Got to be careful judging fruit, though. One can easily be tricked by good fruit coming out of a non-Christian. In fact, it happens a lot!
Matt.7:15-20
15 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
I know Buddhists who bear good fruit. And Hindus. Atheists, even! What's up with that?
Are you contradicting the Word of God! The Word of God says that a bad
tree cannot bear good fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit. You may
think a tree that is coming up is a good fruit tree until you see that it is
bearing something not fit to eat. A tree produces what kind of seed it
came from. If you plant radishes, you won't find onions there. Everything
bears after its kind. A fowl won't produce fish. Animals won't produce
humans. God set boundries.
I know Buddhists who bear good fruit. And Hindus. Atheists, even! What's up with that?
Quote:
Originally Posted by Falla39
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Matt.7:15-20
15 Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves.
16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit.
19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
This scripture disproves what your saying Timmy. Not saying we can't be fooled by "good" people. But the fruit one bears if of God, will glorify God.
__________________ You can't reach the world with your talents. People are sick and tired of religious talents. People need a Holy Ghost annointed church with real fruits to reach out and touch their lives. ~ Pastor Burrell Crabtree
In fact I think that the insinuation of "hateful" Pentecostals is coming mostly from the fertile imaginations of bitter, backslidden ex Apostolics who are constantly trying to find a way to justify their actions. ~ strait shooter
[QUOTE=scotty;753719]This scripture disproves what your saying Timmy. Not saying we can't be fooled by "good" people. But the fruit one bears if of God, will glorify God.[/QUOTE
I understand what he is trying to say - I have a few friends that claim to be atheist/agnostics and they are really "good" people. I can depend on them to be there for me in a pinch more than I can depend on most of my friends that "speak in tongues".
This scripture disproves what your saying Timmy. Not saying we can't be fooled by "good" people. But the fruit one bears if of God, will glorify God.[/QUOTE
I understand what he is trying to say - I have a few friends that claim to be atheist/agnostics and they are really "good" people. I can depend on them to be there for me in a pinch more than I can depend on most of my friends that "speak in tongues".
Mom
Those friends that speak in tongues but do not show the fruit are not christian but word only.
Timmy
Good works does not make one Godly. Jesus statement about "you shall know them by thier fruit" is speaking of Christians or so called Christians. A true Christian will be known by thier works.
And finally I know alot of people that claim to be agnostic/atheist that realy say that because they are tired of religion and all its false claims and don't want to go to church but still believe in God. These people although they claim to be agnostic are closer to God than some so called Christians.
__________________
Study the word with and open heart For if you do, Truth Will Prevail
This scripture disproves what your saying Timmy. Not saying we can't be fooled by "good" people. But the fruit one bears if of God, will glorify God.
How so? All that scripture says is, essentially, "Good people do good things. Anyone who does good things is a good person." I don't see anything there about glorifying God, but one could argue that doing a good thing is glorifying one's creator! You are doing what you were created to do. Love and help your neighbor, have peace and joy, care for your family, etc.
__________________
Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
This scripture disproves what your saying Timmy. Not saying we can't be fooled by "good" people. But the fruit one bears if of God, will glorify God.[/QUOTE
I understand what he is trying to say - I have a few friends that claim to be atheist/agnostics and they are really "good" people. I can depend on them to be there for me in a pinch more than I can depend on most of my friends that "speak in tongues".
__________________
Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Actually, I'm taking it for what it says! The only way I would be contradicting it is if the people I listed were actually not good! If, by definition, nobody who isn't a Christian is bad, then ya got me. But that's the only way you could characterize them (the ones I know and am referring to) as "bad". If you actually tested their fruit, as the scripture instructs, you wouldn't come to that conclusion. You may not like that conclusion, but there it is.
If these scriptures that say we can judge "fruit" to assess the character of people don't mean what they say, why are they there? Maybe Matt 7:16 should have said "By what they say they believe, you will recognize them."
__________________
Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
Mom
Those friends that speak in tongues but do not show the fruit are not christian but word only.
Timmy Good works does not make one Godly. Jesus statement about "you shall know them by thier fruit" is speaking of Christians or so called Christians. A true Christian will be known by thier works.
And finally I know alot of people that claim to be agnostic/atheist that realy say that because they are tired of religion and all its false claims and don't want to go to church but still believe in God. These people although they claim to be agnostic are closer to God than some so called Christians.
Right. Being godly results in good works, and that is the point the scriptures we've been discussing, isn't it? "A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit." The thing is, apparently there are a lot of godly people in the world who don't all belong to the same groups/religions!
__________________
Hebrews 13:23 Know ye that our brother Timothy is set at liberty
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