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Galatians 5:22-23
"22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law."
We know when we meet someone who is loving, kind, joyful, and peaceful, it exudes from them, one can see it but through Spiritual eyes.
Authentically born-again believers can also see with Spiritual eyes when this fruit is absent from someone who claims to be a Christian.
Matthew 7:15-20
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them."
The Fruit of the Spirit is listed in Galatians 5:22-23, quoted above.
Love is the first fruit, and it will be easily seen by all, even if unbelievers deny it to avoid facing their own demons. Also, those who want to hate believers will criticize our good deeds and kind acts as rude because of their need to deny what Christ has done in us. They are dedicated to misunderstanding us.
Love is what drives all the other fruits of the Spirit; when that is absent, then so are the rest of the fruits. Unbelievers can fake love to appear spiritual, but the lack of fruit will be evident.
1 Corinthians 13:4-7
"Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no account of wrongs. Love takes no pleasure in evil, but rejoices in the truth."
When someone is rude as a lifestyle, regularly demeaning and mocking others, while gossip is a common trait, we know we have met an unbeliever.
We need not worry about evaluating everyone we see to make sure they are telling the truth. We can treat those who claim to be Christians as brothers and sisters until we observe a consistent and continual lack of fruit; then we can share the gospel with them once again. Their reaction to us will give us a clue. All of this must be done in the power of the Holy Spirit and for the good of the person who doesn't realize they may not be saved. We need not decide who is saved or who is not, but when we see the fruit or lack of it, we can do what we are led by the Holy Spirit to do and leave the results to Christ.
Our attitude must always be one of love toward those who are perishing. Love warns people to save them. And, we must have an attitude of love toward believers who might be sinning. The purpose of our interchanges with brothers and sisters in sin must be kindness to bring them back to obedience. We must never go to them in anger to reduce them to rubble to control them. Our job is not to make another person like us or to obey us; we are merely messengers, our goal is the restoration of the one who has sinned.
2 Corinthians 5:17
"17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, this person is a new [a]creation; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. it is not love to just hang out being friendly while never speaking boldly to them. That kind of love is selfish love, hoping our friendliness will make them like us.
No one can change themselves into a new creation; only Christ can do that when the person repents, admits their sinful nature, and desires to be changed by Him.
Ephesians 2:9-10 "…9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life."
Our purpose in this life is to encourage and edify the believers to be bold for Christ and to lead the unsaved to Christ so that He will change them into a new creation, making them a child of God.
The only way we can be bold for Christ is to lose our obsession with being liked by people. We know some people will become angry when we share the gospel, some will hear and disregard, and some will listen and receive. We do not always get to see the results of our boldness with the gospel, but it is not our job to keep tally; it is our job to obey and share, leaving all the results up to God.
When we take our eyes off the possible reactions of human beings and keep them on Christ, we will be unhindered in our walk and more dependent on the Holy Spirit.
Keep looking up, soon we will be going home, either in death or the rapture.
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