Everyone loves a good story. Especially when it makes them feel smarter than they are, and not as bad about their shortcomings as they should. All that it takes is someone who knows how to push the right buttons, and everyone is all ears.
However, it doesn’t take long to realise that something isn’t working. When the flattery finally rings hollow, a person is left realising that they have lost ground in the game of life; Wisdom has a way of calling out the real score.
When Jesus said, “By their fruit you will know them,” he wasn’t presenting a mystery. What he was saying about the hypocritical teachers of the Law was, “Stop listening to their holier-than-thou words and just look at what they are doing.” These hucksters of belief were to be judged according to their actions!
Jesus called his disciples to a life-of-faith that was not to be believed unless it was seen. If it bore good fruit, it was good. If it bore bad fruit, it was bad. A Christian need only take note of his words and actions to know whether he had faith in Jesus or not. Or as James puts it:
But someone may well say, “You have faith and I have works; show me your faith without the works, and I will show you my faith by my works” (James 2:18).
It is a fair question when someone asks, “Then how come most Christians I know give little thought to their spiritual output?”
Admittedly, this is a judgement call that is best left to God, but that shouldn’t stop me and you from examining our own spiritual output. Simply put: Is the fruit of our faith of the Holy Spirit, or of the flesh?
Either way, it cannot be hidden!
John Staiger