Got Fruit?

Ever wondered how to tell a Christian from a non-Christian?  In this day and time, it’s becoming harder and harder to do.  There’s a funny quote that I have on my wall that really is quite true, “Just going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more that standing in your garage makes you a car.” Sadly, the person in the pew next to you, serving on the committee beside you or teaching you may or may not be a Christian.  So what instruction does God’s word give us about how to tell whose heart is right?  Matthew 7:15-20 says ““Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes, 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. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.” 

So what is this “fruit” that we are supposed to look for?   Well it’s not apples and bananas!!  Galatians 5:22-23 tell us “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.”  Will all Christians have all of these qualities? Of course not.  Should all Christians strive to produce these qualities? Absolutely.  When we accept Jesus as our Savior and He deposits the Holy Spirit into us, we do not automatically start bursting with “fruit”.  But as we relinquish ourselves and let Him take more control, these fruits just start appearing.   The best way to grow our fruit is to fertilize it with the word of God and water it with prayer.

If the people around you (or maybe even you yourself) aren’t even a little “fruity”, you need to get concerned and start praying.  It could be that they just aren’t fertilizing and watering, but it could also be that they don’t have the Spirit, which is the seed that the fruit comes from.  Why do we need to be concerned about this?  Because of what Matthew 7 says.  There are false prophets that will try to lead us and our children astray.  We need to know how to recognize them.