Judging Good Fruit
Something that is sadly becoming more common in the world today is when Christians are being hurt by others who claim to follow Christ. This has led many believers to leave their churches, and in some cases, stop walking with Christ entirely. With the increased instances of church hurt from false leaders, it causes many to be skeptical of the faith of other Christians and unsure of how to trust those who claim to be Christians.
In God’s word we are told multiple times that these types of people will come and what their tactics will be. We are also told how to judge whether or not these people are genuine in their faith. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warns His followers that false prophets will come to take advantage of them. With this warning He also says that by the fruit of their lives you will see who they really are. People with hearts not surrendered to God will only produce works (or fruit) that benefit themselves (Matthew 12:35).
Now none of us are perfect. There will be times when genuine followers of Christ make mistakes and miss the mark, tragically hurting others. This is why the process to judge fruit is not a quick or easy one. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us discernment (John 16:13), but we also need to be consistently in God’s word so we know what true godliness looks like. The Holy Spirit is the One producing the fruit within us as we grow in our sanctification. Though this growth is happening on the inside, it will most certainly show in our outward words and actions, thereby displaying to others the good fruit that only comes from a life surrendered to God.
One thing to remember in this process of discerning and judgment is that God genuinely loves each and every person in the world and desires to save every one of them from the punishment that sin brings (2 Peter 3:9). He calls us to be discerning and to guard our hearts and minds, but we are not called to spite or any sort of malicious behavior to even the worst people in the world. This means that after we judge, we act accordingly to protect ourselves as well as others, but then we then pray for these people who are in need of God’s love and forgiveness.
Jesus is calling us to be careful as well as peaceable, and that's why He tells us to judge others by their fruit.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.” - Matthew 10:16
In God’s word we are told multiple times that these types of people will come and what their tactics will be. We are also told how to judge whether or not these people are genuine in their faith. In Matthew 7:15-20, Jesus warns His followers that false prophets will come to take advantage of them. With this warning He also says that by the fruit of their lives you will see who they really are. People with hearts not surrendered to God will only produce works (or fruit) that benefit themselves (Matthew 12:35).
Now none of us are perfect. There will be times when genuine followers of Christ make mistakes and miss the mark, tragically hurting others. This is why the process to judge fruit is not a quick or easy one. We need to rely on the Holy Spirit to give us discernment (John 16:13), but we also need to be consistently in God’s word so we know what true godliness looks like. The Holy Spirit is the One producing the fruit within us as we grow in our sanctification. Though this growth is happening on the inside, it will most certainly show in our outward words and actions, thereby displaying to others the good fruit that only comes from a life surrendered to God.
One thing to remember in this process of discerning and judgment is that God genuinely loves each and every person in the world and desires to save every one of them from the punishment that sin brings (2 Peter 3:9). He calls us to be discerning and to guard our hearts and minds, but we are not called to spite or any sort of malicious behavior to even the worst people in the world. This means that after we judge, we act accordingly to protect ourselves as well as others, but then we then pray for these people who are in need of God’s love and forgiveness.
Jesus is calling us to be careful as well as peaceable, and that's why He tells us to judge others by their fruit.
“Behold, I send you out as sheep in the midst of wolves. Therefore be wise as serpents and gentle as doves.” - Matthew 10:16
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