Anchored in Faith
You Will Know Them By Their Fruit
We live in a generation where, for many, claiming Christianity means nothing more than wearing a loose label; more of a traditional association than a life marked by the reign of King Jesus. In fact, too many "Christians" (even leaders within the church) talk the talk on Sunday morning and declare the truth of God in authority of Scripture, all the while their secret habits, mindset, heart posture, and lifestyle looks nothing like that of Jesus.
So how can we know, then? How can we know who is truly of the Lord? How can we know who is of the faithful?
"We will know them by their fruits" (Matthew 7:16).
According to Jesus, if we want to know who is truly coming to us as representatives of Christ in the faith, we will "know them by their fruits." In other words, does the person claiming to have a message of, authority of, or salvation of Christ display the character of, nature of, and fruit of Christ? Do their habits, speech, conduct, and treatment of others display that of Christ? Do the fruits of their lives--both in secret and in public--look like the fruit of the Spirit we have spent the past year dissecting?
A person can preach, judge, and declare Scripture all day long. But if the very fruit of Christ in the Spirit does not flow from them, such a person is void of true saving faith. So what is the fruit of the faithful? Well, as we have been discussing the last eight months, the fruit of the faithful produces from the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self control (Galatians 5:22-23).
These are not fruits that a person forces through tireless effort and human works. Rather, a person who is truly abiding in saving faith naturally overflow these fruits as God's Spirit Himself makes His home in the heart of a believer. The fruit points to faith and true faith produces the fruit.
We will know them by what flows out when hard pressed.
As the saying goes, you find out who a person really is when they are under pressure. In Paul's words, a person in the faith of Christ will be "hard-pressed on every side, yet not crushed...perplexed, but not in despair..." (2 Corinthians 4:8).
What flows from a person when the hardships of life press in on all sides? Do they begin to curse God, mistreat others, spew hatefulness and bitterness, cave beneath doubt, and abandon the faith? If so, that's a strong indicator that saving faith didn't exist in the first place. Or at the very least, the object of their faith was not Christ.
The story of Job in the Bible is a wonderful example of faithfulness under pressure. Despite the back to back tragedies and temptations by his own wife, Job did not curse God or abandon faith. Sure, he deeply wrestled to understand the why behind his suffering, and vulnerability asked God some very raw and human questions. But he remained faithful.
Before moving on to the next fruit, which is the fruit of gentleness, I want to wrap up our time in the fruit of faithfulness with this encouragement written by Peter, "So then, those who suffer according to God's will should commit themselves to their faithful Creator and continue to do good." (1 Peter 4:19).
When our faith is anchored in the faithfulness of God, nothing that this world throws at us will separate us from Him. This is why His unchanging character and faithfulness is the anchor to our souls. We can rest assured in His perfect faithfulness, leading us into a life full of joy, peace, love, and gratitude.
