Simply Angie
It’s one thing to recognize a wolf. It’s another to know what to do when you find one. A couple of weeks ago, I discussed the importance of recognizing “Wolves in Sheep’s Clothing,” and last week I touched on the “Weaponization of ‘Judge Not’.” Now, we come to the most important part of the discussion - the practical application. Knowing the Word of God does us no good if we don’t apply it to our lives. We only truly believe what we put into practice. Sometimes, practical application is challenging. We have to ask ourselves questions like, “What does this look like in my daily life?” How do we determine if someone is a godly leader or a wolf in sheep’s clothing? How do we judge righteous judgment without being judgmental in a condemning way? You’ve likely heard someone say it. Maybe you’ve even said it yourself to avoid a difficult conversation: “Well, God didn’t make me a fruit inspector.” It sounds humble. It sounds “nice” and nonjudgmental. But as we look at the Word of God, we find that God does indeed expect us to be fruit inspectors. We Are Known By Our FruitsWhile it is often not popular to say in some circles, God has high expectations of His children. His plan wasn’t solely to redeem us so we could go to heaven. Jesus saved us to set us free from sin so that we could be sanctified and conformed to the image of Christ. We are not only getting ready for heaven, but He wants us to become a light, example, and witness in this world. Jesus talks about this concept in multiple places throughout the gospels, and Paul reiterates the message in his letters. One of my favorite passages on the subject is in John 15.
Paul reminded us also in Romans 6 and 7 that we are no longer to serve sin and unrighteousness, but that we are to bring forth the fruit of holiness. In Ephesians 5, he talks about the fruit of goodness, righteousness, and truth that God expects of us through His Spirit as opposed to all the unfruitful works of darkness that we must avoid. Seriously, read all of this chapter.
So, we can see that our first obligation is to look at the fruit of our own lives and judge ourselves before we start examining the fruit in the lives of others. What is this fruit?We don’t have to guess what God is talking about when He tells us to bring forth good fruit. He makes it pretty clear which actions and behaviors we need to cut out of our lives and which we need to cultivate and grow.
Galatians 5 is just one passage, but over and over again we see this theme throughout the New Testament. After salvation, God requires us to change. We come to Jesus repenting (changing our mind about) our sin and unbelief. We accept His wonderful sacrifice and become a new creature. It’s a process, but old things are to pass away, and all things are to become new (2 Corinthians 5:17). Most new believers don’t have an instant external transformation. I’ve been a Christian for over 50 years, and I’ve only seen a dramatic overnight external change a few times in all these years. My husband always says, “The flesh dies hard.” Most of us come to Christ already so enslaved to the lusts of our flesh, the lust of our eyes, and the pride of life that our spiritual growth and deliverance from fleshly habits is a process that is often lengthy, frustrating, and painful. Paul describes his own struggle with the flesh in Romans 7. What does change overnight, though, is our inner man. When we come to a place of repentance toward God and are truly born again, we have Christ in us. We have the Spirit convicting us, and the Father chastising us so that we can become like Jesus. We don’t have a sudden absence of sin, but a change in attitude toward sin. We grieve over our sin and seek forgiveness. We do not become sinless, but we work hard to sin less. We love Our Savior and want to please and honor Him in all things. Becoming a Fruit InspectorThe truth is, Jesus demands that we be fruit inspectors. He didn’t give us a list of “fruits of the Spirit” and “works of the flesh” just for Sunday school posters; He gave them to us as an instruction manual and a survival kit. We are in a battle and Satan is waging war against us. First, we need to inspect our own fruit.
Then we need to inspect the fruit of others.
As we grow in the Lord and seek godly fellowship, preaching, teaching, entertainment, leadership, etc., God wants us to be able to discern between the Spirit of Truth and the Spirit of Error.
What we consume has a great effect on our spiritual growth. We are living in days of deception. How can we know what and who represents true Christianity? We must examine the fruit! If someone were to examine the fruit of your life today, what would they consistently find? What are you characterized by? If we refuse to inspect the fruit, we are in danger of eating the rotten fruit of deception and false doctrine. It’s rampant. It seems everyone is a ‘Christian’ today, but very few really want to live like Christ. If we fail to examine the fruit of those we choose to follow, or those we are called to teach, because we don’t want to ‘judge’ we are choosing to remain blind in a world that is desperate for the Light. We become lukewarm and ineffectual for God. This is particularly harmful when others are looking to us for spiritual guidance. The Litmus Test
When we see a “Christian” movement that is fueled by worldliness, vanity, or pride, we don’t have to guess if it’s from God. We can tell by the fruit. If they are promoting people who call themselves Christians but speak with profanity and are happily fulfilling the lusts of the flesh with no apparent desire to change or become free from the bondage of sin, we are required to turn away.
If a church or organization is using the name of Jesus but is not calling themselves and their followers to holy and right living, they are not following Jesus. Flee. We are not to remain under that influence. For some time now, there has been a great rise in churches and pastors teaching a ‘prosperity’ gospel that is in direct contradiction to the Scriptures. Paul addresses this corrupt idea, along with a few others, in his letter to Timothy.
Remember the passage we looked at a few weeks ago in Matthew 7?
Be a fruit inspector! Don’t be fooled by religious-sounding words. Study the Word of God for yourself so you will have the discernment to tell truth from error. If you are seeking spiritual food, look at the person who is doing the feeding. Do they look and sound like Jesus? Are they humble, modest, gracious, and kind? Do they seek to please the Heavenly Father above all else and strive to walk in holiness? If not, move on. The Attitude of the Inspector: Meekness, Not MaliceThis is where many well-meaning Christians get off track. Our goal in inspection isn’t to “cancel” people or to feel superior. Our goal is restoration and protection.
A true fruit inspector doesn’t walk into the orchard with a chainsaw; they walk in with a heart of humility.
Meekness isn’t weakness; it is controlled strength. It’s the ability to speak the truth in love without becoming the very thing we are judging. Remember, we aren’t looking for perfection in ourselves or others when we are inspecting fruit. We are looking at spiritual growth and direction. We should all be striving to become more holy each day, because He is holy and made that our benchmark.
We are not called to be passive observers in a deceived world. We are called to be discerning, grounded, and growing; people who know the truth, live the truth, and are not afraid to stand on it. At the end of the day, the "Great Hijack" of Christianity only works if we remain a captive audience. The enemy wants us so distracted by political theater, worldly influence, and the fear of "judging" that we forget whose name we actually bear. We aren't called to be fans of a movement; we are called to be followers of a Person. Jesus didn’t invite us to a "summit" to gain worldly power; He called us to a Cross to find eternal life. Let’s commit to being a people who can’t be bought, won’t be muzzled, and refuse to eat the rotten fruit of a compromised Gospel. Stay in the Word, keep your eyes on the Vine, and remember: the world may be shaking, but the Kingdom of God is immovable. Let’s start acting like the citizens of that Kingdom. Blessings, P.S. As you go through this week, ask the Lord to help you become a wise and gracious “fruit inspector.” Begin with your own life, and then consider the influences around you. Not with condemnation, but with a heart that desires to grow. As you stay rooted in His Word, He will give you the discernment to recognize what is good and the wisdom to walk in it. Talk to you again soon. Can’t wait?
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