The Bible is clear in saying we should judge not lest we be judged. The Lord’s Prayer requests that we receive forgiveness in equal measure to our forgiveness of others.
But even though we are not to pass judgment on others we are to be discerning. In our discernment we are to evaluate everyone especially anyone who claims to be a believer. Wolves in sheeps clothing are the greatest danger to the flock.
But how do we evaluate ourselves and others. It can’t be by the law because according to Paul in Rom 7:6 “But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way of the Spirit and not in the old way of the written code.” He then gives a hint of how we are to evaluate. In Rom 8:9 Paul writes, “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.”
So we see that a proper evaluation of ourselves and of others is to see if the Spirit of God dwells in you. But how can we discern the Spirit? Well in Rom 8:11 Paul says, “If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.”
Signs of Life
How do we know if a living thing is alive? In nature we ask if it reproduces or bears fruit. Living things may act very differently but they all bear fruit. If only we had a list of the fruit of the Spirit so we could tell if the Spirit is in us! Thanks be to God we do. In Gal 5:22-23 Paul tells us “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.”
In this list Paul shows us the signs of life. He also proclaims that is has nothing to do with the law. Anyone who has the Spirit of God in them will show signs of life by growing in love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. We should evaluate our lives and the lives of others that we admire, submit to, listen to, or minister to by the fruit.
If we don’t see evidence of the fruit of the Spirit in people’s lives we should act accordingly. If it is our own life we should to run to God, spend time in His presence and truly offer ourselves as living sacrifices to Him as we receive His mercy and love. If we fail to see love, joy and peace in a leader we should be very careful before we declare our allegiance. Does he or she show patience, kindness and goodness? If not we should not fall under their spell. Where is the faithfulness, gentleness and self control? Living things bear fruit. Anyone who is in Christ has received the Spirit.
What it’s not
You’ll notice at least two things if you study the fruit. Intelligence, good looks, knowledge, leadership skills, charisma, cleverness, and charm are not on the list. Also, self control is the last evidence because a life filled with love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness and gentleness has died to its own self interests.
What is the fruit
Love means to consider others ahead of yourself, joy means to be settled in your heart because you know a secret about who you are in Christ, peace fills your mind because God has reconciled you to Himself so you have peace with God, patience means that you can withstand suffering without struggling because God is with you, kindness means you treat others according to the mercy of God, goodness means to be good for others like eating a healthy fruit is good for someone, faithfulness means your life is based on who God is and who you are in Him, and gentleness means to do nothing to harm another but only what lifts up and restores.
We are not to pass judgment on others but we are to be fruit inspectors because life begets life. Discern the lives you are listening to and following blindly and see if they are bearing fruit. If they are not you should turn and run. Jesus said, “My sheep know my voice.” “Let Him who has the Spirit hear what the Spirit is saying!”