I guess you have asked that question a couple or more times in your life. "Am I really a good Christian?" "Who is a good Christian anyway?"
How do you measure "good" Christians? I am sure many people would answer: "By their works! Their actions or lack of actions is the determining factor. Jesus did MANY good works, and He was a very good Christian!"
Ok. Let's follow that thought. IF good works is the proof that I'm a good Christian, what about a Christian who is multi handicapped, who lies in his or her bed and cannot move a limb. If good works is a sign of being a good Christian, such a person can never (unless he or she is healed) be a good Christian. And since the Bible does not exclude anyone from being a good Christian, there must be something else that counts.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:33:
"Make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for by its fruit you will get knowledge of the tree." (My emphasis).
There is something the Bible holds higher than works (even though good works are highly esteemed and of high value), and that is fruit. What is "fruit" in this respect? The Bible answers that question in Galatians 5:22-23:"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, a quiet mind, kind acts, well-doing, faith, Gentle behaviour, control over desires: against such there is no law."
Isn't that great? "Fruit" includes everyone. You can love someone if you're well or if you're sick and bedridden. You can have faith no matter what your circumstances are. On the other hand, being angry, bitter and resentful is not bearing good fruit, and if you harbor these feelings, the law is against you, according to the Scripture above.
Who is a good Christian? The person who bears good fruit!
Does that mean we should not do good works? No, absolutely not, but doing good works does not make us good Christians. Evil people and people of no faith can do good deeds if they want to, but that doesn't make them good people.
How does fruit grow? By being attached to the tree, getting nutrients and water from the tree, and staying there till the fruit is ripe.
Jesus is the tree, we are the branches. When we stay in Him and get nutrients and water (the Word) from Him through reading the Bible and listening to good teaching, we grow fruit. Then we'll become good Christians.
How do you measure "good" Christians? I am sure many people would answer: "By their works! Their actions or lack of actions is the determining factor. Jesus did MANY good works, and He was a very good Christian!"
Ok. Let's follow that thought. IF good works is the proof that I'm a good Christian, what about a Christian who is multi handicapped, who lies in his or her bed and cannot move a limb. If good works is a sign of being a good Christian, such a person can never (unless he or she is healed) be a good Christian. And since the Bible does not exclude anyone from being a good Christian, there must be something else that counts.
Jesus said in Matthew 12:33:
"Make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for by its fruit you will get knowledge of the tree." (My emphasis).
There is something the Bible holds higher than works (even though good works are highly esteemed and of high value), and that is fruit. What is "fruit" in this respect? The Bible answers that question in Galatians 5:22-23:"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, a quiet mind, kind acts, well-doing, faith, Gentle behaviour, control over desires: against such there is no law."
Isn't that great? "Fruit" includes everyone. You can love someone if you're well or if you're sick and bedridden. You can have faith no matter what your circumstances are. On the other hand, being angry, bitter and resentful is not bearing good fruit, and if you harbor these feelings, the law is against you, according to the Scripture above.
Who is a good Christian? The person who bears good fruit!
Does that mean we should not do good works? No, absolutely not, but doing good works does not make us good Christians. Evil people and people of no faith can do good deeds if they want to, but that doesn't make them good people.
How does fruit grow? By being attached to the tree, getting nutrients and water from the tree, and staying there till the fruit is ripe.
Jesus is the tree, we are the branches. When we stay in Him and get nutrients and water (the Word) from Him through reading the Bible and listening to good teaching, we grow fruit. Then we'll become good Christians.
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