You will know them by their fruits… and test the spirits

 

We hear Christians say that someone is transparent which makes us lean towards their being, “real” and not a pretender, a wolf in sheep’s clothing, a tare, etc. I believe transparency has some merit, because I have seen it in true believers and transparency has its Biblical merits, as Christ said,  (Matthew 18:3) and said, "Truly I say to you, unless you are converted and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. (italics is mine) Looking back, at a time in my life I was with someone who was not at all transparent and recognizing this might have helped me in seeing more of who this person really was.

 

That being said, transparency is not the litmus test for one believer to know another. I have known people who seemed very transparent, but I later found out it was all an act and some even professed to be believers, but I do not remember any genuine fruit for God’s kingdom in their lives. The litmus test for people are their fruits, not that they seem transparent. Look at their fruits.

 

A Tree and Its Fruit

Matthew 7:15-23 15 "Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. 16 "You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? 17 "So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 "A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. 19 "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 "So then, you will know them by their fruits. 21 "Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. 22 "Many will say to Me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?' 23 "And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.'

 

Also, we are to test the spirits:

 

Test the Spirits

1 John 4:1-6  1 Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world. 2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 5 They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them. 6 We are from God, and whoever knows God listens to us; but whoever is not from God does not listen to us. This is how we recognize the Spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.

 

When I tested spirits, I did see if they acknowledged Jesus Christ in the flesh as the Son of God and as God. I met some who denied Jesus’ Deity. I left their midst. I believe when you identify an antichrist you proclaim the truth of Jesus and then leave them. When I need to test them, that is how I do it. You see, an antichrist cannot go outside of God’s word and say he believes these things as a pretender. He just is not allowed to act his way out of that or lie in this way because God’s Word.

 

1 John 4:1-3

 

 1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.

 2 By this you know the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God;

 3 and every spirit that does not confess Jesus is not from God; this is the spirit of the antichrist, of which you have heard that it is coming, and now it is already in the world.

 

Note: When I test spirits, I ask if they believe that Jesus came in the flesh, is the Son of God and is God (to Jesus Christ in the flesh), because is the Son of God and is God is summed up in acknowledging Jesus Christ in the flesh (so it’s not adding to the word, just rightly dividing it). Doing so has worked well for me.

 

If you’re not saved, Come to Jesus!