Matt 7:21
21 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. NIV
- Rev 3:15; Prov 30:12;
- God checks fruit. There are many fruitless lives that expect to be rewarded. Lord, help me to be fruitful.
Matt 7:23
23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’ NKJV
- This is not the answer they expect. Help me first to be fruitful. Matt 7:16; I want every area of my life to glorify God. Secondly, help me to raise a generation that understands and follows you. I want no more hypocrisy. I am sick of the two faces, which are so common. We may for a while be able to have two faces, but I believe you will only produce fruit from what grows out of your heart. There will not be two kinds of fruit on one tree. Let them be known by their fruit. Let them see the fruit of their own lives. We don’t want to wait until we die to see what fruit we produce. God, reveal it to this generation. I ask that their hearts would be turned back to you and their lives would produce much fruit.
Gal 2:4
…except for some so-called Christians there—false ones, really …. NLT
- There are false Christians. What Marks a false Christian? Does a false Christian know that they are a false Christian?
- A false Christian must be marked by his or her fruit, or the lack there of. (Matt 7:16) John 10:25 says that they (his works) bear witness. What do your works bear witness of?
- God, please fill me with love like yours and a desire to please you. I don’t possess in myself what it takes.
- We all make mistakes. In Gal 2:11, Paul begins by telling how he had to confront Peter for his hypocrisy, yet he is not in any way calling him a false brother.
- We are human, and we will make mistakes. The righteous get back up Prov 24:16. Don’t let condemnation rob you of your confidence in Christ. Go let your fruit declare your love for the Lord. Matt 12:33; John 14:15; 2 John 6
Gal 3:5 I ask you again, does God give you the Holy Spirit and work miracles among you because you obey the Law of Moses? Of course not! It is because you believe the message you heard about Christ. NLT
- It is important that your faith affects your life. James 2:17. However, I think I have a tendency to get stuck in my role. Somehow, it becomes about me and what I can do. It was never about me. If it was, I would go to Hell. It is about Him, His love, His grace and His gift that I receive by faith, not by works.
- Where then is the balance? I can’t earn it. I receive by faith, yet my faith is suppose to affect every part of me. If a tree bears no fruit, it is cut down and thrown in the fire. Hmm
Deut 29:18
8 Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit,
ESV
- “Beware” implies that if one is not careful this will happen. He warns that if we don’t watch against it our heart will go off course. 2 Chron 12:14; We have to choose on purpose the course of our heart, then we have to watch carefully to make sure we stay on course.
- We are also warned about a root that will bear poisonous and bitter fruit. Lord have I let anything take root that is producing bad fruit? Is their anything in me producing, bad attitudes, resentment, un-forgiveness, anger, jealousy, hatred, greed, or just plain selfishness? Have I given the room or a foot hold for the devil in any part of my life? Eph 4:27; A seed so small becomes such a great tree, a comprise so small becomes such a great fall. Eccl 10:1;
- God I ask that you help uproot anything that would take my heart off course or produce ungodly fruit in my life
John 14:23-24
23 Jesus answered and said to him, “If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me. NKJV
- John 14:15; 15:14; 1 John 4:8; our actions demonstrate what is in our heart. Prov 20:11 tells us that even a child is known by their actions. Matt 12:33; tells us we judge a tree by its fruit. Jesus is telling us what fruit to look for in someone who says they love him. He says that if we love Him the fruit will be obedience, but if you find the fruit of disobedience, they don’t love God. John 15:4; says that He is the true vine and that we can’t bear fruit apart from Him. God I want to give you all that I am. I want my life to come from you, the true vine. I want the fruit of my life to demonstrate a love for you.
