How are your fruits growing?

[Praxeas]

Sometimes in our group we have those that emphasize outward appearences as "Holiness" when in reality Holiness is an inward change.

I was thinking though how Jesus said make the inside of the cup clean first so the outside will be clean ALSO.

The true test of our spiritual condition is the fruit we produce. How is your spiritual tree? It's not the gifts. It's not any external thing you can put your finger on like music but it's the fruit. If you want to know the condition of your spiritual tree compare yourself to the FRUIT of the Spirit. These should be the result of a true inward change.

But even how we dress, how we act all that are not what makes us holy. Certainly though we should want to dress modestly...we want to dress "uncarnal", but just because someone looks "the standard" does not mean they are producing the fruit of the spirit. This is the problem I have with the word 'standard'. I've seen plenty of people that 'look' pentecostal and even talked a good talk, but the fruit was lacking.

Real standards should be the fruit of the Spirit. I fear using dress and hair and jewelry as a standard can be misleading to ourselves. Outward standards can become almost like a mask hiding a heart that has issues because as long as they look holy to us there is no question they are holy.