The New Creation (5)

“No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Lk 6:43-45)
 
Review
We are currently discussing the 'New Creation.' In our first session, we shared what it means to be a new creation. A new creation in the Bible refers to a being who has been reconciled with God through the blood of Jesus Christ shed on the cross, overcoming their sinful nature and undergoing a transformation according to the image of God—starting from the deepest part of the inner self to outward words and actions.
In the second session, we discussed the purpose for which God made us new creations. It is to make us 'His people who are eager to do what is good.'
The Christian life doesn’t end with believing in Jesus and receiving forgiveness of sins. That is merely the beginning of the Christian life. Having been forgiven of sins through the precious blood of Jesus Christ and reconciled with God, we must now focus on how we can live the good life that He expects and desires from us, according to the purpose for which He saved us.
For the past two weeks, we have looked at our relationship with God as the first element for living a good life. Our good life depends entirely on our relationship with God.
The bible says that God alone is good. This means that without knowing God, we cannot even know what is good. Of course, because we were created in the image of God, we can distinguish between good and evil. However, the reason we cannot trust our own standards of good and evil is that we have lost the image of God due to sin. We may still distinguish between good and evil and try to live according to the good of our own standards, but often that is not goodness by God’s standards.
Therefore, the most important thing for living a good life is knowing God. A good life begins not with our efforts, but with a relationship with God, who alone is good. This is what we shared last week.
Jesus explained this truth in John 15 through the parable of the ‘Vine and the Branches.’ Just as a branch cannot bear fruit by itself, we can do nothing unless we remain in the Lord. Fruit is not the result of the branch’s own effort, but the result of nutrients supplied from the tree. Therefore, the most important task for living a good life is ‘remaining’ in the Lord, who is the true source of good fruit. As Jesus said,
“Remain in me, as I also remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:4-5)
The Greek word translated here as ‘Remain’ is meinō. This word was used to describe a state of continuously staying in a place, rather than just visiting it. To bear fruit, a branch must ‘continuously’ be attached to the vine. It must not be detached for even a moment. One of the important elements of our relationship with God that we can see here is ‘consistency.’ If we only have a relationship with God one day a week, on Sunday, that relationship is not consistent.
When we have such an ‘intermittent and shallow’ relationship with God, we cannot bear good fruit. However, when we maintain a deep relationship with God in our daily lives, including Sundays, we can finally discern what is good through the wisdom He gives and live out that good life through the power He provides.
We also looked at the word ‘Dābaq’ in the Old Testament to see the degree of intimacy God desires to have with us. Having a relationship with God does not simply mean staying near Him. This ‘Dābaq’ signifies a state where bone and flesh are stuck fast together, or the state where a husband and wife become one flesh.
That is the intimate relationship God wants to have with us. Just as a couple who has been married for a long time grows to resemble each other in thoughts, actions, and habits, we will finally bear the good fruit God desires when we are deeply united with Him. God’s thoughts become my thoughts, God’s vision becomes my vision, and God’s will becomes my will. Only then does ‘good fruit’ naturally begin to form without struggling.
In Psalm 1, a tree planted by streams of water does not wither in its leaves and bears fruit in season. Here, the ‘leaves’ that do not wither signify a continuous relationship with God, and the fruit signifies the result of that relationship.
One cannot expect fruit from a tree whose leaves are withered. This is because withered leaves show that the tree is not connected to the stream and is not receiving nutrients from it. It is natural for such a tree to fail to bear good fruit.
Our relationship with God is the same. When our relationship with God is intimate and as fresh as unwithered leaves, we naturally bear the good fruit God wants from us through the life and power of God working within us.
But, when we are far from God and our leaves are withered, we cannot bear fruit. Therefore, as Christians, what we must truly focus on is not the ‘fruit’ but the ‘leaves.’ It is about what kind of relationship I am currently having with God.
Sadly, however, many Christians consider the ‘fruit’ important and want to bear good fruit, yet they neglect the condition of the ‘leaves.’ Without any effort to form and maintain a daily relationship with God, and without any labor to tend to their leaves, they simply want to bear good fruit. But that is self-deception and goes against God’s laws.
So, to emphasize again, the most important thing for living a good life is to continuously remain and have an intimate relationship with God—who alone is good and the true source of goodness—and His Son, Jesus Christ.
 
Good Fruit
Today, I want to continue our conversation on the biblical ways we can live out our lives as God’s people. In the passage we read today from Luke 6, we find a parable very similar to the "Vine and the Branches" in John 15. While the John 15 metaphor describes Jesus as the Vine and us as the branches, here in Luke 6, the people of God are described as the tree itself.
Jesus says in Luke 6:43-44, “No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.” (Luke 6:43-44)
This is a very basic order we find in nature. A good tree bears good fruit, and a bad tree bears bad fruit. No good tree bears bad fruit, and vice versa. Therefore, the most important factor in determining whether a tree is good or bad is not its outward appearance—such as its color or size—but the kind of fruit it produces.
No matter how large or magnificent a tree looks on the outside, if it bears bad fruit, it is a bad tree; it is a useless tree that fails to fulfill its purpose. Conversely, even if a tree is not large or vibrant in color, if it produces good fruit, it is a good tree.
This principle applies identically to our spiritual lives. The kind of tree God wants us to be is not one that is impressive on the outside alone while bearing bad fruit, but a tree that bears the holy and good fruit God desires, regardless of its outward appearance.
This parable serves as a wake-up call for us as Christians. There are Christians who lead a spiritual life like a tree that is only shiny on the surface. On the outside, they seem to believe in Jesus very well. They attend church faithfully, participate in various activities, and engage in religious rituals.
However, in their actual lives, no good fruit is produced. A resemblance to Jesus or the good fruit that God expects is not seen in their lives. Instead, they follow the world in their words and actions, bearing bad fruit.
I am sorry to put it this way, but regardless of how those trees "look" on the outside or how diligently they participate in religious activities, in God’s eyes, they are "bad trees." This is because what God truly cares about and considers important is not how religiously we live, but what kind of fruit is actually being produced in our lives.
Therefore, the importance of living a life that bears 'good fruit' as a Christian cannot be overstated. The reason bearing good fruit is important in a Christian life is not because it is a condition for salvation. We don’t gain salvation because we bear good fruit. We are saved solely by faith in Jesus Christ.
However, how can we be certain that we possess the biblical and true faith that leads to salvation? It is 'good fruit' that provides that assurance. By looking at the fruit produced in our lives through faith in Jesus Christ, we can discern whether we are truly attached to Him and whether we are living in union with Him through faith. In other words, through the fruit we bear, we examine our faith and can continue to move forward toward true faith.
This is the meaning of what the Apostle Paul said in 2 Corinthians 13:5,
"Examine yourselves to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves. Do you not realize that Christ Jesus is in you—unless, of course, you fail the test? Now we pray to God that you will not do anything wrong... that you will do what is right..." (2 Corinthians 13:5, 7)
Paul says here that we can examine ourselves to see if we have faith in Jesus. He says we can know that Jesus Christ is within us. However, this is not mere self-confidence. When we live a life that is right in God's eyes according to His good standards—in other words, when we live bearing good fruit—that is the very evidence that we truly believe in Jesus and that we are living in union with Him through faith in Him. To put it another way, whether or not we have true faith can be examined by the fruit of our lives.
 
Therefore, for a Christian, living a life that bears good fruit is a matter of utmost importance. This is because it demonstrates the sincerity of our faith. Then, how can we become good trees and live a life that produces good fruit?
Last week, we focused on our relationship with God regarding this question. When we remain attached to God, who alone is good, we will be able to discern what is truly good through the wisdom He provides, and we can live out that good life through the power He gives.
 
2. Good Works Depend on What Is Stored in Our Hearts
However, this does not mean that we have no role to play in bearing 'good fruit.' Today’s passage shows us exactly what kind of effort we must make in order to produce that good fruit.
After explaining that a good tree bears good fruit, Jesus added this: “A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in his heart. For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.” (Luke 6:45)
Here, we discover another crucial element that enables us to live a good life: it is what is “stored up in our hearts.” A person who has good things stored in their heart speaks good words and lives out good actions from that good treasure. Conversely, a person whose heart is filled with evil speaks and acts from that evil treasure. Therefore, to live a good life, the most important thing we must pay attention to is what we are storing in our hearts.
 
This concept is quite different from what we usually consider the source of a "good life." Most people would  talk about "willpower" when they discuss living a good life. Willpower refers to a strong determination to achieve something—the mental strength to control one's mind and guide one's actions toward a specific goal. Before we do anything, we use our will to choose and make a resolution.
Using our "will" correctly is very important for moving toward a goal. However, what we also know through experience is that willpower has clear limitations. You have likely had the experience of resolving to do something but ultimately failing. It could be exercising, eating healthy, establishing a good daily routine, studying, or even reading the Bible and praying. Because we know these things are important, we often resolve to do them diligently—especially at the beginning of a new year.
But what is the reality? By the end of the year, we realize that we have failed to achieve much of what we planned and resolved to do through our own will. No matter how much we use our will to make a resolution, putting it into practice is a different matter. This is because there are countless obstacles and temptations. We resolve to eat healthy, but the world is full of delicious yet unhealthy foods. We resolve to exercise, but because it is physically demanding and time-consuming, we postpone it once or twice until we eventually quit. The same applies to everything else.
This is the limitation of our willpower. We have the will to live a "healthy life," but there are so many things that contradict that goal, and we are so frail that we easily give in to temptation. So achieving a goal through willpower alone is incredibly difficult. That is why we need something more than just "will."
This applies identically to our spiritual lives. As believers, we all have a desire to live good lives. We use our will to resolve to live righteously. Yet, in reality, we often find ourselves living more in line with evil than goodness. We follow the ways of the world more than the will of God. Regardless of our "good intentions," the tides of this world and our weak, sinful nature prevent us from living according to that good will.
This is exactly what the Apostle Paul spoke of. In Romans chapter 7, he confessed:
"...I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. For I do not do the good I want to do, but the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want to do, it is no longer I who do it, but it is sin living in me that does it. So I find this law at work: Although I want to do good, evil is right there with me." (Romans 7:18-21)
Even the Apostle Paul confessed the limitations of his own will. He had the desire to do what is good, but another sinful nature within him hindered that life. Likewise, we cannot live a good life by our willpower alone. We are simply too weak to live according to our own resolutions.
 
Therefore, what is truly important for living a good life is not simply ‘resolving’ to live that way through our willpower. Instead, it is about fundamentally changing our lives—from our hearts to our words and actions—by storing up sufficient resources within our hearts to actually sustain such a life.
Jesus didn’t say that we would live a good life simply by ‘deciding’ to do so. Rather, He said that good things come out of the ‘good stored up in our hearts.’ This means that no matter how much we resolve to live a good life, if our hearts are not filled with good things, we will eventually fail to live righteously.
 
So when it comes to bearing good fruit, we shouldn’t focus so much on whether we have the ‘will’ to do so, but on whether or not we’ve stored good things in our hearts. That’s what truly determines the kind of fruit we bear in our lives. 
Then, what does ‘the good’ that must be stored in our hearts refer to? It definitely refers to the word of God. That’s what we must continuously make every effort to store in our hearts in order to live as children of light.
Let’s read Psalm 119:11 together.
“I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you.” (Ps 119:11, ESV)
Storing God’s word in our hearts is not optional for Christians. It’s a very important matter that’s directly connected to our spiritual lives. Strictly speaking, if you ignore the importance of reading the Bible, that means that you actually give up living as Christians because we can’t really live as true Christians without storing God’s word in our hearts. 
That is why we must pay close attention to what we see with the eyes God has given us. The Bible consistently emphasizes that we, as Christians, must use our eyes correctly. This is because our eyes function like windows to our soul. What we see through our eyes is stored in our hearts. And ultimately, we live according to what has been accumulated in our hearts through our eyes. This influence exerts a power far greater than our willpower.
Emphasizing the use of our eyes, Jesus said,
"Your eye is the lamp of your body. When your eyes are healthy, your whole body also is full of light. But when they are unhealthy, your body also is full of darkness. See to it, then, that the light within you is not darkness." (Luke 11:34-35)
Jesus describes our eyes as the lamp of our body. He teaches us that if our eyes are healthy, our entire lives will be healthy and we will walk in the light. But if our eyes are unhealthy, our lives will be like walking in darkness.
Therefore, what we choose to look at in our daily lives is a vital matter directly connected to our Christian life. If we use our eyes to constantly gaze upon the things of the world, those things will be stored in our hearts. Worldly values will enter our hearts and transform our own values. When our perspective becomes worldly, we cannot live according to God's will, because the ways of the world are in direct opposition to God’s will.
However, when we use our eyes to read God’s Word and meditate deeply on it every day, His good Word will be stored within our hearts. That Word will change our thoughts, our perspectives, and our values. It will transform our big and small decisions, and ultimately, our words and actions.
So, if you truly desire to live according to God’s will—if you want to live a good life and bear good fruit—the starting point must be using your eyes according to God’s purpose. It must begin by looking at what is good and storing it in your heart.
Repeating ‘resolutions’ to live a good life without this process is meaningless. It is like deceiving oneself. That’s because, as we discussed earlier, it is impossible to live righteously through our willpower alone without storing good things in our hearts.
We read Psalm 119 earlier. This psalm, the longest chapter in the Bible with 176 verses, beautifully expresses the psalmist’s longing for the Word of God. In verses 36 and 37, the psalmist confesses:
"Turn my heart toward your statutes and not toward selfish gain. Turn my eyes away from worthless things; preserve my life according to your word." (Psalm 119:36-37)
I pray that this becomes our confession to the Lord today. If we truly confess that God created us and that He is the true Lord of our lives, we must also confess that He is the Lord of our eyes. One of the most significant ways we acknowledge God’s Lordship is by carefully looking at what He wants us to see with the eyes He has given us.
When we do this, we will be able to discern God’s good will, and His good Word will be stored in our hearts. Only then, through the ‘good treasure’ of God’s Word accumulated in our hearts, will we be able to live a truly good life. This is the effort we must make to live a good life according to God’s will and His purpose to save us.
Let us pray together.
 
Closing Prayer
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the precious Word You have given us today. We confess that, on our own, we are like trees that cannot bear good fruit.
 We have often relied on our own frail willpower and failed time and time again. Forgive us for trying to live a good life without being truly connected to You, the only source of goodness.
Lord, we ask that You would transform our hearts today. We don’t want to be "shiny on the outside" while remaining hollow within.
So we pray that You would become the Lord of our eyes and our lives. In a world full of worthless and distracting things, help us to turn our eyes away and gaze upon Your good Word. Let Your Word be the good treasure that we store up in our hearts every single day. As we read Your word through our eyes and meditate on Your truth every day, let it change our thoughts, our values, and our actions from the inside out.
We dedicate our eyes, our hearts, and our lives to You once again. May we live as true new creations, eager to do what is good and bearing fruit that brings glory to Your name.
In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

[Reflection Questions]
1. In today’s sermon, we discussed that our own "willpower" has clear limitations when it comes to living a good life. Why do you think we cannot live a good life through our willpower alone? Please share a specific experience where you made a strong resolution to do something but ultimately failed because your will weakened.
2. Jesus said that a good man brings good things out of the good stored up in his heart. What is currently stored up the most in your heart? Is it God’s Word and His will, or is it worldly things, values, or something else? How is that being revealed as fruit in your actual life now?
3. Why does the Bible emphasize using our "eyes" for what is good? What are you gazing upon the most in your daily life lately? What is one specific habit you can change this week to turn your eyes away from "worthless things" and focus them on "God’s good Word"?