You'll know them by their fruit.
Your fruit is how you live as a follower of Christ.
Galatians 5 talks about the fruits of the spirit.
You should have evidence of the fruits of the spirit in your life as a believer.
22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (Galatians 5:22-23)
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 thorn bushes 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. (Matthew 7:15-20)
How to inspect fruit?
#1 Love God
4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, (2 Timothy 3:4)
Do you love God more than your own pleasure?
The bible tell us to love the Lord with EVERYTHING!
Jesus said to him, “‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ (Matthew 22:37)
If we want to be able to inspect fruit, we MUST learn to love God above all so nothing else becomes an idol in our life.
1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! (2 Timothy 3:1-5)
#2 Love God's word
God's will is found in God's word.
Our ability to continue to study His word and let it be planted deep inside of us is real transformation.
Can you love God's word to where you can continue to meditate on it over other people's lies & opinions?
God's word is a sword & it's how we fight our battles, Jesus said "It Is Written" when overcoming temptation from the enemy in the wilderness.
1 I charge you therefore before God and the Lord Jesus Christ, who will judge the living and the dead at His appearing and His kingdom: 2 Preach the word! Be ready in season and out of season. Convince, rebuke, exhort, with all longsuffering and teaching. 3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but according to their own desires, because they have itching ears, they will heap up for themselves teachers; 4 and they will turn their ears away from the truth, and be turned aside to fables. 5 But you be watchful in all things, endure afflictions, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry. (2 Timothy 4:1-5)
#3 Love Truth
We must learn to love God's truth.
When we can stand on God's word & His promises, we have the strength to rebuke the lies.
Some people love their truth over the Truth.
& truth will always bear witness of itself because it's truth.
9 The coming of the lawless one is according to the working of Satan, with all power, signs, and lying wonders, 10 and with all unrighteous deception among those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth, that they might be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send them strong delusion, that they should believe the lie, 12 that they all may be condemned who did not believe the truth but had pleasure in unrighteousness. (2 Thessalonians 2:9-12)
Learning to trust God is reassurance that He has a better plan for us.
If we can abide in Him, His word will abide in us.
& we cannot bear good fruit without Him!
Anyone that bears good fruit, is ALWAYS attached to the True Vine Jesus Christ.
1 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He [a]takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. (John 15:1-4)
Click here to watch our video on How To Know Them By Their Fruit.
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