THE PROOF IS IN THE PUDDING

What's Inside: How can you tell if someone is really a Christian? Is it based on their level of success? How godly he or she speaks, talks or acts? Are the Christians the ones who do the most community service work or go to church three times a week? How do you know when someone is actually walking the walk and not just talking about it?

The Bible lets us know in Matthew 7:16-18 that we can recognize false prophets by their fruit, "By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.” You can tell the real from the fake by the fruit they produce. I heard a Christian comedian say that he can’t judge someone else but he can be a “fruit inspector”. Funny. I have two questions. (1) What type of fruit are you bearing? And (2) exactly what fruit are you inspecting?

Galatians 5:22-23 goes into detail about the fruit of God the Holy Spirit. The fruit is proof and evidence of His existence in our lives. We can examine ourselves against the characteristics of God’s Spirit to assess whether or not we are growing in the right direction. Let me ask you. What does your LOVE look like? Is your JOY complete? Do you posses PEACE that surpasses all understanding? PATIENCE anyone? Would you consider yourself to be KIND to others? Are you a GOOD person? Have you been FAITHFUL even in the little things? Is your GENTLENESS evident to all? Are you SELF-CONTROLLED or is the devil still making you do it?

This is a measuring stick that we can rightly use to gauge the direction or OUR OWN relationship with God. Let’s take a moment to remove the magnifying glass from the people around us and gaze introspectively for a moment. What do I see in me? Is what I see indicative of a person who has a personal relationship with the Almighty God based on the Galatians 5:22-23 fruit/evidence of His Spirit?

I want to start this conversation off with the greatest of these virtues – the one that binds them all in perfect unity. There is so much talk in the Christian community about right from wrong, who should be in relationship with whom, our responsibilities as believers to tithe, give, pray, fast, do community service, and get in that quiet time. There are so may dos and don’ts and yet I rarely hear talk about the number one things that God commands us to do: love God, love people.

I believe that we all have part one down pact, ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment.” We love God so much that we kill, condemn, degrade, conquer, ostracize and hate each other in His name. We got this! But then there is that pesky second part, “And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments” (Matthew 22:37-40). We love our God so much that we willingly level everything in our path in His name, but we selectively forget that this is a two-for-one deal. At least eleven times in the bible we are reminded to love each other. That love is pivotal to our existence and right standing with God.

We were intentionally designed to live in community, to co-exist, even to depend on one another (Take a look at Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 and Matthew 18:19-20 when you get a minute). And, the world judges Christian according to the manner in which we co-exist. “By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another” (John 13:35). People don’t care how fervent our prayers, the depth of our quiet time, nor the amount of scripter we can rattle off. They care about the way we treat them and the people around us. “If I speak in the tongues of men or of angels, but do not have love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal” (1 Corinthians 13:1). A professing Christian so rightfully earns the title of “hypocrite” when his or her love is absent. “Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen” (1 John 4:20). Love is the foundation of our faith. We cannot expect to be taken seriously as Christians if we choose not give it.

Wouldn’t it be amazing to be always in the love of Christ and be called His friend? Aren’t you brewing to know what it takes to be just that? Well it’s simple really. We only have to do what He commands. What does He command? What is the contingency for remaining in His love? That we love each other. “As the Father has loved me, so have I loved you. Now remain in my love. If you keep my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father’s commands and remain in his love…My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:19-12).

People aught to be running to church and to Christ because of how loved Christians make them feel – not because of how we “get them right” by pointing out all their flaws. The answer is simple. Love.

We are well on our way to growing in the Holy Spirit and our personal relationship with God. Next time, we’ll talk about what this love for each other looks like. Please, leave your thoughts and comments below; I’d love to hear from you.

Did you like this article? If so, please subscribe. You’ll know just as soon as the next one is posted and get exclusive discounts to the Spoiled By God Collections store.

We are so…Spoiled By God!

www.SpoiledByGod.com

VERSES

Ecclesiastes 4:9-12  Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor: If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls and has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

Matthew 18:19-20Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them.

John 15: 5  I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.