🌳 “You Will Know Them by Their Fruits” Jesus says: “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will recognize them by their fruits.” — Matthew 7:15–16 Jesus isn’t telling us to determine someone’s heart or condemn people. He’s teaching us to discern what is genuine by what a person’s life consistently produces. 🍇 What does “fruit” mean? Fruit includes things like: 1. Character Does their life increasingly reflect love, humility, patience, self-control, honesty, and holiness? 2. Teaching Does what they teach agree with Scripture and point people toward the true Jesus and His Gospel? 3. Actions Do their actions support their words, or is there a persistent pattern of hypocrisy, manipulation, exploitation, or unrighteousness? 4. What they produce in others Does their ministry lead people toward repentance, faith, truth, love, and obedience to Christ—or toward themselves, fear, division, greed, and dependence on them? 5. Consistency Everybody who follows Jesus can stumble. A bad moment isn’t the same thing as a persistent pattern of bad fruit. We’re looking at the direction and pattern of a life, not demanding perfection. ⚠️ Jesus specifically warns about false prophets Notice that Jesus says they come “in sheep’s clothing.” That means deception may not always look obviously evil. Someone can sound spiritual, quote Scripture, have a large following, or claim to speak for God—and still need to be tested. That’s why Scripture says: “Test the spirits to see whether they are from God.” — 1 John 4:1 And the Bereans were commended because they examined the Scriptures to see whether what they were being taught was true (Acts 17:11). ❤️ What is good fruit? Paul gives us a beautiful picture: “The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.” — Galatians 5:22–23 So the question isn’t simply: “Does this person call themselves a Christian?” It’s: “Does their life increasingly reflect Christ?” And ultimately, the standard isn’t another person’s personality or your personal opinion. Jesus is the standard. Scripture is the test. Fruit is the evidence. ✝️ And remember: we examine fruit for discernment, while leaving final judgment to God. #jesus #bible #faith