Before I was a Christian, I bore horrible fruit. Coming from an abusive childhood, I was a mean, bitter, young adult. I was raised by an abusive dad, step-dad and mom, so all I knew was to be horrible too. I used men on purpose, and was very awful to them. I bore bad fruit everywhere I went.
After I became a Christian, and my eyes were opened to the love of God, I repented of this behavior. God sent a MAN named Jesus Christ to die for me. A loving savior, not an abusive one. However, because of the past continuous cycles of abuse I had been in, I continued to bear bad fruit. It was not until I fully submitted to Jesus Christ, and actively pursued KNOWING His Word and OBEYING it, did I begin to bear good fruit. There is a difference between being born again (or saved) and being fully submitted to Jesus Christ. The Christians who are fully submitted, are sincerely trying to obey God’s word MOST of the time. The ones who are not, do not study God’s Word, and only pursue a relationship with Him when a bad situation arises. These Christians may be on their way to heaven, but they do not walk in the full calling of God on their lives. They miss out on most of what God has for them.
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus Christ publicly “calls out” the religious leaders of his day for all of the bad fruit they were bearing. In the verses below, Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees they need to “clean the inside of the cup and of the dish so the outside may become clean.”
“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you clean the outside of the cup and of the dish, but inside they are full of robbery and self-indulgence. You blind Pharisee, first clean the inside of the cup and of the dish, so that the outside of it may become clean also.“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you, too, outwardly appear righteous to men, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.Matthew 23:25-28
Jesus called out the Pharisees because they were acting like they were followers of God, but in reality were “full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.” This means they did not practice what they preached! Jesus warned us wolves would come to us dressed as sheep! He said we would know the difference because of their FRUIT:
Beware of false prophets, who come to you dressed as sheep, but inside they are devouring wolves. You will fully recognize them by their fruits. Do people pick grapes from thorns, or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy (sound) tree bears good fruit [worthy of admiration], but the sickly (decaying, worthless) tree bears bad (worthless) fruit. A good (healthy) tree cannot bear bad (worthless) fruit, nor can a bad (diseased) tree bear excellent fruit [worthy of admiration].Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and cast into the fire. Therefore, you will fully know them by their fruits. Matt 7:15-20
If someone tells you they are a Christian, take a look at the fruit they are bearing! It is easy for someone to say they are a Christian and attend church in America. It is VERY common where I live for people to say they are Christian, because they want to be accepted. If someone is being “led by the Spirit” they will bear the fruit of the Spirit like love, peace, kindness, joy. They will bear fruit for the kingdom of God:
But if you are guided and led by the Spirit, you are not subject to the Law. Now the practices of the sinful nature are clearly evident: they are sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality (total irresponsibility, lack of self-control), idolatry, sorcery, hostility, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions [that promote heresies], envy, drunkenness, riotous behavior, and other things like these. I warn you beforehand, just as I did previously, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit [the result of His presence within us] is love [unselfish concern for others], joy, [inner] peace, patience [not the ability to wait, but how we act while waiting], kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Gal 5:18-23
I know no one is perfect, and we all make mistakes, but a Pharisee is not in a personal relationship with God. They think they are, or pretend to be for social or political acceptance.
2 Peter 1 encourages believers to make their “calling and election sure” so they will never “stumble or fall.” My encouragement is for you to spend time with the Lord and ask Him to help you make your calling and election sure so you never “stumble or fall.”
For as these qualities are yours and increasingly abound in you, they will keep [you] from being idle or unfruitful unto the [full personal] knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah, the Anointed One).For whoever lacks these qualities is blind, [spiritually] shortsighted, seeing only what is near to him, and has become oblivious [to the fact] that he was cleansed from his old sins. Because of this, brethren, be all the more solicitous and eager to make sure (to ratify, to strengthen, to make steadfast) your calling and election; for if you do this, you will never stumble or fall. 2 Pet 1:8-10 AMP
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your Son Jesus Christ who died for me, and rose again on the third day. I choose to surrender my life fully to You and I ask for the blood of Jesus to wash away all my sins. I ask you to fill me with your Holy Spirit. Thank you for forgiving me of all my sins, and I forgive those who have sinned against me. Help me become a student of your Word. In Jesus Christ’s name, Amen!