Jesus gave us two truths that balance each other:

“Do not judge others, and you will not be judged.” (Matthew 7:1, NLT) “Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.” (Matthew 7:20, NLT)

At first glance, they almost seem to contradict. Don’t judge… but also evaluate fruit? The key is in how we approach it.

We’re not called to sit on God’s throne as the final Judge of someone’s soul—that’s His role alone. But we are called to be “fruit inspectors.” That means looking honestly at our own lives, asking: What kind of fruit am I producing? Love, joy, peace, patience… or bitterness, pride, and selfishness?

It also means paying attention to the fruit in others. Not to condemn, but to discern. The company we keep, the voices we listen to, the leaders we follow—they all shape us. If someone’s words or actions consistently show rotten fruit, we’d be foolish to ignore it. Proverbs says, “Walk with the wise and become wise; associate with fools and get in trouble.” (Prov. 13:20)

So here’s the balance:

Don’t judge to condemn. That’s God’s business. Do inspect fruit. That’s wisdom.

When we do this rightly, it doesn’t make us self-righteous—it makes us humble and careful. We start with our own heart (“Lord, prune what’s not of You in me”), and then we let discernment guide who and what we allow to influence us.

Because at the end of the day, fruit never lies.