Pretenders Lack the Fruit

Pretenders lack the fruit of the Spirit which is Spiritually (by the Holy Spirit) discerned. Those who claim to be Christian but do not act like they have been changed into a new creation, are all around us, in every church, and especially in the large apostate gatherings.

1 John 3:4-9
4 Everyone who practices sin also practices lawlessness; and sin is lawlessness.
5 You know that He appeared in order to take away sins; and in Him there is no sin.
6 No one who abides in Him sins; no one who sins has seen Him or knows Him.
7 Little children, make sure no one deceives you; the one who practices righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous;
8 the one who practices sin is of the devil; for the devil has sinned from the beginning. The Son of God appeared for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil.
9 No one who is born of God practices sin, because His seed abides in him; and he cannot sin, because he is born of God."

Anyone who lives a lifestyle of sin and defends it cannot possibly be born again. Christ changes the believer into a new creation, the old is passed away and the way we thought before is gone, we think a new way now. Those who love Christ hate sin, even when they fail and sin they hate it and confess to be cleansed.

1 John 1:9 "1
"9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."

1 John 2:1-2a "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,"

Born again believers hate sin, even their own when they fail, but they confess to be cleansed. Pretenders refuse to repent or confess and even defend their sin. They make excuses and become angry when met with God's Word about their sin.

These pretenders might say to you; "you don't know my heart." The answer is simple, we cannot do on the outside that which is different from the inside. Whatever we do on the outside proves what is on the inside.

Matthew 15:18-19
"18 But the things that proceed out of the mouth come from the heart, and those defile the man.
19 For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, slanders."

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."

Matthew 7:15-20
A Tree and Its Fruit
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
16 You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they?
17 So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit.
18 A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 So then, you will know them by their fruits."