From Root to Fruit: A Tool for Spiritual Discernment

In a recent sermon on 1 John 3:11-15, from our Abide series through 1 John, we introduced a concept I called the Root to Fruit Principle. It’s a simple but powerful framework that helps us understand how the Christian life actually works. Through it, we see how transformation happens, how love is cultivated, and how the gospel renews us from the inside out.

This article is meant to go a little deeper. I want to not only explain the tool, but also show you how it can be used as a way to discern the deeper work Jesus wants to do in your life. The Root to Fruit principle is grounded in a basic truth we see throughout Scripture: what we do flows from who we are.

Just like fruit on a tree reveals what kind of tree it is - and whether or not the roots are healthy - our actions and attitudes reveal what’s happening deeper in our hearts. This is what Jesus taught throughout his ministry, and a foundational principle in the rest of the Bible. It is the logic behind John’s statement in 1 John 3:14:

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‍“we know that we have passed out of death into life, because we love the brothers.”

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Our love for one another is evidence that we have passed from death to life. How do we know we have passed from death to life? We know… because we love the brothers. Love isn’t what causes new life - it’s what confirms it. When we are rooted in Christ, love is the natural fruit that grows from that new identity.

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Fruit is Evidence of Roots

Let me give you a picture.

My family has a cherry tree in our backyard. In the summer, it blossoms and produces fruit. I don’t have to cut it open or test its DNA to know it’s a cherry tree. Because it grows cherries. Not apples. Not oranges. But cherries. If one summer it stopped bearing fruit, I wouldn’t tape fake cherries to the branches or go buy some from the store to hang on the tree. I’d know something was wrong beneath the surface. The roots would need attention.

The same is true in our lives. What shows up in our behavior - our attitudes, responses, and words - reveals what’s going on deeper down. Most of us are tempted to manage our behavior on the surface. But Scripture tells us that surface-level fixes don’t work long-term. You can’t tape good fruit onto a sick tree.

In order to help you investigate the roots of your life, I want to give you a tool that helps you slow down and examine your heart. We want to let the gospel speak to what false beliefs, fears, and desires are beneath our behaviors.

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The Root to Fruit Tool

Use these four steps to trace behavior back to belief (or unbelief), so you can root yourself firmly in the gospel. It is built around a series of questions that help you investigate the roots beneath the negative behaviors you are seeing in your life.

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1. What behavior is showing up in your life?

Start with what you can see. This is the “fruit” question.

When you see behavior you do not like, you need to name it. Be honest. Are you anxious, angry, harsh, or impatient? Are you showing love, peace, and self-control to those around you?

Rather than dismiss your behavior, justify your sin, or ignore your rotten fruit, name it honestly. Rotting fruit should lead us to examine the roots.

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2. ‍What unbelief is behind that behavior?

This is the “root question” and is best asked in a series of questions about what we are believing.

• What am I believing about God?
• What am I believing about myself?
• What am I believing about others?

Often fear, pride, or shame sits behind our actions. The key is curiosity as we honestly examine our motives and assumptions. You can’t address the root until you identify it.

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Before moving to the third question, ask God’s Spirit to bring to mind what is true through His Word.

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3. What is true in Christ?

This is where we speak gospel truth to our unbelief.

• What does the Bible say about God?
• What does the Bible say about who I am?
• What does the Bible say about others?

When you identify the lies or false beliefs fueling your behavior, you can confront them with truth. This nourishes the roots with the living water of the gospel and leads to real transformation. Ask yourself: How has Jesus already secured what I’m striving for through this behavior?

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4. What might grow from new roots?

This is the vision question. If your roots are in Christ, what kind of fruit could grow?

As you reimagine what sort of response God’s Spirit is calling you toward, you can ask yourself what would gospel-rooted behavior look like in this situation? The fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) is a great place to start: What would it look like to respond with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, faithfulness, gentleness, or self-control? How do my new roots in Christ produce that fruit in me?

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A Real-Life Example

Imagine a recent conversation where you felt defensive and dismissive. Here’s how the Root to Fruit tool might walk you through it:

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Fruit: You snapped or withdrew from the conversation.

Root: Because you had a fear of being seen as weak or wrong. You believed that God could not (or would not) take care of you, so you felt the need to protect yourself.

Gospel: But in Christ, your value isn’t in your performance. In your weakness, God is strong. Your standing is secure and you do not need to defend or prove yourself.

New Fruit: As a result, you are free to respond with humility and calm.

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You can use this tool in everyday life. You can use it when you’re frustrated or discouraged. You can use it when working through conflict and forgiveness with others. You can use it in small group discussion as you process how to apply God’s Word to your own lives. You can use it as you are discipling and mentoring others who are unhappy with the fruit they are seeing in their lives. You can use it in your own daily reflections as you process your own sin and unbelief.

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An invitation to practice

At first, it might feel mechanical when you work through these questions. That’s okay. The goal is to build the muscle of discerning what’s beneath the surface. Over time, this kind of heart-level awareness will become more natural.

You can fake fruit for a while, but not forever. Eventually, your root system will reveal itself. When that happens, don’t try harder. Sink your roots deeper into Christ.

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You can ask yourself this week:

• What fruit is showing up in my life?
• What’s going on beneath the surface?
• What gospel truth do I need to trust in?

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Final Word: Stay Rooted in Jesus

Remember, this is just a tool. What you need most isn’t a better strategy, but a better Savior. Let this process lead you to Jesus. Let your roots go deep into him. When they do, the fruit will follow.

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