I have a hard time distinguishing lemon trees from orange trees. But I have a sure-fire way of eventually identifying such trees. No, I don’t wait around for someone to put special signs on these trees. I simply wait till the trees bear fruit. Then I know a lemon tree from an orange tree!
I have no other way of knowing if I or anyone else has received the Holy Spirit. But I need no other way. This method of discernment works amply well.
The Day of Pentecost
I recently went to a memorial services of a friend of my mother. It was packed with people who commented on the kindness of this woman and her service to others. In the last year of her life I helped her and her husband with their daily chores and when possible told them about Christ and His redeeming power, she never accepted Jesus as Savior nor did her husband. We dont know a tree by its fruit we know a fruit by it’s tree.
Thank you for stopping by to read…and taking the time to comment. 🙂
Jesus said, “Ye shall know them by their fruits” (Matthew 7:16). And, “Every tree is known by his own fruit” (Luke 6:44).
Quote the whole Scripture, Matthew 7:15-19
15Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Christ isnt emphasizing the fruit He is emphasizing the “tree” which is Christ. A false prophet can NOT bring forth good fruit because they are a corrupt tree. No matter how good the fruit looks it is corrupt because it comes from a corrupt tree.
Ironically, these passages are in the context of NOT judging our brothers for their sins, but “judging others fruits” is now a favorite “Christian” pastime.
The context of the “tree and its fruit” passages are in judging “false prophets” not Christians.