What does Ellen White write about...
Adventistische Schriften über: "What is meant by the “fruits” in Matthew 7:20?"
Answer
The “fruits” in Matthew 7:20 refer to the deeds, actions, words, and the essential character traits of a person in daily life. A mere lip service has no value before God; only practical action and way of life reveal the true disposition of the heart. Genuine godliness unmistakably appears in righteous works and the fruits of the Spirit such as love, patience, honesty, and meekness.
Deeds and Works Reveal the Heart
»Christ said, "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a rotten tree bear good fruit." "Therefore by their fruits you shall know them." The deeds in a person’s life are the fruits he produces. If he is unfaithful and dishonest in earthly matters, he produces thistles and thorns; he will be unfaithful in religious life and deprive God of tithes and offerings.«
Words and Confessions Are Not Sufficient Without Deeds
»“By their fruits you shall know them. Do you gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles? Thus every good tree bears good fruit, but the rotten tree bears bad fruit. [...] Therefore, by their fruits you shall know them.” [...] The character of each person is revealed through his fruits. His words and his confession are worthless in the eyes of God. His works, his deeds testify about him and reveal the heart and the true intention of the person.«
Words and Actions Determine the Claim to Christ’s Name
»The fruit that grows on the tree determines the character of the tree. [...] Christ said, "By their fruits you shall know them." Words and actions are the fruits that determine the right someone has to bear the name of Christ.«
Right Actions as the Fruit of True Piety
»“By their fruits you shall know them,” the Savior explained. All true followers of Christ bear fruit to His glory. Their lives testify that through the Spirit of God a good work has been wrought in them, and their fruit leads to holiness. Their lives are lofty and pure. Right actions are the unmistakable fruit of true piety, and those who bear no such fruit reveal that they have no experience in the things of God.«
Godliness and Christian Character Traits
»All who join the congregation but not the Lord will, in time, reveal their true character. "By their fruits you shall know them." The precious fruit of godliness, temperance, patience, kindness, love, and mercy does not appear in their lives. They bear only thorns and thistles.«
Original Sources (English)
Stephan Krol
Founder of EGW Vision
Why I built EGW Vision
Hello, I am Stephan Krol. I started this Ellen White website to make the writings of Ellen G. White and the Adventist pioneers easier to access for everyone.
EGW Vision helps you find topics, statements, and quotes faster, especially when many original sources are not yet fully available in your language. The tool searches semantically, groups relevant content by topic, and presents matching results as clearly as possible in your language.
My hope is that this tool supports personal Bible study, strengthens trust in the original sources, and helps more people discover the message of these writings with clarity, depth, and joy.
