You will know them by their fruits

[sevenseas]

fruit is our growth in Christ

He is the vine and we are the branches

not to be confused with gifts of the Holy Spirit

I believe real discernment pretty much keeps a lid on it and prays for wisdom

 

[Willie-T]

No what you are thinking of is being judgemental the meaning of discernment is this
1.
the ability to judge well.
"an astonishing lack of discernment"
2.
(in Christian contexts) perception in the absence of judgment with a view to obtaining spiritual direction and understanding.
"without providing for a time of healing and discernment, there will be no hope of living through this present moment without a shattering of our common life.

To discern is not the same as to look down upon in judgment

The true meanings of MANY Biblical words and terms are often not at all what we Christians have turned them into.

 

[followjesus]

Matthew 7:15-20New King James Version (NKJV)
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Jesus quoted specifically about prophets but this verse is also the universal quote for recognizing real and fake believers which i suppose makes sense as it fits that area perfectly.

But many believe that only God knows the heart and so we cannot say who is saved or not and that is true I can easily see how that makes sense, however there is also a part of me that disagrees with it. The scriptures also specifically say to test all spirits and discernment of spirits is a spiritual gift as well. Maybe i am wrong in thinking this but I am not comfortable just saying only god knows the heart. What does everyone have to say about this?

you can see the heart if you are looking it is found in the actions. helpers of others in need whatever the need may be that we cane meet. volunteers who work with disabled or mentally handicapped. those who see the man sitting on the sidewalk, and dig into thier pocket offering a word of encouragement, those who clothe the naked, feed the hungry, visit the lonely ect

we as humans have distorted Love into the lovesongs we hear and lovestories we watch. the novels we read. a feeling we fall in and out of. we know how to Love our close friends and family, but truly the heart is seen when people are offering to those who cant pay back. those who go beyond to help like the good samaritan who gain nothing for themselves, buit do what they do because of the Heart. everytime the bible mentions Love we should understand Gods definition of it.

1 john 3:16-18 "Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. 17But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?18My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in DEED and in TRUTH "

theres a difference in feeling Love and acting in Love, were actors in Love as christians.you can see the heart in Love.

more of a description here that really tells us How to Love one another

1 john 5:2-3 "By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God, and keep his commandments. 3For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments: and his commandments are not grievous."


by following Gods fcommands we are Loving one another, thats what they are about how to Love one another...."Love" is a summary of the commands of jesus Christ.

 

[RickyZ]

Fruit is indeed singular, but like an apple there are many variants of that fruit. The various fruit of the Spirit are things that manifest in one's personality. Thus there is a correlation between one's fruits and one's personality. Fruit is born out of our works and with works is evidence of our inner self. Thus, just as works is evidence of ones salvation (or not) fruit is evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer. The Bible teaches us to step away from those who evidence bad works and bad fruit. But none of this really has a bearing on one's actual salvation, that lay between the person's heart and God. Saved people can and do produce bad works and bad fruit. So, by the evidence of their fruit, we can know if one is working within the 'confines' of the Holy Spirit and treat them accordingly. But as for the bare bones issue of salvation, on that only God sees the heart.

 

[pottersclay]

Fruit is indeed singular, but like an apple there are many variants of that fruit. The various fruit of the Spirit are things that manifest in one's personality. Thus there is a correlation between one's fruits and one's personality. Fruit is born out of our works and with works is evidence of our inner self. Thus, just as works is evidence of ones salvation (or not) fruit is evidence of the presence of the Holy Spirit in a believer. The Bible teaches us to step away from those who evidence bad works and bad fruit. But none of this really has a bearing on one's actual salvation, that lay between the person's heart and God. Saved people can and do produce bad works and bad fruit. So, by the evidence of their fruit, we can know if one is working within the 'confines' of the Holy Spirit and treat them accordingly. But as for the bare bones issue of salvation, on that only God sees the heart.

I'm sorry but I do not understand what your saying here.
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy peace etc. This is the attributes and attitude of a spirit filled believer. We bring nothing to the table when we are saved or when we receive the holy spirit.
This is from above.

 

[bluto]

Matthew 7:15-20New King James Version (NKJV)
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Jesus quoted specifically about prophets but this verse is also the universal quote for recognizing real and fake believers which i suppose makes sense as it fits that area perfectly.

But many believe that only God knows the heart and so we cannot say who is saved or not and that is true I can easily see how that makes sense, however there is also a part of me that disagrees with it. The scriptures also specifically say to test all spirits and discernment of spirits is a spiritual gift as well. Maybe i am wrong in thinking this but I am not comfortable just saying only god knows the heart. What does everyone have to say about this?

If I may make a couple of points here blain. I think the "fruits" here are words, deeds and life-style. And to me in this list it is the words that is the big tip off in recognizing a false prophet. Anything, and I mean anything a person says or teaches is to be compared to the "plumb" line of the Bible. This is what the Apostle Paul meant at Acts 17:11 and of course at other places in scripture.


How does one know the Mormons, the Jw's, the unitarians and myraid of other groups/cults are false? It's what they say and teach. Please read what the Apostle Paul stated at Acts 20:28-31. These false prophets/teachers will be within the church itself and they will infiltrate the church from without, to do what? Know your Bible and check out everything anyone says by that Bible. Hope this helps. PS: As a side note this is why so many people are duped by the religious movement known as "Word of Faith."

IN GOD THE SON,
bluto

 

[Iamlearning]

Matthew 7:15-20New King James Version (NKJV)
You Will Know Them by Their Fruits

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.
Jesus quoted specifically about prophets but this verse is also the universal quote for recognizing real and fake believers which i suppose makes sense as it fits that area perfectly.

But many believe that only God knows the heart and so we cannot say who is saved or not and that is true I can easily see how that makes sense, however there is also a part of me that disagrees with it. The scriptures also specifically say to test all spirits and discernment of spirits is a spiritual gift as well. Maybe i am wrong in thinking this but I am not comfortable just saying only god knows the heart. What does everyone have to say about this?

My humble opinion (newbie here, perhaps wrong who knows) is that it is impossible to discern the fruit unless you look through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, human discernment is 100% unreliable. I for instance did many seemingly good things in my past that bore no or bad fruit, and my OCD is helping me acquire Christian virtues the hard way, so it's bearing good fruit in my spirit. On the other hand, my struggles and arguments with my husband years ago have turned to our true Christian conversion (and hubby was a darth metal guy!). I could never have predicted the kind of fruit borne from these events. That's why I find it hard to judge, or discern, people. You can never know what they are going through and why, only God. I also believe that sometimes, throughout a single life, you bear good fruit and some others you have become worse than useless and are to be thrown to the fire, purified and transformed and start your life anew. This applied to common people, about prophets I know less.

 

[imfinallyfree]

I think that God gave us everything that we need to discern that for ourselves and it's in that understanding that we prove ourselves to Him.

 

[Blain]

My humble opinion (newbie here, perhaps wrong who knows) is that it is impossible to discern the fruit unless you look through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, human discernment is 100% unreliable. I for instance did many seemingly good things in my past that bore no or bad fruit, and my OCD is helping me acquire Christian virtues the hard way, so it's bearing good fruit in my spirit. On the other hand, my struggles and arguments with my husband years ago have turned to our true Christian conversion (and hubby was a darth metal guy!). I could never have predicted the kind of fruit borne from these events. That's why I find it hard to judge, or discern, people. You can never know what they are going through and why, only God. I also believe that sometimes, throughout a single life, you bear good fruit and some others you have become worse than useless and are to be thrown to the fire, purified and transformed and start your life anew. This applied to common people, about prophets I know less.

You are indeed on the right track my friend. We humans have eyes to see but they don't truly see do they? we see the outer appearance of things but only his eyes can see what is within. This is why I have sought after his eyes exhaustively because only he can see inside of a person. but to be able to obtain his eyes one must first obtain his heart because it's his heart that makes him see with the eyes he does. love can alter the lenses we see through drastically and the more love we have in our hearts the more of his heart we begin to have and thus the more we see through his eyes.

As for being able to see the fruit of the spirit and knowing the heart of a person well the answer to such a thing depends on the eyes you see through, if we were to imagine looking through his eyes seeing the most inner part of a person I wonder what we would imagine seeing?

 

[Iamlearning]

You are indeed on the right track my friend. We humans have eyes to see but they don't truly see do they? we see the outer appearance of things but only his eyes can see what is within. This is why I have sought after his eyes exhaustively because only he can see inside of a person. but to be able to obtain his eyes one must first obtain his heart because it's his heart that makes him see with the eyes he does. love can alter the lenses we see through drastically and the more love we have in our hearts the more of his heart we begin to have and thus the more we see through his eyes.

As for being able to see the fruit of the spirit and knowing the heart of a person well the answer to such a thing depends on the eyes you see through, if we were to imagine looking through his eyes seeing the most inner part of a person I wonder what we would imagine seeing?

I have always seen the true contents of the heart of a person as something absolutely private between him or her and God, otherwise it would be very easy to judge people. I also think that the fruits do not refer to the external actions one can publicly see about a person (followers or social events or similar) but the movements they stir and trigger in our spirit individually. The fruits would be, for me, what the person is capable to do to you to effectively lead you closer to God. And sometimes this can be an unpleasant process. What do you think, do you agree? Many many Blessings and God's Love.

 

[Blain]

I have always seen the true contents of the heart of a person as something absolutely private between him or her and God, otherwise it would be very easy to judge people. I also think that the fruits do not refer to the external actions one can publicly see about a person (followers or social events or similar) but the movements they stir and trigger in our spirit individually. The fruits would be, for me, what the person is capable to do to you to effectively lead you closer to God. And sometimes this can be an unpleasant process. What do you think, do you agree? Many many Blessings and God's Love.

You are absolutely correct, the fruits of the spirit are not simply known by the actions and words a person does and says because the fruits of the spirit have one thing about them that define them profoundly- the impact they make on peoples hearts.
Yes one can show these fruits and fake them in their actions and words many false teachers and prophets do this however it only the true fruits that have his power in them and the closer you are to god and the more of his love that is infused inside you the more profound and more power the gifts of his spirit have. Only his heart can fan the flame like that

 

[Iamlearning]

You are absolutely correct, the fruits of the spirit are not simply known by the actions and words a person does and says because the fruits of the spirit have one thing about them that define them profoundly- the impact they make on peoples hearts.
Yes one can show these fruits and fake them in their actions and words many false teachers and prophets do this however it only the true fruits that have his power in them and the closer you are to god and the more of his love that is infused inside you the more profound and more power the gifts of his spirit have. Only his heart can fan the flame like that

It is truly heroic, to be able to do what is necessary to stir and challenge the spirit and move it to God even if it is not considered right according to social standards. I am viewing my OCD as a means to purge and train to become a better Christian, I hope this helps me bear some real good fruit some day. I am sure God is in charge and I'm willing to obey (albeit scared lol!) Many many Blessings

 

[Gabriel2020]

The bad tree grow the same fruit as the good tree. one is edible the other one is not. and the only way to tell is to taste the fruit. in this case, one person gives bad advice,and the other give good advice, and that is Godly advice, not worldly advice. you must be able to tell the difference. for believers ,that would be easy ,because you will know by the way the person talks and present themselves.

 

[RickyZ]

I'm sorry but I do not understand what your saying here.
The fruit of the spirit is love, joy peace etc. This is the attributes and attitude of a spirit filled believer. We bring nothing to the table when we are saved or when we receive the holy spirit.
This is from above.

The fruit of the Spirit manifest in our personalities. One who bears such fruit - Love, Joy,Peace,Longsuffering,Gentleness, Goodness,Faith,Meekness, andTemperance - will have a personality that is loving and joyful and peaceful and so on. And they will do good works accordingly. But without the works there can be no fruit. How can I grow Love if I never do anything loving? How can I bear Peace if I am warring with my neighbor? We will know them by their fruit, and we will know their fruit by their works.