Matthew 7:15-20
You Will Know Them by Their Fruit
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."
What is the fruit?
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."
The fruit is not work; it is the character qualities of Christ that only those who are born again can discern. Works do flow out of this, and a lifestyle does flow from it, but the fruit is separate from works. Even evil people can do good works this is not the evidence that they are born again and have been transformed by Christ.
1 John 3:9 "No one who has been born of God practices sin, because His seed remains in him; and he cannot sin continually, because he has been born of God."
Believers do sin at times and must confess it to be cleansed. It is in confessing and the regret that we have offended God that leads to Spiritual growth.
1 John 2:1-2 "1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father— Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."
1 John 1:9 "9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
James 3:2 "We all stumble in many ways. If anyone is never at fault in what he says, he is a perfect man, able to control his whole body."
As someone once said, "Christians are not sinless, but we do sin less.", Because we hate sin and want to walk in righteousness, we are in a battle with the flesh. Those who are not saved do not battle the flesh; they make excuses, pretend they did nothing wrong, and even blame others for their sin.
1 John 3:7 "Little children, let no one deceive you: The one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as Christ is righteous."
Many "Christians" do not practice sin on the outside that others can see, but they hold grudges, and they treat with disrespect anyone who will challenge them about their misdeeds and offenses. They use covert rudeness to be able to deny their offensive attitudes.
Unsaved people who have not been transformed by Christ but are very familiar with church speak learn to hide the big sins and use covert rudeness and haughtiness to control the emotions of others. They think as long as they can deny what they said or did it lets them off the hook and even justifies them.
Romans 6:12-13 "Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its desires. / Do not present the parts of your body to sin as instruments of wickedness, but present yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and present the parts of your body to Him as instruments of righteousness."
Titus 2:11-12 "For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation to everyone. / It instructs us to renounce ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live sensible, upright, and godly lives in the present age,"
Ephesians 6:12 "12 For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."
Our struggle is constant until God takes us home. Those who do not struggle have never been born again; they simply deny and justify their sin.
Romans 12:9 "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good."
Proverbs 8:13 "The fear of the Lord is hatred of evil. Pride and arrogance and the way of evil and perverted speech I hate."
