By thier fruit you will recognize them.....

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PeacefulWarrior

Guest
#61
Sadly, most of the church, and people who want to say they are "Christians", have come to identify themselves, mainly, by what they are against. They seem to live in the "negative."
How to move from ^

-to-

John 13:35 "Your love for one another will prove to the world that you are my disciples."
 
T

thepsalmist

Guest
#62
"I'm reminded of a quote by an unknown author: "Promote what you love rather than bashing what you hate."" - PeacefulWarrior

Sounds like a great plan! Amen! :)
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,554
2,176
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#63
I'm all for the 'love' message. The 'natural affection' message. The 'grateful' message. But how can anyone miss the 'truth' message?
Apostate from His 'truth' and you end up with the Laodecian and Sardis churches. DEAD, when it comes to love, natural affection, and gratefulness, among other things. That's where the 'church' is today. Sorry to say.
Just being NICE and avoid correction, reproof, rebuke, and exhortation is Disaterous. It may seem 'the Christian thing to do' but 'nice' will not set anyone free from the things of this world.....the 'Truth will make you free'..free to have the full operations of the Spirit within that activates agape love, thankfulness, kindness, patience, humility, holiness, and generosity.

Just being 'nice' for the sake of 'nice' can send folks right to Gehenna if that 'nice' is not enveloped by the fullness of the Holy Spirit and ALL the council of God.
If just being 'nice' is all that it takes to get to our destination, then God could have just put it on a post card.....'Get BORN AGAIN AND BE NICE'! Signed ...GOD!
But He has handed down to us some very important eternal instructions, corrections, and guidelines, as such.

Now I hope I said all that nice! Smile.
Just a little correction here.....He didn't say be nice to your neighbor He said Love the Lord your God with All your heart and all your soul and your neighbor as yourself.... We are instructed to love not to tell them what they are doing wrong. We point them to Jesus and His sacrifice and the Holy Spirts job is to do the convicting and convincing of sin and able to help us turn and not want to sin. Why do people think that is their job.... again instructed to love.... We can show a brother the error of their way but we certainly won't change them it is not our job.....
 

JesusLives

Senior Member
Oct 11, 2013
14,554
2,176
113
#64
It's precisely the humongous effort I have to expend to even tolerate some of the people in the world, that I know how miserably I am failing at following Jesus. (I try to follow Jesus... definitely do not really want to ever become a "Christian.")
And here I thought that was what a Christian was....one who followed Christ to become more like Him.... You trying to bumfuzzle the Blond? lol
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#65
And here I thought that was what a Christian was....one who followed Christ to become more like Him.... You trying to bumfuzzle the Blond? lol
Yeah, most of the law-following church believes that, too.
 
Feb 24, 2015
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#66
Paul says this

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
1 Cor 11:1

So yes we are called to follow Christ and His example. To do otherwise is not to follow. I think some people when there are only two options following or not following think there is a third option, choose your own way.
 
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FreeNChrist

Guest
#67
Paul says this

Follow my example, as I follow the example of Christ.
1 Cor 11:1

So yes we are called to follow Christ and His example. To do otherwise is not to follow. I think some people when there are only two options following or not following think there is a third option, choose your own way.
Jesus lived in complete trust and dependence upon the Father, and the Father worked through Him. Paul lived in complete trust and dependence upon Jesus, and Jesus worked through Him. Likewise we now are to lived in complete trust and dependence upon Christ, and Christ works through us. That is the example left to us.
 
M

Miri

Guest
#68
The thing with fruit, it does not appear straight away, the plant and roots have to
grow first.

Some years, the fruit can be a bit scarce, then other years there is tonnes of it.

I think we are a bit like that at times, we wax and wane depending on the seasons
in our life. But fruit is still fruit and growth it still growth - onward and upward.
 
Nov 22, 2015
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#69
Well said....we live by Christ living in and through us...it is His fruit and life that lives in us....not our own self-effort.

John 6:57 (KJV)
[SUP]57 [/SUP] As the living Father hath sent me, and I live by the Father: so he that eateth me, even he shall live by me.


Jesus lived in complete trust and dependence upon the Father, and the Father worked through Him. Paul lived in complete trust and dependence upon Jesus, and Jesus worked through Him. Likewise we now are to lived in complete trust and dependence upon Christ, and Christ works through us. That is the example left to us.
 
Nov 22, 2015
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#70
Well said.....the orange tree is still an orange tree up to and including when the fruit is ripe. Many "fruit" inspectors are quick to thro the orange tree out if it doesn't have the "fruit" that they already have,

Then there is the self-righteous who have 100 oranges and they look down on those that only have one orange so far....and dismiss them as even being saved..Like they are...

What if that "orange tree " ( what makes it an orange tree is the seed ) dies for some reason before what men would deem to be "visible fruit" is seen...does that not make it an orange tree?

The thing with fruit, it does not appear straight away, the plant and roots have to
grow first.

Some years, the fruit can be a bit scarce, then other years there is tonnes of it.

I think we are a bit like that at times, we wax and wane depending on the seasons
in our life. But fruit is still fruit and growth it still growth - onward and upward.
 

Yet

Banned
Jan 4, 2014
3,756
69
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#71
The Church is Christ's and Christ's alone.
The Church is not ours.
We are members of a body.

People say: I see this problem, I see that problem "with the Church".
But, their problem is not with the Church -- their problem is within themselves.
For, they take issue with the actions of a few individuals and let it sour their taste for the entire Church.
They let their angst control their minds though it should not be so. (Consider the lilies.)
In doing so, they separate themselves from the Church.
Now they are on the outside looking in -- pointing their accusatory finger of judgment and disapproval.
They don't realize that each time they point their finger, there are three fingers pointing right back at them.

(This section doesn't need clarification, does it? Willie-T did a good job of clarifying. )
- Me thinks the internet makes us feel like the planet is smaller than it actually is.
- What you witness online is a small percentage of what occurs in reality.
- Your local congregation is a very small percentage of the entire Church.

I'm reminded of a quote by an unknown author: "Promote what you love rather than bashing what you hate."
I'm reminded of some quotes from God in 1Cor.12, Romans 12, Ephesians4, Acts 20, 1Peter 5, oh wow...a ton of 'the poor' scriptures in Proverbs, Matt.20 and 23, and the list goes on. And you are wrong. We are to reprove, rebuke, correct, and exhort with the word of God. That's what the bible is for.

That quote is not true. We are not to mess with the deeds of darkness but rather EXPOSE THEM!
 
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PeacefulWarrior

Guest
#72
I'm reminded of some quotes from God in 1Cor.12, Romans 12, Ephesians4, Acts 20, 1Peter 5, oh wow...a ton of 'the poor' scriptures in Proverbs, Matt.20 and 23, and the list goes on. And you are wrong. We are to reprove, rebuke, correct, and exhort with the word of God. That's what the bible is for.

That quote is not true. We are not to mess with the deeds of darkness but rather EXPOSE THEM!
I'm wrong about what? That The Church is Christ's and not ours? This is the only thing I can think that you might say is wrong since this is the primary statement I've made (and it's the same statement that you asked me to clarify).

Perhaps it is your turn to clarify, Yet. What are you talking about? What's your point?

Continuing to "expose" some personal events that occurred years ago is not edifying the church -- you're condemning the church based on your own personal experiences. I do not share your experiences. Most people do not share your experiences. Even if most people did share your experience(s), it wouldn't make anything "true" -- majority does not equal truth.
 
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Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
59,805
29,184
113
#73
What does the word say of the fruit that is of the spirit of God?
I see much fruit in your spirit and the BDF is blessed abundantly by your presence among us. Here are a few things I composed a while back on this subject, that I posted in a different thread:

As Christians, we are exhorted to bear fruit.

We know we are not trees, but only {metaphorical} branches, offshoots of the true vine, Jesus Christ. I believe He was the
{metaphorical} tree of Life placed in the garden of Eden; He holds the keys to life and death; all life is in Him; He is author and giver of life etc, and eternal life is promised to those who surrender to and abide in Him (John 15:4-5).

The fruit we are to bear has different aspects to it. One is character building:
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Peter adds to this: make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.

So our life surrendered to God, and our works through faith are fruit, and so are people who come to Christ through us (Rom 1:3; Phil 4:17), and there is also the fruit of our lips as we praise God and witness to others (Heb 13:15).

These are good fruits, partaken of when aligned with the will of God.

Evil fruits would be the result of disobeying God, defying God, following self will in opposition to God's will, severing ourselves from fellowship with Him, etc. That is the fruit Adam and Eve bore and ate (lived). They followed the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life, in turning away from God after being in fellowship with Him. It is what we all do before being regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God, and to an extent even afterwards, though through faith we keep returning our gaze to Him.

It may be that a lot of what I just posted has already been said here in your thread, and my apologies if that is so and I am simply repeating things... I have not read the whole thread, though I do very much enjoy reading your posts because the love of God is so very evident in them. God bless you!

 
J

jasonj

Guest
#74
Anybody can fake good fruit in order to deceive believers, but faking bad fruit would be counter-productive to that. Which is why Jesus tells us that we will recognize false prophets by their fruit. By their bad fruit, not good.

." make a tree good and its fruit will be good" or "do you pick berries from a thornbush?" so basically u are saying a false prophet is recognized by bad fruit? but your saying they can fake good fruit and be a false prophet? I'm confused I'm sorry, truly, if I'm missing what ur saying. I believe that if someones words and fruit line up with Jesus word, there is no reason to doubt or accuse. The spirit in us will know the spirit. and the fruit of the spirit is real attributes Of His spirit living in us. God bless you thanks for taking the time to respond
 
J

jasonj

Guest
#75
I see much fruit in your spirit and the BDF is blessed abundantly by your presence among us. Here are a few things I composed a while back on this subject, that I posted in a different thread:

As Christians, we are exhorted to bear fruit.

We know we are not trees, but only {metaphorical} branches, offshoots of the true vine, Jesus Christ. I believe He was the
{metaphorical} tree of Life placed in the garden of Eden; He holds the keys to life and death; all life is in Him; He is author and giver of life etc, and eternal life is promised to those who surrender to and abide in Him (John 15:4-5).

The fruit we are to bear has different aspects to it. One is character building:
the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Against such things there is no law.

Peter adds to this: make every effort to add to your faith excellence, to excellence, knowledge; to knowledge, self-control; to self-control, perseverance; to perseverance, godliness; to godliness, brotherly affection; to brotherly affection, unselfish love. For if these things are really yours and are continually increasing, they will keep you from becoming ineffective and unproductive in your pursuit of knowing our Lord Jesus Christ more intimately.

So our life surrendered to God, and our works through faith are fruit, and so are people who come to Christ through us (Rom 1:3; Phil 4:17), and there is also the fruit of our lips as we praise God and witness to others (Heb 13:15).

These are good fruits, partaken of when aligned with the will of God.

Evil fruits would be the result of disobeying God, defying God, following self will in opposition to God's will, severing ourselves from fellowship with Him, etc. That is the fruit Adam and Eve bore and ate (lived). They followed the desires of the flesh and the desires of the eyes and pride of life, in turning away from God after being in fellowship with Him. It is what we all do before being regenerated by the Holy Spirit of God, and to an extent even afterwards, though through faith we keep returning our gaze to Him.

It may be that a lot of what I just posted has already been said here in your thread, and my apologies if that is so and I am simply repeating things... I have not read the whole thread, though I do very much enjoy reading your posts because the love of God is so very evident in them. God bless you!

wow great addition to the discussion !!! thanks for sharing I hope folks take a look at what you have left here those scriptures and also the thoughts you placed in my view are very rich ! God bless you sis
 
J

jasonj

Guest
#76



If I am not mistaken, I believe Chuck is a LORDSHIP SALVATION proponent

That would go quite a ways to explain his view on things

of course he is free to say otherwise regarding his views on who is truly saved or not

LORDSHIP SALVATION puts a view on salvation that scripture does not have nor require

If I am wrong regarding his view he can state otherwise of course



I have always and forever refused to judge anyones salvation if their faith is in Christ, my own effort is better used sharing Christ with others with the perspective He has given me, and seeking those who would share their perspective in a respectful manner with me, God bless ya
 

Magenta

Senior Member
Jul 3, 2015
59,805
29,184
113
#77
wow great addition to the discussion !!! thanks for sharing I hope folks take a look at what you have left here those scriptures and also the thoughts you placed in my view are very rich ! God bless you sis
You are welcome, thank you so much for your words of encouragement to everyone,
I really appreciate them; even when they are not directed at me they find their way
into my heart. You are an inspiration! :)

. . MayTheLordBlessYou.jpg
 
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jasonj

Guest
#78
How very often we either forget that, or ignore it. Jesus said we would know them by their love for one another. (That leaves only about four Christians I can recognize on this forum.... and I'm not one of them.)
we each and everyone of us have room for improvement in that area willie, myself included. God bless you thank you fopr the insightful and very humble post God bless you
 
Feb 7, 2015
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#79
Interestingly, many of the evil fruits can be found in the lives, beliefs, attitudes and actions of law-abiding Christians who strictly follow God's laws, to the exclusion Jesus' love of other Believers who do not keep the same rituals.

"My way, or the highway!" isn't exactly Jesus' way.
 
J

jasonj

Guest
#80
You are welcome, thank you so much for your words of encouragement to everyone,
I really appreciate them; even when they are not directed at me they find their way
into my heart. You are an inspiration! :)

. . View attachment 145677

I am inspired myself by the One whop is our inspiration. anything of value any of us have to share with each other is found in the name Jesus Christ who died for and Lives for us. and God bless you that you share and participate in the inspiration that lives in each of us for the purpose of building one another up in truth and Love !!! you are a blessing