bear Him fruit. This is an essential precept of Christianity; an entire book in the New Testament was written to teach us about the Acts of the Apostles. If the Goodness of God is stored in your spirit, do not stop at merely professing the name of Jesus; let your heart, through your works, produce His fruit.

” Indeed, someone may say, “You have faith and I have works.” Demonstrate your faith to me without works, and I will demonstrate my faith to you from my works…For just as a body without a spirit is dead, so also faith without works is dead.” James 2:18,26

Saint John Chrysostom, pray for us.

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Jesus, I trust in you.