Morning Y'all! I pray this post encourages you and gives God glory! Got suggested topics you want me to write about? Please comment below or email me at info@mocatoday.com.
Early in my Christian journey, whenever I came across someone quoting scriptures, went to church on some cadence or professed to know and love the Lord, surely, they must be saved and a fellow brother/sister in Christ, right?
Just thinking about it now, I can only sigh and chuckle a little at my "naivete" and spiritual immaturity... I mean I really thought, "If they walk like a duck, talk like a duck, then they're surely a duck, right?" WRONG!
Just as counterfeits exist in the world,
the same exists within Christian circles.
“Beware of the false prophets, [teachers] who come to you dressed as sheep [appearing gentle and innocent], but inwardly are ravenous wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them [that is, by their contrived doctrine and self-focus]. Do people pick grapes from thorn bushes or figs from thistles? Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy 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." -Matthew 7:15-19 (AMP)
How do we determine the real from the counterfeit?
Answer:
According to Jesus, by their fruit.
"Therefore, by their fruit you will recognize them [as false prophets]." -Matthew 7:20 (AMP)
And remember- the fruit of the Holy Spirit is, "love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control."
-Galatians 5:23 (NKJV)
Why does this matter?
Because if we come across a fake or counterfeit Christian, we can unknowingly find ourselves getting involved with something and/or someone that is actually opposed to God and His teachings.
This returns serious bad consequences, as it can lead us down a terrible path of bondage, willful sin or worse- loss of our eternal salvation.
Therefore, as disciples of Jesus Christ, we must remember the following:
Fake versus real Christian question is not about judging or condemning others. Instead, it's about always keeping our eyes open, remaining humble ourselves, guarding our hearts (Proverbs 4:23), and demonstrating compassion and godly kindness to those that may not yet be truly walking with the Lord.
We must always rely on the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit within us to give us discernment and revelation on all matters (John 14).
Even the Devil knows scriptures (see Matthew 4 and Luke 4), probably more than a lot of us, and is a master manipulator. He is extremely gifted at using people (even "Christian" folks) and circumstances to twist God's words and teachings to tempt us into disobedience, commit sin and possibly lose our faith. Hence, this is why a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and keeping on the whole armor of God (Ephesians 6:10-18) are so critical and important in our daily lives.
To summarize, while only God can see our hearts (1 Samuel 16:7), Jesus advises us to look at each other's fruit to distinguish the real from the counterfeit followers of Him. Knowing the difference greatly matters and has serious bad consequences when we don't.
Next week- For Part 2, we'll unpack the serious bad consequences a bit more. Stay tuned!
Share your thoughts on this post in the comments below.
Just a few reminders:
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Remember, it's all about progression, not perfection! God loves you! With Him, you got this! Until next post, may God give you His peace and blessings!
-Natasha
Facts! Amen Melisia!
Natasha Good morning,
What you wrote is so true. We as christians have to be aware of false prohets because as time goes on there will be more coming. so we must be prayed up and let our light shine. Have a great day. Thankyou