Sometimes I am confused when a "Christian" is more comfortable around unsaved people or superficial Christians!
1 Peter 1:21-23 "21 Through Him you believe in God, who raised Him from the dead and glorified Him; and so your faith and hope are in God. 22 Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart. 23 For you have been born again, not of perishable seed, but of imperishable, through the living and enduring word of God."
Born-again believers ought to share the gospel with the unsaved, but they are never comfortable with them as constant companions.
Romans 12:9-10 "Love must be sincere. Detest what is evil; cling to what is good. Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another."
May each of us choose our companions wisely. When we have no control over who comes into our lives then we can assume God is further training us to endure mistreatment without retaliation.
We may need to speak the word boldly but calmly, knowing the response is going to be persecution.
Remember God sees it all and He has a purpose in it.
1 Corinthians 10:12-14 "…12 So the one who thinks he is standing firm should be careful not to fall. 13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; He will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, He will also provide an escape, so that you can stand up under it. 14 Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry."
Monday, May 4, 2026
The Fruit of the Spirit Should be Evident in Our Lives
The fruit of the Spirit is not works, although works flow from them. These are the fruit of the Spirit.
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."
When someone has the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, they don't need rules and laws; their inner being wants to do what is right in God's eyes. Our hearts have been transformed into the mind of Christ.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Ephesians 5:9 "for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. / By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Those who belong to Christ have an authentic love based on obedience to Christ not an emotional love based on personal desire to be loved by others.
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid."
Our love is greater than the love of the world, it cares about what is best for people not what pleases them in the flesh.
Forgiveness is a big part of the love of Christ.
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."
How God forgives: Luke 17:2-4 "…2 It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
God is all about reconciliation and reconciliation does not occur without confession of offenses and forgiveness, two sides of the same coin.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be [e]sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
No one is reconciled to God by ignoring sin. No on is reconciled to God by ignoring offenses. Offenses must be addressed and worked out to be resolved.
Ignoring sin and just pretending to be friendly never helps anyone; it only causes sin to grow and people to be destroyed.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Psalm 145:20 "The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy."
If we love people, we care about their spiritual well-being far more than their personal happiness.
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."
When someone has the fruit of the Spirit of Christ, they don't need rules and laws; their inner being wants to do what is right in God's eyes. Our hearts have been transformed into the mind of Christ.
John 15:4-5 "Remain in Me, and I will remain in you. Just as no branch can bear fruit by itself unless it remains in the vine, neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in Me. I am the vine and you are the branches. The one who remains in Me, and I in him, will bear much fruit. For apart from Me you can do nothing."
Romans 8:13-14 "For if you live according to the flesh, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God."
Ephesians 5:9 "for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth."
John 13:34-35 "A new commandment I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you also must love one another. / By this everyone will know that you are My disciples, if you love one another.”
Those who belong to Christ have an authentic love based on obedience to Christ not an emotional love based on personal desire to be loved by others.
John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled; do not be afraid."
Our love is greater than the love of the world, it cares about what is best for people not what pleases them in the flesh.
Forgiveness is a big part of the love of Christ.
Ephesians 4:32 "Be kind and tenderhearted to one another, forgiving each other just as in Christ God forgave you."
How God forgives: Luke 17:2-4 "…2 It would be better for him to have a millstone hung around his neck and to be thrown into the sea than to cause one of these little ones to stumble. 3 Watch yourselves. If your brother sins, rebuke him; and if he repents, forgive him. 4 Even if he sins against you seven times in a day, and seven times returns to say, ‘I repent,’ you must forgive him.”
God is all about reconciliation and reconciliation does not occur without confession of offenses and forgiveness, two sides of the same coin.
2 Corinthians 5:20-21 "20 Therefore, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were making an appeal through us; we beg you on behalf of Christ, be reconciled to God. 21 He made Him who knew no sin to be [e]sin in our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him."
No one is reconciled to God by ignoring sin. No on is reconciled to God by ignoring offenses. Offenses must be addressed and worked out to be resolved.
Ignoring sin and just pretending to be friendly never helps anyone; it only causes sin to grow and people to be destroyed.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
Psalm 145:20 "The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy."
If we love people, we care about their spiritual well-being far more than their personal happiness.
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