The Lord God Will Reveal Himself

"I'm not a bad person.  I never killed anyone."

How many of you have heard something like that from someone?  And the next thing said is, "So why do I need a savior?"

This could explain why Jesus said the tax collectors and prostitutes enter the Kingdom of God before the Pharisees, that is, before the law-abiding people.  If one doesn't know he or she needs a savior, needs Jesus, that person is going to be content just to live a life of self-fulfillment.

But God...

But the Lord God loves people too much to let them drift along like that, without any awareness of their peril.  He will reveal Himself, whether they like it or not, even more so if you are praying for them.  And you may recall what happened to Saul/Paul, how he was knocked to the ground and heard Jesus' loving confrontation.  The believers were praying intensely!  (Acts 9)

He'll do that with your loved ones, too.  Because He loves them!

Larry Carroll

By Your Fruits

Matthew 7

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.

...

20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

21 “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.

22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not ... done many wonders in Your name?’

...

23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’

So, "many wonderful works" in Jesus' name are not the fruits Jesus is talking about.  Then what could they be?

We get more than a good clue from Galatians 5:

22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law.

These elements of this fruit come to us when we welcome in the Holy Spirit, when we invite Jesus into our inner-most being, to save us and to shepherd us.

Note: Don't compare yourself to anyone else, whether you see fruit or not.  This is just between you and the Lord God.  Discernment comes later.

Larry Carroll