Saved by Grace, Shaped by Words

This week I’ve been going over Jesus’ words in Matthew 12:

“Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit. You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of. A good man brings good things out of the good stored up in him, and an evil man brings evil things out of the evil stored up in him. But I tell you that everyone will have to give account on the day of judgment for every empty word they have spoken. For by your words you will be acquitted, and by your words you will be condemned."(vs. 33–37)

At first, it almost sounds like our salvation depends on the words we speak. But then I remember verses like Ephesians 2:8–9 (“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… not by works”) and John 3:16 (“For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life”).

So how do these truths fit together?

My Story

Growing up, I thought I had to be “good enough” to get into heaven. I figured it was about keeping all the rules, doing more good than bad, and proving myself to God. The problem? That’s impossible. To earn heaven on my own, I would have to be perfect. Never sin. Never mess up. And I couldn’t do that.

After I graduated high school, I went on a retreat—and that’s where I met Jesus in a new way. I finally understood: He died for my sins. He is perfect. He took my place. All I needed to do was accept His gift. That truth changed everything.

The Courtroom Picture

Here’s the picture that helps me make sense of Matthew 12: one day we will all stand before God. The Bible talks about two different “courtrooms.”

• For those who never placed their trust in Christ, the judgment is based on works—and that’s a scary thought, because none of us could ever measure up.

• But for those who belong to Jesus, the verdict has already been spoken: “Not guilty.” The cross settled that once and for all. “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus” (Romans 8:1).

Still, that doesn’t mean our words and actions no longer matter. They do. They’re like fruit on a tree—they reveal what’s inside.

Grace Always Shows

Grace is what saves us, but grace also changes us. If my heart is full of Jesus, it should spill out into the way I talk, the way I encourage others, the way I speak truth in love. When Jesus says we’ll give an account for our words, He’s not teaching a works-based salvation—He’s pointing out that our words testify to who we really are and Who we belong to.

Something to Think About

• If someone only knew me by my words this week, what would they say about my heart?

• Am I speaking out of frustration, fear, or pride—or out of love, hope, and truth?

• Do I live like grace has really changed me?

In the end, it really is both: we are saved by grace, through faith. And our words? They show the fruit of that grace at work in us.