The Fruits of a True Christian

[EmethAlethia]

The Fruits of a True Christian…

In Mat. 7, Jesus says,

Mat 7:13 "Enter by the narrow gate; for the gate is wide, and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and many are those who enter by it. 14 "For the gate is small, and the way is narrow that leads to life, and few are those who find it.

We know who the “Many” who are on the broad path to destruction are because Jesus tells us who they are later on:

Mat 7:22  "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?'

They are also those who are not figuring out and are not habitually “doing” the will of the Father:

Mat 7:21  "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.

Nor are they figuring out exactly what Jesus says and means and are not doing that either (See Mat. 7:24-27) The good news is, we will know them by their fruits.

Mat 7:16  "You will know them by their fruits….

Just for the sake of mentioning it, most of the writers of the New Testament, and Jesus, when they quoted from the Old Testament mostly did so from the Septuagint translation. This makes it the one and only “God approved” and used, translation of the Old Testament. Why mention this? Well, that gives us a well spring of additional places to test to see if we have the correct meaning of the words used. When we have the correct meaning, that meaning will fit everywhere the word/root word is used.

The first word for "Narrow Gate" used in 7:13, and for the first word translated ""Narrow"" in verse14, is Stenos G4728. If we search for all the places where it is used in the Apostolic Bible Polyglot + Strongs, (“ABP” from here on out.) we find it is used 18 times. The translation of ""Narrow"" does work in all 18 places the word is used, but don't trust me. Test to see if the word fits in all 18 places yourself. Here's an example:

Num. 22:26 And the angel of God proceeded going forth. And he stood in a “narrow G4728” place for which there was no turning aside right or left.

Indeed, having “No Room to Turn Around” to the right or left in a gate, that's a tight, "squeeze through", situation. The major thoroughfare into the city is what most people believe Jesus is referring to for the broad path and the wide gate Jesus says most people who believe themselves to be Christians are on. Almost everyone uses this path, and this gate because they can bring everything with them, and there is no limit to what you can get through the front gates: lumber and stone for building, packs for food and water for travel to the next town, … lots of open space and it’s the main trek everyone uses. Now picture is a crack in the wall a person can get through, with a grate over it. It’s off the beaten path and the gate is so tight you can’t turn right or left. Obviously, you aren’t bringing anything substantial through with you, right, and this severely limits the percentage of true Christians there are vs. the ones that have all the signs, wonders, miracles, … the true Christians of the day had, but aren’t going to see heaven.

Now think about all the different belief groups that honestly and truly, with all their heart, mind, soul and strength believe they are Christians. Are these things true of pretty much all of them? Do they …

ii. KNOW they have the Son, so they KNOW they have the life.

iii. Know they believe in Him.

iv. Know they are doing the will of God.

v. Know they are keeping the commandments of Christ.

vi. Know the Holy Spirit has guided them and those that believe as they do into all truth.

vii. Love their brethren who believe as they do.

viii. Know they should be baptized and they have been baptized.

ix. Cast out demons in His name.

x. Have the Fruits of the Spirit.

xi. Do many marvelous works of power in His Name.

xii. Prophesy in His name

xiii. … and so on and so on …

Most people, in all the belief groups who believe they are Christians possess the beliefs above and many believe they have the exact same gifts, characteristics, abilities … those who were true Christians in the first century possessed. All believe they pass the test of being true Christians. All believe they believe the truth and are living in accordance with it. There is no difference in the belief they, and those that believe as they do, and live as they do, are true Christians. There is no difference! Yet the religious lost, who believe in Jesus at the end of Matthew 7 also will say and believe these things.

Is Jesus right? Is His description of the “Narrow Gate” accurate? Out of a thousand people entering and exiting through the major gates to the city, how “few” are going through the gate you have to squeeze through? Got a percentage? Write it down somewhere because I’m going to ask you to reconsider it again after we look at the word Jesus chose to describe the “way” to that “can’t turn to the right or left” gate.
It's the second word used in “The way is Narrow” / ""Thleebo"", that scares me. That’s Strong’s #’s G2346 & G2347. If we search the Apostolic Bible Polyglot + Strongs (Septuagint)  for these 2 Strong’s Numbers, we find they are used about 242 times. (Note: Ignore all Strong's Numbers in the ABP+ with a decimal value as those refer to a different word altogether meaning “decaying flesh”.)

Remember, if we want to get the meaning God meant, and not replace it with something we “want to believe”, we need to pick a meaning that fits perfectly in all 242 places. If it doesn’t fit everywhere, we have the wrong meaning and we changed it because we didn’t like that meaning/belief/teaching. But Jesus knew what that consistent meaning was, and that’s the exact meaning He intends here. Now I’m not going to go through all 242 locations this word is used, but be noble minded and check it out yourself. Here’s an example of a location where the same word is used 6 times in 4 verses. Remember we have to find a singular meaning that fits everywhere the same word is used throughout the scriptures, so pick a meaning that totally expresses the feelings, emotions, … you would feel if you were in the process of having to live through the following situation. I’ve plugged in some possibilities(Underlined), and I included the translation of “narrow” that most translators chose in Matthew 7 to describe the meaning they want to express. Choose the one that fits best:

Deu 28:53 And you shall eat the progeny of your belly, the meat of your sons and your daughters, as many as the LORD your God gave to you in your straits, and in your affliction/ torment/ anguish/ agony/ narrow, in which your enemy. … shall afflict/torment/cause anguish/cause agony/narrow to you 55  so as to give one of them from the flesh of his children whomever he should eat, because of the not having left behind to him anything in the straits, and in the affliction/ torment/ anguish/ agony / narrow, in which ever your enemies should afflict/torment/cause anguish to/cause agony to/narrow you in all your cities.  … 57  and  her afterbirth coming forth through her thighs, and her child which ever she should give birth to -- they she shall eat them because of the lack of all things, secretly, in the straits. and in the affliction/ torment/anguish/agony/narrow by which your enemy shall afflict/ torment/cause anguish to/cause agony to/narrow you in your cities,

Ongoing Anguish, Torment, Agony, Affliction or Narrow? What meaning did you pick that fits everywhere and accurately conveys the feelings, emotions, fitting the events in Deu. 28 above? “Thlebo” is used of being in such ongoing anguish, torment, agony, ongoing affliction, “Narrow” that you would choose to eat your own children. That you would eat both your new born baby and the afterbirth? Now, apply that meaning to Mat. 28 and the “way” that leads to that “tight squeeze of a door you can’t turn around in”. Imagine… a “way” to a door that is so agonizing that half-way through, if someone said, “I can get you out, but then we have to butcher and eat your kids. Is it a deal?” that you would stop and think about it. Imagine how nasty that “way” would be to experience thoughts where you would consider such a deal. But Jesus says the “way” is much more agonizing than just “considering” that deal. The people in Deuteronoimy actually took that deal. They went through it. They lived it. And … it was that agonizing. Is the way to the narrow gate also “Narrow”? Yes. It’s eat your own kids narrow… and then you get to the can’t turn around in it gate.

Most people who believe they are Christians pass their own tests of being valid Christians, including the ones above. They have confessed Jesus is Lord and believe God raised Him from the dead. They believe in Him, so they are true Christians just like everyone else who believes it. But then…

2Co 10:12 For we are not bold to class or compare ourselves with some of those who commend themselves; but when they measure themselves by themselves and compare themselves with themselves, they are without understanding.

Every person in every belief group believing they are Christians passes their own tests. It’s everyone “Else” that doesn’t have their core beliefs that fails the test. That said, the tests every belief group gives themselves are not the tests true Christians will take. They will look at the fruits. We already have some from Mat. 7. False Christians “believe” they are doing the will of the Father and believe they are hearing Christs’ words and are doing them, but they aren’t. The true Christians get to the truth of all He says and means and are actually obeying exactly what it says and means. They actually love truth and keep on studying to get to the truth of it so they can obey it. Everyone else goes to scripture to prove their beliefs true and all opposing views to be false. (Ro. 10:1-3) But they don’t love truth. They just want to justify their beliefs and justify themselves.

2Th 2:10 and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. 11 And for this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they might believe what is false, 12 in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness. 13 But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord, because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth.

Since Paul compares the lost in the end times yet to come, and the believers in Thessalonica in His day to the exact same test and those in his day passed and received faith in the truth, and those in the end times fail and not only end up believing a lie, God helps them and sends a deluding influence to harden those who do not receive a love of the truth into those beliefs. This explains the signs and wonders the false Christians often have (See Mat. 7) Everyone gets what they want. Love your beliefs and you get confirmation of them. Love the truth and you will keep on doing all those things the bible says true Christians will be doing over and over again, as a habit and way of life for the rest of their lives. (Present tense in Greek) Here’s one of those “Fruits” we should be examining ourselves and others by, over and over again for the rest of our lives, according to the scriptures.

2Co 13:5 Test yourselves to see if you are in the faith; examine yourselves! Or do you not recognize this about yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you fail the test? 6 But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves do not fail the test.
Here is an expanded the translation that includes the meaning of the present tense.

2Co 13:5 Keep on testing yourselves over and over again as a habit and way of life, and never stop doing it, to see if you are in the faith; keep examining yourselves! Or do you not recognize yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you--unless indeed you are failing the test? 6 But I trust that you will realize that we ourselves are not failing the test.

Remember that 2 Co. 10:12 passage? That’s a part of the context of the discussion 2Co. 13:5-6 is a part of. That’s a way for everyone to pass their tests. Let them all write their own tests. And in case someone wants to argue that this isn’t actually checking to see if you, and others truly are Christians or not, based on their deeds/fruits, consider what Paul does in the middle of this discussion in 2Co. 11:13-15 “… whose end will be in accordance with their deeds.”

Notice the end of verse 5: “unless indeed you are failing the test?”. Paul states that those who refuse to keep on continuously examining themselves and others according to all that God says is true about true Christians, and those who believe they are but fail the tests automatically prove, by their disobedience to this command, that they are failing the test.

The problem is that since 99% of the people who believe they are Christians, “Know beyond any shadow of a doubt” that they are true Christians and are examining themselves by themselves and amongst themselves and KNOW they pass, to keep on habitually doing this process of examining themselves and others over and over again is repetitively redundant over and over, again and again, repeatedly. And frankly, for most in most belief groups, questioning your own Christianity is contrary to “their” definition of faith. But holding fast to this “traditional view” of faith nullifies God’s commandments in this passage. (Mat. 15:3-6, Mar. 7:8-13 …) And frankly since their tests always remain the same the results will always be the same, so obeying God’s commandment here is ludicrous. The problem: Paul says that if you fail to keep on examining yourself and others to see if they really do pass the tests of being in the faith, it automatically proves that you fail.
Here are a few more that tie in the idea that some of the fruits we should be checking are, are they/we getting to the truth of the meaning of all God commands (Including the ones we just looked at.) and are they habitually obeying them.

Joh 14:15 "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Luk 6:46 "Why do you call Me, 'Lord, Lord,' and do not do what I say?

Joh 3:36 "He who believes in the Son has eternal life; but he who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him." (The Fruit of Saving Belief is What in this Verse? What you truly “believe”, you always fully align your life to. “If” you do “believe in Jesus” you will figure out exactly what He, the Word of God, truly says and means, so you can obey it as a habit and way of life, because your “saving belief” always results in that process getting done. If you don’t have this “saving belief” you won’t be habitually figuring it all out for and by yourself and you won’t be habitually obeying all of what the Word of God, Jesus Christ, says and means. And if that’s where you are your “belief” doesn’t save.)

So, how do you know if you are on the “eat your kids its so agonizing a way” and are headed for the “squeeze your way through” gate? One way is to see if you are habitually studying, over and over again, to get to the truth of what passages, like the ones you see here in this short - abridged study, (The longer one is in excess of 50 pages.) say and mean, so you can obey them, and are doing this process for and by yourself. Why, for and by yourself? Because all you will get from individual belief groups are the passages they use to prove their beliefs are fact, the passages they use to prove all opposing views false, and how they interpret everything to fit their beliefs. Another test or fruit: Are you/they constantly examining all the scriptures, again, for and by yourselves. to see if you, and the others around you who claim to be Christians, really do have every “habitual fruit” the word of God says is habitually true of true Christians. And if you refuse to habitually keep on doing so, scripture states you automatically failed the test of being a true Christian.

Are you getting the agonizing, I’d rather eat my kids than go through it, “way” leading to the can’t turn around “gate” that leads to the kingdom of heaven yet? Everyone either picks this one or the broad thoroughfare the vast masses of Christianity are on. If you find yourself on the wrong side of this issue and you want to find out more, you might want a copy of the longer study. PM me and I’ll be happy to send it to you, or to set a time to discuss it.     

[Athanasius]

Are you here to discuss or are you here to promote yourself?

[EmethAlethia]

I am stating what I see in scripture. I only want truth. I am open to examining all the passages that might apply to every topic with all of them "cut-straight" using the rules Jesus states will get people who want truth from erroneous beliefs to truth. Of courser most of the people He disagreed with weren't open to that. If you see anything that is off from what the fullness of the scriptures have to say, let me know. keep in mind that is about 8% of the material in the main study so it is highly abridged.

Here's another reason:

Paul shared the “fullness of the truth”, with all who were willing to listen, because, to a certain extent, if any Christian fails to warn those who are lost, their blood is, to some extent, on our hands.

  Act 20:26 "Therefore, I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all men. 27  "For I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole purpose of God.

His statement is based on this passage:

Eze 3:17  “Son of man, I have appointed you a watchman to the house of Israel; whenever you hear a word from My mouth, warn them from Me. 18  “When I say to the wicked, ‘You will surely die,’ and you do not warn him or speak out to warn the wicked from his wicked way that he may live, that wicked man shall die in his iniquity, but his blood I will require at your hand. 19  “Yet if you have warned the wicked and he does not turn from his wickedness or from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity; but you have delivered yourself. 20  “Again, when a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I place an obstacle before him, he will die; since you have not warned him, he shall die in his sin, and his righteous deeds which he has done shall not be remembered; but his blood I will require at your hand. 21  “However, if you have warned the righteous man that the righteous should not sin and he does not sin, he shall surely live because he took warning; and you have delivered yourself.”

[DavidGYoung]

You might like to adjust the settings on your scanner. It doesn't pick up all the punctuation marks such as differentiating between commas and full stops.

[Fenris]

I have to randomly observe that Deuteronomy 28 is part of the Sinai covenant that God made with the Jews. It begins with "If you fully obey the Lord your God and carefully follow all his commands..." which is obviously a call to obey the Bible's laws. Christians are, as is my understanding, under a new covenant that is not based on following Biblical law. As such, Deuteronomy 28 would not apply to them.