You Shall Know Them by Their Fruits: Part 2

What shall I say more? Well, it is written “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.” (Matthew 7:15-20 NKJV)

What are bad fruits by produced by trees of false prophets and unbelievers? “Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 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.” (Galatians 5:19-21 NKJV) The Complete Jewish Bible says it this way: “And it is perfectly evident what the old nature does. It expresses itself in sexual immorality, impurity and indecency; involvement with the occult and with drugs; in feuding, fighting, becoming jealous and getting angry; in selfish ambition, factionalism, intrigue and envy; in drunkenness, orgies and things like these. I warn you now as I have warned you before: those who do such things will have no share in the Kingdom of God! And let us be mindful of what the Lord says in Luke 6:45, “A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.” (NKJV)

What now?! Having read these passages, I wonder how do I overcome? Lord Yeshua! How can I live a life well-pleasing to you when sin so easily ensnares? The LORD says by His Spirit. For we read: “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law.” (Galations 5:16-18 NKJV) Peter and John, when testifying about how the lame man came to be healed in Acts 4, declared themselves to be men who walked in the Spirit – before they even said anything, the fruit that they bore was evident. (Paul’s fruit was evident, too; for, he had a testimony that pleased God. Amen).

The Holy Spirit enables us to live according to His commands. We are not able to live a consecrated life apart from the Holy Spirit, our Helper. We cannot manufacture godly fruit. But by His grace, when we walk in the Spirit, He produces fruit in our souls that remains. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.” (Galations 5:22-26 NKJV)

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage.” (Galatians 5:1 NKJV)

In this day when lawlessness abounds, let the Lord’s witnesses set their eyes upon His word and pray for discernment, that we may know Him