--- Do you produce Good Fruit? --- Are you sure? Your life depends on it!
Do you want to be a friend of Jesus Christ? Are you aware Jesus said at John 15:11‑16 we could become his friends; just by learning and observing what he taught? That still begs the question, though, are "you" his friend? Well, does your fruitage indicate you are?
Jesus gave a sobering warning about our need to make certain we are not fooling ourselves about being his friend: (Matthew 7:21-23) 21 “Not everyone saying to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter into the kingdom of the heavens, but the one doing the will of my Father who is in the heavens will. 22 Many will say to me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and expel demons in your name, and perform many powerful works in your name?’ 23 And yet then I will confess to them: I never knew YOU! Get away from me, YOU workers of lawlessness.
He went on to caution many people would deceive themselves because they imagined knowing to call on his name or even being in his company meant they were his friends: (Luke 13:26, 27) 26 Then YOU will start saying, ‘We ate and drank in front of you, and you taught in our broad ways.’ 27 But he will speak and say to YOU, ‘I do not know where YOU are from. Get away from me, all YOU workers of unrighteousness!’
How can these people imagine they know Christ, and even expect help from him, only to find they are being rejected? That's easy, really. He said they fail to identify and then produce good fruit, and so, they are being destroyed: (Matthew 7:15‑20) 15 “Be on the watch for the false prophets that come to YOU in sheep's covering, but inside they are ravenous wolves. 16 By their fruits YOU will recognize them. Never do people gather grapes from thorns or figs from thistles, do they? 17 Likewise every good tree produces fine fruit, but every rotten tree produces worthless fruit; 18 a good tree cannot bear worthless fruit, neither can a rotten tree produce fine fruit. 19 Every tree not producing fine fruit gets cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Really, then, by their fruits YOU will recognize those [men].
As to our own fruitage, we have to be very careful about what we speak and teach, because Jesus said what comes from our mouth is judged as either good or bad fruit: (Matthew 12:31‑37) 31 “On this account I say to YOU, Every sort of sin and blasphemy will be forgiven men, but the blasphemy against the spirit will not be forgiven. 32 For example, whoever speaks a word against the Son of man, it will be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the holy spirit, it will not be forgiven him, no, not in this system of things nor in that to come. 33 “Either YOU people make the tree fine and its fruit fine or make the tree rotten and its fruit rotten; for by its fruit the tree is known. 34 Offspring of vipers, how can YOU speak good things, when YOU are wicked? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. 35 The good man out of his good treasure sends out good things, whereas the wicked man out of his wicked treasure sends out wicked things. 36 I tell YOU that every unprofitable saying that men speak, they will render an account concerning it on Judgment Day; 37 for by your words you will be declared righteous, and by your words you will be condemned.”
Please note God has given only one command since Jesus was born. He spoke by Holy Spirit out of a cloud to identify Jesus as his son and to command us all to listen to that son: (Matthew 17:5) 5 While he was yet speaking, look! a bright cloud overshadowed them, and, look! a voice out of the cloud, saying: “This is my Son, the beloved, whom I have approved; listen to him.” Helping people understand that command from God to listen to Jesus is obviously producing good fruitage. I am not judge, but if once you realize God's spirit is directing you to listen to Christ and preach his words, and you then choose to direct people to listen to anyone besides Jesus, that is very dangerous. That might be fighting against the Holy Spirit.
As God's appointed teacher, not only did Jesus warn us (Mat 7:15 above) to beware of false prophets, he went on to say he must be our only teacher: (Matthew 23:1~15) 23 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples, saying: 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees (Preachers) have seated themselves in the seat of Moses (imagined they are judges of people). 3 Therefore all the things they tell YOU, do and observe, but do not do according to their deeds, for they say but do not perform. 4 They bind up heavy loads and put them upon the shoulders of men, but they themselves are not willing to budge them with their finger. 5 All the works they do they do to be viewed by men; for they broaden the [scripture-containing] cases that they wear as safeguards, and enlarge the fringes [of their garments]. 6 They like the most prominent place at evening meals and the front seats in the synagogues, 7 and the greetings in the marketplaces and to be called Rabbi (or "elder" or "priest" or ...) by men. 8 But YOU, do not YOU be called Rabbi, for one is YOUR teacher, whereas all YOU are brothers. 9 Moreover, do not call anyone YOUR father on earth, for one is YOUR Father, the heavenly One. 10 Neither be called ‘leaders,’ for YOUR Leader is one, the Christ. 11 But the greatest one among YOU must be YOUR minister. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted. ... 15 “Woe to YOU, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! because YOU traverse sea and dry land to make one proselyte, and when he becomes one YOU make him a subject for Ge·hen´na (hell) twice as much so as yourselves.
Jesus's teachings about false prophets, and then about our need to look to him as our only teacher, should make clear what is good and bad fruit: Those who follow God's command to listen to his son, and realize they can only do that by reading from the Gospels of Jesus's life and teachings recorded by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, are consuming good fruit. When they encourage others to also read the words of Christ, they are producing good fruitage. Those people who encourage others to join their sect, and try to persuade everyone an approved membership in their group is what can help, well, that's just bad fruit...
If you simply remain in Christ's teachings, you will be set free of influence by false prophets and wolves in sheep's covering. (John 8:31, 32) And so Jesus went on to say to the Jews that had believed him: “If YOU remain in my word, YOU are really my disciples, 32 and YOU will know the truth, and the truth will set YOU free.” You will also be a friend of Christ and you will know you are, because of your personal familiarity with what he taught... You can't just read the Gospels once, mind you. You need to take in God's spirit regularly by feeding on the words of Christ. (John 6:63) 63It is the spirit that is life-giving; the flesh is of no use at all. The sayings that I have spoken to YOU are spirit and are life.(John 6:53-58) 53 Accordingly Jesus said to them: “Most truly I say to YOU, Unless YOU eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood, YOU have no life in yourselves. 54 He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood has everlasting life, and I shall resurrect him at the last day; 55 for my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. 56 He that feeds on my flesh and drinks my blood remains in union with me, and I in union with him. 57 Just as the living Father sent me forth and I live because of the Father, he also that feeds on me, even that one will live because of me. 58 This is the bread that came down from heaven. It is not as when YOUR forefathers ate and yet died. He that feeds on this bread (has faith in Christ) will live forever.”
Since Jesus gave his very life to bring God's message, his life (flesh) and blood can be thought of as existing or even living in his sayings. That also explains his being referred to as the Bread of Life. Feeding on his words can be thought of as eating that bread and also as consuming his flesh and his blood. (John 6:53‑58) Just like a child needs to feed to grow into an adult, you likely can't change who you are in one day. Christian maturity is a journey into familiarity with the teachings of Christ, as you demonstrate you are his friend by your obedience. (1 Cor 13:8‑13; John 15:11‑16) What you can do today, in this very day, is be determined to produce only good fruitage with the rest of your life... Forever! Speak to encourage everyone to abandon false religion by simply focusing on the words of God's son, recorded for us by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John.
The balance of the Bible exists simply as a tutor to direct us to those words of Christ. (Gal 3:23‑29)
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