28 Nov 2014
Matthew 7:18
Matthew 7:18: “A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.”
This verse does not mean that Christians will never sin, or that evil people will never do a good deed. What it does mean is that you can tell what kind of person you’re dealing with by their actions. John talked about this in great detail in I John. A person may say they’re a Christian, but if they walk in sin, hate other believers, are full of anger, and hate the Word, then they are lost no matter what they claim.
Is this judging? Absolutely – and the Lord calls us to do it. He wants us to be able to tell the difference between those who are real and those who are phony, so that false teachers do not gain root in our congregations and lead many astray.