By Their Fruits...
 

Inspired by another thread, I thought to share some thoughts on this issue.

When the fruit are indicators by which we know people, it is the wolves in sheep's clothing it is speaking about. I think the actual fruit they are betrayed with is fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. The whole passage there is speaking in Garden terms. There is a WAY that leads to LIFE and a way that leads to Destruction, much like the two trees. The forbidden tree would render death while Life would give... well... Life. Genesis even mentions the WAY OF THE TREE OF LIFE after Adam was expelled.

We read of a corrupt tree and a good tree in the narrative. And good trees cannot bear corrupt fruit and corrupt trees cannot bear good fruit.

Wolves in Sheep's clothing do not even really know they ARE wolves, in one sense. While the MANY never find the narrow way to Life, we read MANY call Jesus "Lord, Lord," perform miracles in His name, and are not known by the Lord. The Lord KNOWS HIS SHEEP. Not the wolves.

To ensure wolves do not pull it over on us, Jesus said a good tree cannot bring forth corrupt fruit.

But we reads the wolves appeal, as though they are stupefied as to their inability to enter the Kingdom/Way of Life, to miracles, deliverances and prophecies they gave in Jesus' name. Jesus responds saying He never knew them and tells them they work iniquity. He said we must hear His words and do them in order to enter the Kingdom and be like a house on a rock that cannot fall.

So, wolves see miracles, call Jesus Lord, but they HAND OUT THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT. Knowledge of good and evil. It sounds SO SPIRITUAL. Knowing what is good and what is evil. Experts on what not to do and what to do. But IT IS NOT LIFE.

They do not take their crosses and follow Christ. Sheep follow the Lord and know His voice to the extent that they hear it AND DO IT. They take their crosses. Those crosses remove the works of iniquity that wolves possess causing the Lord to not "know" them.

The fruit wolves hand out is certainly not Life. I believe it is "touch not, taste not, handle not." Self-righteousness where the cross is replaced with self-exaltation.

LIFE empowers us by the Spirit and inspires us to do things while we not requiring codebooks or Law to learn to do or not to do. The way Gal 5 talks about the Spirit is that we find ourselves living lives that the Law condones, without ever having resorted to law by a code-book mentality to learn what and what not to do.

Jesus did not come that we might have knowledge of good and evil. He came to give LIFE. But when you think of it, most of Christianity (the "many") offer knowledge of good and evil. "This" is right, "that" is wrong. When people offer fruit repeating over and over that we must not do THIS or do THAT, we are being handed fruit of the knowledge of good and evil. And wolves are dishing it out to us.

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

A movement FULL of wolves. That's ...nice.

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

If I may add something, for so many people, they judge by snapshot instead of video camera. Allow me to explain.

So many judge people by snapshots of sin in their life. They wait to see people fall and judge them by the fall. In this, we err greatly, because even scripture teaches us that "when we sin" not if we sin. So, instead of looking at the entire walk, we judge steps instead, and thus cannot see God working on the heart of the individual.

Now, is grace going to allow a person to sin however their carnal minds fathom? The answer is no, because if any man be in Christ he is a new creature. Grace will be evident in a life that strives against sin and does seek to be obedient to the commandments of God. I believe with all my heart that the truly repentant will be such that they will be ongoing in maturity, that just as a babe matures, they too will mature and grow in grace, desiring to walk in God's holy commandments and shun sin more and more.

When I see a brother or sister in error, I am not going to destroy them for their sin, but I will encourage them to walk in repentance given by the grace of God. But, if I see a style of life, their entire walk being marked by desires to continue in sin, then I would call them to say that though they had made a good profession, their style of life as a whole make it look as if their profession was nothing more than a work of the flesh.

Sometimes rotten fruit can fall from a healthy tree. Simply cast the rotten fruit and mature the healthy tree.

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

I think the false fruit is the condemning ministration of death. Judgmentalism. Works. Ministry of the Letter kills. Ministry of Spirit gives LIFE. Ironically, while many point judgmentally at others, they are betraying they offer false fruit!

The first thing the forbidden fruit did to Adam and Eve was make themselves coverings, and when exposed, they take blame from themselves and point fingers at the other.

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

Good post. I just simply feel that too often we hide behind the fruit inspecting idea to justify our judging of others? What say ye?

Been Thinkin

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

Right. Covering over to rid the guilty conscience, and pointing the finger at someone else. It's in all our flesh.

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

There is only one way that I can tell what is corrupt and what is not corrupt. I must first be a partaker of the Tree of Life. The Tree of Life is all good without one iota of error or evil in it. I can partake of the tree of knowledge and gain a lot of good, but the poison pill of death is in it. By it, I can gain much knowledge and good too. The end is death.

There is a better way of being taught knowledge. That way is eating from the tree of life only. From it is a balance of what is good and what is knowledge. Together, divine good and divine knowledge leads to ever progressive Truth.

My sheep hear my voice...

My sheep know my voice...

When someone proclaims another gospel, the inward unction speaks to the inward man. Paul said to let them be accursed. A discernment must take place. Otherwise, it is very possible and highly likely that we will end up being swept away by a flood of lies and suffer eternal loss.

As for me, I will insist on eating the Living Bread that came down from heaven...by which if I eat, I will never die. There will not be even one iota of lie in it. I can live by that Divine Bread.

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

Amen. :thumbsup

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

Let's all do the Hokey Pokey..................

Re: By Their Fruits...
 

Jesus proceeded to tell Peter about the cross, once He knew he received a revelation of His identity. Peter received the truth of Who Jesus is, but rejected the cross -- at first. Jesus said those who HEAR HIS SAYINGS AND DO THEM are houses on rock. His sayings are the cross. Hearing His words "I say ALSO UNTO THEE" would cause Him to take our lives and build His church on the rock. Give us Keys to the KINGDOM. The tree of life is the cross. The fruit is Christ's flesh and blood. In fact, eating His flesh and drinking His blood speaks of uniting ourselves to His death.

The sheep hear HIS VOICE.... His words of the cross.

Wolves cannot enter the Kingdom and do not have its keys. The keys include the self denial, taking the cross and following Jesus.

When Christ gave the bread and wine representing His flesh and blood He betokened the cross in His death.

The LIFE He came to give could only come by the cross, though. Lose your life in death with Him to find it resurrected again. And resurrection life is always more abundant than natural life.