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15 "Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 You will recognize them by their fruits. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. 18 A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus you will recognize them by their fruits." (Matthew 7:15-20)1
33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (12:33-37)
33 "Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or make the tree bad and its fruit bad, for the tree is known by its fruit. 34 You brood of vipers! How can you speak good, when you are evil? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good person out of his good treasure brings forth good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure brings forth evil. 36 I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, 37 for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned." (12:33-37)
Sometimes I believe we may forget that there are genuinely evil people in this world whose hearts are wicked to the core. They may not be mass murderers or rapists, but they are our co-workers, our employers, our family members. It is true that we are not to be "fruit inspectors" in the sense that we are not to assume the role of Judge over others and who specifically will be saved and lost. Yet it is also true that we are to exercise discernment concerning ourselves and the persons we deal with.
As Jesus indicates, one's speech is key. It will eventually reveal a great deal about a person, who he or she is. Perhaps you have dealt with persons whose conversation primarily consists of gossip, venom, self-aggrandizement (braggadocio), slander, accusations, and/or some form of abuse. When you really listen to the things people say (and sometimes the things you yourself say), even in everyday conversation, it can be quite appalling. What are you about? What am I about? It is bound to slip out of our lips at some point, even if you are prone to speaking infrequently. "The tongue" is a window of sorts into the heart of the person speaking (Matthew 15:18; James 3:1-12). When I do speak, I have noticed I can be too quick to pronounce a condemnatory judgement or I lack the grace I would wish others to have on me. Sometimes we run the risk of becoming that thing we hate seeing or hearing in others. Returning evil for evil seems to be our natural impulse.
I suppose the reason I am typing all this is because I have dealt with some incredibly abusive individuals in my life. They are/were not entirely devoid of good traits, of course, but when push came/comes to shove, they are/were rotten people. You may not be entirely sure who or what a person is made of until you have spent some time together behind closed doors together, away from the crowds where the public persona disappears. Of all places, this seems to be where one's true colors eventually show: the good, the bad and the ugly. Positively, the behavior I have witnessed in others which disgusts me most may serve as a reminder of what I do not want to be or become. Be careful that you do not become that thing which you hate.
It can be difficult to sincerely pray for or be desirous of any good to come upon our enemies or those who mistreat, abuse or use us, but the greatest prayer we can ultimately pray is for the salvation of those outside of Christ. Without a doubt, loving the unlovable can be very hard. We tend to think merely of the here and now, but those who die outside of Christ will be without hope in the age to come. It is a grave matter. Perhaps we would actually wish for their damnation. We don't want anything to do with some persons. It would seem better if they had never existed.
Maybe I am alone in this, but my first inclination is toward justice. Yet I recognize if God dealt with me according to strict justice, I am done for. Nevertheless, it can be difficult to extend the grace of God towards others in prayer and real life. After all, they don't deserve it. Do we have a genuine will for the ultimate good of our enemies? If we're honest with ourselves, the answer may be a resounding "no". Enemy-love in theory may sound romantic, but in practice it is perhaps the most difficult thing for one to do. It is certainly not something we can do in our own strength. We must remember that love for our enemies is only made possible by Christ's prior love for us as sinners alienated from God.
6 For while we were still helpless, at the appointed moment, Christ died for the ungodly. 78 But God proves His own love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! 9 Much more then, since we have now been declared righteous by His blood, we will be saved through Him from [the] wrath. 10 For if, while we were enemies, we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, then how much more, having been reconciled, will we be saved by His life! (Romans 5:6-10 HCSB)
Apart from Christ and the work of God through the Holy Spirit in my life, I, James,2 really am rotten in myself. Overall, without Christ I am self-absorbed, unkind, unforgiving and hateful of those who wrong me. If my thoughts don't constantly return to Christ, I will have grace on no one.
Notes
1 Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the English Standard Version (ESV). Scripture reference marked HCSB taken from the Holman Christian Standard Bible.
2 Real name.
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