We are not hereby encouraged to be “fruit inspectors” of others – nor condemning of anyone. But rather, as put by Paul: “Test and evaluate yourselves.”
to see
whether you are in the faith
and
living your lives as [committed] believers.
Examine yourselves [not me]!
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves
[by an ongoing experience]
that Jesus Christ is in you
—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?”
– 2 Corinthians 13:5
INTRODUCTION
As followers of Christ, Paul says: “Live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called…” Here is the text found in..
So I, the prisoner for the Lord, appeal to you to live a life worthy of the calling to which you have been called
[that is, to live a life that exhibits godly character, moral courage, personal integrity, and mature behavior—a life that expresses gratitude to God for your salvation], 2 with all humility [forsaking self-righteousness], and gentleness [maintaining self-control], with patience, bearing with one another [a]in [unselfish] love.
3 Make every effort to keep the oneness of the Spirit in the bond of peace [each individual working together to make the whole successful].
4 There is one body [of believers] and one Spirit—just as you were called to one hope when called [to salvation]— 5 one Lord, one faith, one baptism, 6 one God and Father of us all who is [sovereign] over all and [working] through all and [living] in all.
7 Yet grace [God’s undeserved favor] was given to each one of us [not indiscriminately, but in different ways] in proportion to the measure of Christ’s [rich and abundant] gift….”
(Note: For purposes of focus in this article I leave out verses 8-11.)
12 [and He did this (verses 7-11)] to fully equip and perfect the saints (God’s people)
for works of service, to build up the body of Christ [the church]; 13 until we all reach oneness in the faith and in the knowledge of the Son of God,
[growing spiritually] to become a mature believer, reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ [manifesting His spiritual completeness and exercising our spiritual gifts in unity].
14 So that we are no longer children [spiritually immature], tossed back and forth [like ships on a stormy sea] and carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine, by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men, by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything [for personal profit].
15 But speaking the truth in love [in all things—both our speech and our lives expressing His truth], let us grow up in all things into Him [following His example] who is the Head—Christ.
16 From Him the whole body [the church, in all its various parts], joined and knitted firmly together by what every joint supplies, when each part is working properly, causes the body to grow and mature, building itself up [a]in [unselfish] love.
17 So this I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live…
The unhealthy tree bears bad fruit
BAD FRUIT
So, why did the Apostle provide this Ephesians 4 description of good fruit – bad fruit? The implication from this is that many who attend churches and “profess” to be on their way to heaven… are failing the test – and are not the real thing, but rather: they are counterfeit. (2 Corinthians 13:5) It is a sobering thought:
“What!? Paul is saying here that I am a counterfeit “christian”!”
Good Tree vs Bad Tree. Paul speaks the truth in love (as he advocates in Ephesians 4:15). And realize that it is Paul who made this following list – not I. Do you recognize the bad fruit… anywhere in you?
Paul directs this passage to all believers. But, for the purpose of shock and awe, I’ve made the following list with “transposed” words in order to speak directly to the unhealthy tree folk in the church.
The following list uses his words “transposed” in order to direct what he said, as if he were speaking only to all the counterfeit church goers, those who are NOT truly following Christ.
Or do you not recognize this about yourselves
[by an ongoing experience]
that Jesus Christ is in you
—unless indeed you fail the test and are rejected as counterfeit?”
– 2 Corinthians 13:5
Here is Ephesians 4: verses 12-32 — transposed and liberally edited to make a hypothetical list: The Bad Fruit List. I am not changing the Scriptural meaning. (Not to worry.) I am merely making it speak as if Paul were to have spoken this passage directly to only those who are not following through “by an ongoing experience“.
The unhealthy tree bears bad fruit
The BAD FRUIT List
*extrapolated from Ephesians 4:verses 12-32
12 You are not fully equipped and perfected as a saint
you do not appear to be one of God’s people intended for works of service
you do not build up the body of Christ [the church];
13 you have not reached oneness in the faith
you have not reached oneness in the knowledge of the Son of God,
you are not growing spiritually
you are not becoming a mature believer
you are not reaching to the measure of the fullness of Christ
you are not manifesting His spiritual completeness
you are not exercising your spiritual gifts in unity.
14 You continue as a spiritually immature child
you are tossed back and forth like a ship on a stormy sea
you are carried about by every wind of [shifting] doctrine
you are carried about by the cunning and trickery of [unscrupulous] men,
you are carried about by the deceitful scheming of people ready to do anything for personal profit.
15 You are not speaking the truth in love in all things—neither in your speech or your lifestyle
You are not expressing His truth
You do not grow up in all things into Him
You are not following His example – He who is the Head—Christ.
16 You are not joined to Him, the whole body [the church, in all its various parts]
You are not joined and knitted firmly together
You are not a joint in the body that supplies what is needed
you are not a part that is working properly
You do not cause the body to grow and mature
You do not build up the body
You do not have unselfish love to build up the body.
*extrapolated from Ephesians 4: verses 17-32
17 You continue to live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live…
you do this even though I say, and solemnly affirm together with the Lord [as in His presence], that you must no longer live as the [unbelieving] Gentiles live…
You live in the futility of your mind
in the foolishness of your soul
in the emptiness of your soul
18 Your moral understanding is darkened
Your reasoning is clouded
You are alienated from the life of God
they are self-banished from the life of God
You have no share in the life of God
this is because of the willful ignorance that is deep-seated within you
this is because of the spiritual blindness that is deep-seated within you,
because of the hardness of your heart
because of the insensitivity of your heart
19 You are ungodly
in your spiritual apathy
having become callous and unfeeling,
you have given yourself over as prey to unbridled sensuality,
eagerly craving the practice of every kind of impurity
that your desires may demand
20 You did not learn Christ at all!
21 You in fact have not [really] heard Him
you have not been taught by Him
just as truth is in Jesus [revealed in His life and personified in Him],
22 You are still in your previous way of life
you have not put off your old self
you have not completely discarded your former nature,
23 Instead of being renewed, your nature is still being corrupted through your deceitful desires,
You are not being continually renewed in the spirit of your mind
you have no fresh attitude
you still have your tarnished mental attitude
you still have your tarnished spiritual attitude
24 You have not put on the new self
– that regenerated and renewed nature created in God’s image, [godlike] in the righteousness and holiness of the truth
– your self it is still not renewed
and you are not living in a way that expresses to God your gratitude for your salvation.
25 You are accepting falsehood
lying, defrauding, telling half-truths,
you are spreading rumors, and other things such as these
you do not speak truth “each one with his neighbor”
you are not part of “one another” in the body of Christ –
in fact you are not even part of the body of Christ.
26 You are not angry at sin—at immorality, at injustice, at ungodly behavior
You get angry to the point of sin
you let your anger cause you shame
you allow your anger to last until the sun goes down.
27 you give the devil an opportunity to lead you into sin
you give the devil an opportunity to lead you into sin by holding a grudge
you give the devil an opportunity to lead you into sin by nurturing anger
you give the devil an opportunity to lead you into sin by harboring resentment
you give the devil an opportunity to lead you into sin cultivating bitterness
28 The thief is still a thief
you continue to steal
you do not work hard
you do not make an honest living
you do not produce that which is good with your own hands
you do not have something to share with those in need
29 You let unwholesome [foul, profane, worthless, vulgar] words always come out of your mouth
you do not have only such speech “as is good for building up others”
you do not build up others according to the need and the occasion
your speech is not a blessing to those who hear [you speak].
30 You grieve the Holy Spirit of God
you do not seek to please Him
and thus you were never sealed and marked through the Holy Spirit,
you were not branded as God’s own for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].
31 You do not put away all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor
you have perpetual animosity, resentment, strife, fault-finding
you do not put away slander from you
you do not put away every kind of malice
you retain spitefulness, verbal abuse, malevolence.
32 You are not kind
you are not helpful to one another,
you are not tender-hearted [compassionate, understanding],
you are not forgiving of others readily and freely
even though you know that you could be forgiven by God in Christ.
*extrapolated for emphasis
FOR MORE:
Even so, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the unhealthy tree bears bad fruit. – Matthew 7:17
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