Charles Spurgeon Commentary Matthew 12:33

"Either make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree corrupt, and its fruit corrupt: for the tree is known by its fruit." — Matthew 12:33 (ASV)

Still he argues with the Pharisees, and essentially says, “Be consistent. Accept Me and My works, or reject Me and My works, for by My works only can you judge Me. But do not admit the work to be a good one and then charge Me with being in league with the devil in doing it. If I were in league with the devil, I would do works such as the devil does and not works which shake his kingdom.” This expostulation is most powerful because it is founded on righteousness. We judge a tree by its fruits and a man by his actions, and there is no other truthful mode of judging.

Read these words apart from their immediate context, and they teach the great general truth that the inner and the outer life must correspond.