3. THE FRUITS OF THE TWO GOSPEL TREES: What Grows from the Seeds You Plant

PART 3 OF A THREE PART SERIES ON THE WHOLEMEAL GOSPEL AND ITS COUNTERFEIT

"Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them." — Matthew 7:20

From Seed to Tree to Fruit
We've examined the two seeds—two fundamentally different beliefs about the nature of sin and the nature of Christ. Now we must trace what grows from these seeds. For Jesus warned us: "Every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit" (Matthew 7:17-18).

The seed determines the root. The root determines the tree. The tree determines the fruit. And the fruit reveals the seed. The seed that really determined the fruit.

Our thoughts including our beliefs, lead to our words and actions, leading to our habits, that make up our character, which is what God judges for our eternal life or eternal death.

Therefore, our thoughts and beliefs, including the version of the gospel that we choose to believe are extremely, urgently important to get right. They will determine our ultimate destination.

Two seeds. Two trees. Two completely different harvests. One to life everlasting. The other to death and eternal loss.
 
Tree #1: The Terminator Seed Gospel
The Rotten Roots:

• Original sin: you are born guilty
• Sin cannot be overcome until Jesus returns
• Christ came in unfallen flesh (His victory doesn't apply to you)
• Salvation is forgiveness only, with no power for transformation

The Warped Trunk and Branches:
From these rotten roots grows a theological system, the broad and popular gate, that misshapes everything, Mat 7:13.

Theology: God is primarily a Judge who must be appeased. The gospel is a legal transaction—Christ's righteousness covers your continued sinfulness until He stands and tells lies about your character for you in the judgment. Sanctification is optional or impossible. The Christian life is about managing sin, not overcoming it.

Identity: You are a sinner saved by forgiving grace—emphasis on "sinner." Your identity remains rooted in your fallenness. You're told "we're all just sinners" as if this is humility, when it's actually hopelessness dressed in religious language.

Expectation: Defeat is normal. Victory is rare or impossible. "I'm only human" becomes the excuse for continued sin. The best you can hope for is forgiveness after each failure, not power to overcome.

Relationship with God: Distant and transactional. God forgives you, but you don't expect Him to transform you. Prayer becomes primarily about asking for forgiveness rather than receiving power. The Holy Spirit's role is minimized to a comforter rather than a guiding  enabler.

The Fruit of Tree #1:
What does this tree produce in the lives of believers and in the church?

1. Perpetual Defeat
Christians who believe they cannot overcome sin until Jesus returns live in constant defeat. They sin, confess, receive forgiveness, and sin again in an endless cycle. "I'm just a sinner saved by grace" becomes not a testimony of transformation but an excuse for stagnation.
Paul asked, "Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid" (Romans 6:1-2). But this tree produces exactly that—Christians who continue in sin, believing they have no other option.

2. Powerless Witness
How can a defeated church convince the world of Christ's power? When Christians live no differently than unbelievers—struggling with the same addictions, the same anger, the same dishonesty, the same broken relationships—what gospel are they demonstrating?
Jesus said, "Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven" (Matthew 5:16). But this tree produces dim lights, barely distinguishable from the darkness around them.

3. Distorted View of God's Character
If God declares you guilty from birth for something you didn't choose, and then offers forgiveness but no power to change, what does this say about His character? It makes God seem unjust (punishing the innocent) and incomplete (forgiving but not healing).
The world looks at Christians who claim to be forgiven but live in continued bondage and asks, "What kind of God is that? What kind of salvation is that?"

4. Spiritual Exhaustion
Living in constant defeat is exhausting. Confessing the same sins repeatedly, feeling perpetual guilt, believing transformation is impossible—this produces burnout, not abundant life. Many simply give up, concluding that if victory is impossible, why try?

5. Terminator Fruit
Death and loss of eternal life. Most tragically, this tree produces fruit that cannot reproduce. You are judged on your bad character made up of your bad habits that are your bad actions words and thoughts based on your wrong beliefs. Furthermore, when young believers see older Christians still struggling with the same sins after decades, still defeated, still waiting for Jesus to return and fix them—what hope does that offer? The rotten fruit also contains no seed for the next generation.
 
Tree #2: The Biblical Gospel
The Roots:

• Sin is a choice made with knowledge and developed conscience
• Christ came in fallen flesh and overcame—making Him our example
• Fallen humanity + divinity = victory over sin
• Salvation is both forgiveness AND transformation

The Trunk and Branches:
From these roots grows a completely different theological system, straight and narrow, leading to everlasting life, and few find it. Mat 3:14:

Theology: God is both Just and Justifier, both Savior and Sanctifier. The gospel is a complete rescue—Christ's death pays our penalty AND His life demonstrates our possibility. Sanctification is not optional; it's the evidence of genuine salvation. The Christian life is about both receiving forgiveness and walking in victory.

Identity: You are a new creation in Christ. "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new" (2 Corinthians 5:17). Your identity is rooted in what Christ has made you, not what you were.

Expectation: Victory is normal. Defeat is the exception, not the rule. "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me" (Philippians 4:13) becomes your daily experience, not just a nice verse on a bookmark.

Relationship with God: Intimate and transformational. God not only forgives you but dwells within you, actively transforming you from glory to glory (2 Corinthians 3:18). Prayer becomes communion with the One who empowers you. The Holy Spirit is your constant companion and enabler.

​The Fruit of Tree #2:
What does this tree produce?

1. Progressive Victory
Christians who believe Christ overcame in their flesh experience progressive victory over sin. Not perfection overnight, but genuine transformation over time. They don't make excuses for sin; they overcome it by faith, claiming God's promises.
"For whatsoever is born of God overcometh the world: and this is the victory that overcometh the world, even our faith" (1 John 5:4). This is not theory—it's daily experience.

2. Powerful Witness
A transformed life is the most powerful apologetic. When people see genuine change—addicts set free, angry people becoming gentle, dishonest people becoming trustworthy, broken relationships restored—they see evidence of God's power.
This tree produces Christians who can say with Paul, "I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me" (Galatians 2:20). The world sees Christ living in them and is drawn to that reality.

3. Accurate Revelation of God's Character
This gospel reveals God as both just and merciful, both holy and loving. He doesn't declare infants guilty, but He does hold accountable those who knowingly sin. He doesn't leave us in our sin, but transforms us by His power. He is both the God who forgives and the God who enables.
The great controversy between good and evil is settled when God's people demonstrate His character—overcoming sin by His grace, living righteously by His power, loving perfectly by His Spirit dwelling in them.

4. Spiritual Vitality
Living in victory produces joy, not exhaustion. "The joy of the Lord is your strength" (Nehemiah 8:10). When you experience God's power to overcome temptation, when you see genuine transformation in your life, when you walk in fellowship with the Holy Spirit—this produces abundant life.
Jesus said, "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly" (John 10:10). This tree produces that abundance.

5. Reproducing Fruit
Most importantly, this tree produces fruit that contains fertile seed. When new believers see mature Christians walking in victory, overcoming sin, demonstrating Christ's character—they believe it's possible for them too. The fruit reproduces.
"And the things that thou hast heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also" (2 Timothy 2:2). This is reproducing fruit—transformation that inspires transformation, victory that produces victory, faith that generates faith.
 
Our Choices Matter: Strengthening or Severing Connection with Christ
The biblical gospel doesn't just transform our theology—it transforms our daily choices. When we understand that we can overcome sin through Christ's power, we recognize that our choices either strengthen or undermine our connection with Jesus.

Paul wrote, "What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's" (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).

If our bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, then how we treat them matters. If Christ dwells in us, then our daily choices either enhance or hinder that indwelling presence.

Health Reform: The Body as God's Temple
The terminator seed gospel says, "It doesn't matter what you eat or drink—you're forgiven anyway." But the biblical gospel recognizes that our physical choices affect our spiritual connection.

"Whether therefore ye eat, or drink, or whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31).

God gave health principles from the beginning. In Eden, He provided a plant-based diet (Genesis 1:29). Daniel and his friends demonstrated that following God's dietary principles produced superior physical and mental clarity (Daniel 1:8-20). Their clear minds enabled them to hear God's voice and stand faithful under pressure.

Health reform isn't legalism—it's wisdom. When we cloud our minds with harmful substances, dull our senses with unhealthy foods, or weaken our bodies through poor choices, we diminish our capacity to hear the Holy Spirit's voice and resist temptation. When we honor God with our bodies, we strengthen our connection with Him.

The question isn't "Will God still forgive me if I eat poorly?" The question is "Do I want to maximize my spiritual clarity and power to overcome, or do I want to handicap myself?"

Dress Reform: Modesty and Witness
"In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shamefacedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; But (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works" (1 Timothy 2:9-10).

The terminator seed gospel says, "Dress however you want—grace covers everything." But the biblical gospel asks, "Does my appearance draw people to Christ or to me? Does my dress support purity of thought in myself and others, or does it undermine it?"

Dress reform isn't about rules—it's about witness and wisdom. Our appearance communicates our values. Immodest dress can stimulate impure thoughts in others, undermining their spiritual walk. Extravagant dress can communicate materialism and pride. Simple, modest, appropriate dress communicates that our identity is in Christ, not in attracting attention to ourselves.

Again, the question isn't "What can I get away with?" but "What choice strengthens my connection with Christ and my witness for Him?"

The Sabbath: God's Sign of Sanctification
Perhaps no choice more clearly reveals which gospel tree we're connected to than our response to the Sabbath.
"Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work: But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God" (Exodus 20:8-10).

God established the seventh-day Sabbath at creation (Genesis 2:2-3), before sin, before Jews, as a memorial of His creative power. Jesus kept the Sabbath (Luke 4:16). The apostles kept the Sabbath (Acts 17:2, 18:4). There is no biblical command to change it to Sunday.

Sunday observance came through human tradition, not divine command. The Roman Catholic Church openly admits it changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday as a mark of its authority. But Jesus asked, "Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" (Matthew 15:3).

The Sabbath is God's sign of sanctification: "Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I am the LORD that sanctify them" (Ezekiel 20:12).

Notice: the Sabbath is a sign that God sanctifies us—that He transforms us, not just forgives us. It's a weekly reminder that we rest in His power to save and transform, not our own works.

The terminator seed gospel says, "It doesn't matter which day you worship—any day is fine." But the biblical gospel asks, "Do I follow God's command or human tradition? Do I accept His sign of sanctification or substitute my own?"

Keeping the biblical Sabbath (Friday sunset to Saturday sunset) is a choice that strengthens our connection with Christ. It's a weekly declaration that we trust His word over human tradition, that we rest in His power to sanctify, and that we honor Him as Creator and Redeemer.

The Pattern of Choices
Notice the pattern:

• Health reform strengthens our physical capacity to hear God's voice and resist temptation
• Dress reform strengthens our witness and protects purity of thought
• Sabbath keeping strengthens our weekly connection with God as Creator and Sanctifier

These aren't arbitrary rules. They're wisdom principles that either enhance or diminish our connection with Christ.
The terminator seed gospel produces Christians who say, "I'm forgiven, so my choices don't matter." The biblical gospel produces Christians who say, "I'm being transformed, so I choose what strengthens my connection with Christ."
"If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15). Love isn't just emotion—it's expressed through obedient choices that honor God and strengthen our relationship with Him.
 
The Contrast in Scripture
The Bible itself contrasts these two trees:

Tree #1 produces:

• "Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof" (2 Timothy 3:5)
• "For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death" (Romans 7:5)
• "For to be carnally minded is death" (Romans 8:6)
• “A broad and poplar gate that leads to destruction” (Matthew 7:13)

Tree #2 produces:

• "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance" (Galatians 5:22-23)
• "But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life" (Romans 6:22)
• "To be spiritually minded is life and peace" (Romans 8:6)
• “A narrow and unpopular gate that leads to life and few find it” (Matthew 7:14)

 
The Harvest
"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:7-8).
The harvest is coming. What fruit will be found on your tree?

Tree #1 produces:

• Defeated Christians
• Powerless churches
• Distorted view of God
• Terminator fruit that cannot reproduce
• A gospel that leads to death and loss of eternal life
• Christians whose daily choices undermine their spiritual connection

Tree #2 produces:

• Victorious Christians
• Powerful churches
• Accurate revelation of God's character
• Reproducing fruit that inspires and transforms generations
• A gospel that saves from sin and leads to eternal life
• Christians whose daily choices strengthen their connection with Christ

Examining Your Fruit
Jesus said, "Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them" (Matthew 7:20). This applies not just to false prophets but to false gospels.
Ask yourself:

• Am I experiencing progressive victory over sin, or am I stuck in defeat?
• Is my life a powerful witness to Christ's transforming power, or am I indistinguishable from unbelievers?
• Do I know God as both Forgiver and Transformer, or only as One who covers my continued sinfulness with an umbrella and then will lie for me in the judgment?
• Am I spiritually vital and growing, or exhausted and stagnant?
• Is my life producing fruit that inspires others to transformation, or does my defeat discourage them?
• Do my daily choices—in health, dress, and worship—strengthen or undermine my connection with Christ?
• Am I following God's commands or human traditions?

Your answers reveal which tree is growing in your life—which seed you've planted.
 
The Call to Replant
If you recognize some of the rotten fruit of Tree #1 in your life, there's hope. You can replant. You can dig up the terminator seed and plant the biblical seed.
How?

1. Reject the lie of original sin. You are not guilty for being born. You are responsible for your choices once you know better.
2. Embrace Christ's victory in fallen flesh. He overcame in your nature, as your example. His victory is your possibility by relying on God.
3. Claim the promises. "There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it" (1 Corinthians 10:13).
4. Walk in the Spirit. "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh" (Galatians 5:16).
5. Expect transformation. "Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ" (Philippians 1:6).
6. Make choices that strengthen your connection with Christ. Honor God with your body through health reform. Honor God with your appearance through modest dress. Honor God with your time through biblical Sabbath keeping.

The Everlasting Gospel
The everlasting gospel produces fertile everlasting fruit. Not rotten terminator fruit that lead to death, but instead fertile fruit that lead to everlasting life and these transform lives, families, churches, and nations.

"And I saw another angel fly in the midst of heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth, and to every nation, and kindred, and tongue, and people. Saying with a loud voice, Fear God, and give glory to him; for the hour of his judgment is come: and worship him that made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and the fountains of waters." (Revelation 14:6,7).

Revelation 14:7 is the everlasting gospel reflecting the first four of the Ten Commandments.

1. Fear God is loving obedience having no other Gods before Him.
2. Giving Glory to God not bowing down to man made beliefs or objects.
3. We are accountable in the judgment to His way of righteousness not having blasphemous unbiblical beliefs.
4. Keeping the Saturday Sabbath blessed and sanctified at Creation and kept by Jesus even in death in the tomb.

This is the gospel that produces the fruit God intended—Christians who overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of their testimony (Revelation 12:11), a church without spot or wrinkle (Ephesians 5:27), a people who keep the commandments of God and have the faith of Jesus (Revelation 14:12).

Which tree is growing in your life?
The fruit reveals the answer. Your character and your daily choices—what you think, believe,  say and do, what you eat, how you dress, which day you worship—reveal which tree you're connected to.

We may all have access to a Bible. But what we choose to believe and do about its words will determine our ultimate destination. There are two main beliefs about the seeds, roots, trunks, and fruits of the Bible’s teachings. One is the neverlasting gospel, the other is the everlasting gospel. The first is most popular but fatal. The second is harder to find but will lead to everlasting life. The choice is ours.