Matthew 7:15-20 (NKJV)
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 thornbushes 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.
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 5:19-21 (NKJV)
19
Now
the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication,
uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions,
jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions,
heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of
which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that
those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Contentions- arguing,
disagreeing, disputes, debates, conflicts and controversial.
Dissentions- discord,
rebellion and conflict.
Remember that this verse is to apply to leaders…not
new believers. It is to make you on who you should being listening too, who is teaching
you and prophesying to you.
It is important to understand that fruit is grown, it doesn’t just
magically appear. The fruits come from being refined in the fire. People that
first get saved are not going to automatically have all the fruits…
Romans 5:3-4 (NKJV)
3
And
not only that, but we also glory in tribulations, knowing that
tribulation produces perseverance; 4 and perseverance, character;
and character, hope.
Matthew 17:20
He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [ that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
He said to them, Because of the littleness of your faith [that is, your lack of firmly relying trust]. For truly I say to you, if you have faith [ that is living] like a grain of mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, Move from here to yonder place, and it will move; and nothing will be impossible to you.
A good example in the bible of this is
Peter. He was rebuked by Jesus (Matthew 16:23), He denied Jesus at the cross (Luke
22:62). However, he also was the one that Jesus said he would build his church on (Matthew
16:18). He is the only one that got out of the boat to walk on water (Matthew
14:29). He constantly put his foot in his mouth and was very quick to slice people
ears off (Matthew 26:51). However, after he came to the end of his self-confidence
and after he realized he wasn’t good enough he went back to being a fisherman (Mark
16:7). That is when God did mighty things through him and thousands were saved (Acts
2:41). It was a process…he walked with Jesus 3 years during that process.
I do want to point out that people we will know
who the Christians are….
John
13:35
By this all will know that you are My
disciples, if you have love for one another.”
Gal
5:26 Let us not become vainglorious and self-conceited, competitive
and challenging and provoking and irritating to one another, envying and
being jealous of one another.
Vainglorious- proud, conceited, narcissistic, arrogant, inflated and
self-important.
I am amazed that people use this scripture so much to label other Christians
as “fake.” It is evident that when they are doing this it is not part of the
fruits of the spirit that they are referring to. In fact it is the opposite, it
is works of the flesh and arrogant.
