Examine yourself!

We are quick to judge these days. Many think this is wrong spiritually. Personally, I think we have to judge or inspect fruit as scripture puts it to help those that are deceived, back sliding, or just plain not in Christ. Here is the verse on fruit inspection:



Matthew 7:16-20



16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.





John 15:1-5



15 “I am the true vine, and My Father is the vinedresser. 2 Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away; and every branch that bears fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit. 3 You are already clean because of the word which I have spoken to you. 4 Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me.

5 “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.



Now let me be clear, we are not the ultimate judge, Jesus is. But as followers of Christ we must judge, fruit inspect, or whatever you want to call it, as to help the lost or our brothers and sisters in Christ. We are not to use this judging though to hurt, slander, isolate, or banish. We are to love them like Jesus. In many cases folks who we point out sin to will become offended even when we do it in love, there is nothing we can do about that but try to keep loving them in Christ!



For each of us the best thing for us to do is examine ourselves according to God's Word:



1 Corinthians 11:27-28



Examine Yourself

27 Therefore whoever eats this bread or drinks this cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner will be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. 28 But let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of the bread and drink of the cup.



Did you see that examine yourself! Then see if your life matches up to God's Word not the worlds opinion! If it does awesome! If not then pray for God to help you make changes with the help of the Holy Spirit.



2 Corinthians 13:5-7

5 Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified. 6 But I trust that you will know that we are not disqualified.

7 Now I pray to God that you do no evil, not that we should appear approved, but that you should do what is honorable, though we may seem disqualified.



There it is again, examine! Very important. Sadly, many folks will come to the end of this life only to find out they were never in Christ Jesus. They listened to what the world says is right instead of what God's Word says. The church is full of folks who claim to follow Jesus, but when fruit is inspected there is no evidence and thus they are disqualified. Don't be one of these, examine yourself, examine scripture, and know for sure if you are a disciple of Jesus Christ.



Tom