Luke 6.46-49 For a good tree bringeth not forth corrupt fruit; neither doth a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. For every tree is known by his own fruit. For of thorns men do not gather figs, nor of a bramble bush gather they grapes. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

The way to gauge spiritual progress is by the way that we either react or respond to unexpected adversity or temptation. It is in the heat of the moment, the heat of the conversation, or the heat of the trial that the abundance of the heart manifests itself.

That is what Jesus is saying here. He is telling us that as valuable as it is to read Scripture, listen to sermons and even memorize them. The real test of whether or not what we are reading or hearing is sinking in is revealed in the crucible of life. The spontaneous words or actions that spring forth when we are put to the test “unexpectedly” reveals the abundance of my hearts treasure.

Understand that this abundance, good or bad, is not an indication of the status of one’s soul; but it is an indication of the status of one’s maturity. It has been said that one way to measure spiritual maturity is by when I am in a situation where I am caught by surprise, and my involuntary response is a godly one. Let us not be content with how much Scripture we can quote. As Jesus said when He spoke about the rock solid or sandy foundations, the acid test of whether or not I am hiding God’s Word in my heart is discovered by what comes out, either verbally or behaviorally when my life or my mouth when it is put to the test. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get alone with The Lord because there are some very serious heart fractures that need to be repaired in my foundation. Selah