The Fruit Test of a Genuine Disciple

Dear God Seekers,

We are living in the last days when men call darkness light and light darkness. We live in a generation when grace is used as a license for sin, and the false doctrine of eternal security is preached around the world. The lines that separate good from evil have intentionally been blurred by the enemy, so that many have entered into compromise and are not longer on the narrow path that leads to life, but are on the wide road that leads to destruction.

Our Lord taught us to test the fruit of those who claim to be His, in order to determine if they are genuine disciples or not. His original words referred to false prophets, but the same is true of disciples in general. He said:

"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven." (Mat 7:15-21)

That being said, the apostle John's first epistle gives us several examples of fruit tests, which prove whether a person is either a genuine disciple or not. 

Test That Reveals Bad Fruit
Let's begin with John’s fruit test showing the conditions proving someone is not a genuine believer:

Walking in Darkness
"If we claim to have fellowship with him and yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live out the truth." (1Jn 1:6)

Claiming to be without Sin
"If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us." (1Jn 1:8)

If we claim we have not sinned, we make him out to be a liar and his word is not in us. (1Jn 1:10)

Disobedience to God
"The man who says, 'I know him,' but does not do what He commands is a liar, and the truth is not in him." (1Jn 2:4)

Hating Your Brother
"Anyone who claims to be in the light but hates his brother is still in the darkness." (1Jn 2:9)

"But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks around in the darkness; he does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded him." (1Jn 2:11)

"Anyone who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal life in him. " (1Jn 3:15)

"If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar. For anyone who does not love his brother, whom he has seen, cannot love God, whom he has not seen." (1Jn 4:20)

Not Loving Others
"Anyone who does not love remains in death." (1Jn 3:14b)

"Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love." (1Jn 4:8)

Denying the Son
"No one who denies the Son has the Father;" (1Jn 2:23a)

Continuing to Sin
"No one who lives in him keeps on sinning. No one who continues to sin has either seen him or known him." (1Jn 3:6)

Doing What is Sinful
"He who does what is sinful is of the devil, because the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason the Son of God appeared was to destroy the devil's work." (1Jn 3:8)

Not Doing What is Right
"This is how we know who the children of God are and who the children of the devil are: Anyone who does not do what is right is not a child of God; nor is anyone who does not love his brother." (1Jn 3:10)

Loving the World or Anything in the World
"Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." (1Jn 2:15)

Speaking from a Worldly Viewpoint
"They are from the world and therefore speak from the viewpoint of the world, and the world listens to them." (1Jn 4:5)

Not Listening to Us, the Apostles, the Word, or the Truth
"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." (1Jn 4:6)

Not Continuing in the Teaching of Christ

"Anyone who runs ahead and does not continue in the teaching of Christ does not have God..." (2Jn 1:9a)

Summary
The man who walks in darkness, who claims to have no sin, who hates his brother, who does not love, who doesn’t listen to the truth, the Word, the apostles, and others who are truly from God, but listens to the world, who loves the world or anything in the world, who does not continue in the teaching of Christ, who does not do what is right, who keeps on sinning, and does not do what the Lord commands, does not have God, is a liar, is not a child of God, is of the devil, is from the world, is self-deceived, has the spirit of falsehood, is blind, does not know where he is going, speaks from the viewpoint of the world, and remains in death. Such a person does not live out the truth, the truth is not in him, the Word is not in him, and eternal life is not in him. It doesn’t matter if he claims to love God, to know the Lord, and have fellowship with Him, because he does not know God (1 Jn 1:6,10; 2:4,9,11,15,23a; 3:6,8,10,14-15; 4:5-6,8,20; 2Jn 1:9a).

Test That Reveals Good Fruit
Now let's examine John’s fruit test showing the conditions proving someone is in fact a genuine believer:

Walking in the Light
"But if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, his Son, purifies us from all sin." (1Jn 1:7)

Confessing Our Sins
"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." (1Jn 1:9)

Keeping His Commands
"We know that we have come to know him if we keep His commands." (1Jn 2:3)

Obeying His Word and Living as Jesus Did
"But if anyone obeys His word, love for God is truly made complete in them. This is how we know we are in him: Whoever claims to live in him must live as Jesus did." (1Jn 2:5-6)

Continuing in the Teaching of Christ

"Whoever continues in the teaching [of Christ] has both the Father and the Son." (2Jn 1:9b)

Loving One Another
"Whoever loves his brother lives in the light, and there is nothing in him to make him stumble." (1Jn 2:10)

"We know that we have passed from death to life, because we love our brothers." (1Jn 3:14a)

"Dear friends, let us love one another, for love comes from God. Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God." (1Jn 4:7)

"No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us." (1Jn 4:12)

Doing the Will of God
"The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17)

Doing What is Right
"If you know that he is righteous, you know that everyone who does what is right has been born of him." (1Jn 2:29)

"Dear children, do not let anyone lead you astray. He who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous." (1Jn 3:7)

Acknowledging the Son
"Whoever acknowledges the Son has the Father also." (1Jn 2:23b)

Cannot Go On Sinning
"No one who is born of God will continue to sin, because God's seed remains in him; he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born of God." (1Jn 3:9)

Listening to Us, the Apostles, the Word, or the Truth
"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." (1Jn 4:6)

Acknowledging That Jesus is the Son of God
"If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God." (1Jn 4:15)

Please note that this verse cannot be understood out of context with the rest of John's epistle, as explained throughout this entire article.

Believing That Jesus is the Christ
"Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ is born of God, and everyone who loves the father loves his child as well." (1Jn 5:1)

Summary
The man who walks in the light, as He is in the light, who confesses his sins, who keeps the Lord’s commands, who obeys His Word, who does not continue to sin, who lives as Jesus did, who continues in His teaching, who loves the Father, who loves Jesus, who loves his neighbor as himself, and who acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, and who believes that He is the Christ, has God’s seed remaining in him, has fellowship with the Lord, has been born of God, knows God, is from God, lives in God, has passed from death to life, has the Spirit of Truth, listens to the apostles and those who are from God, is in Christ, is purified by His blood from all unrighteousness, and is righteous just as He is righteous. God’s love is made complete in him, and God lives in him (1 Jn 1:7,9; 2:3,5-6,10,17,23b,29; 3:7,9,14a; 4:6-7,12,15; 5:1).

Closing Words
Dear friends, John was very clear in his epistle, as He wrote under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He drew the lines in a very definite way between those who are genuine disciples of Christ and those who are not. He did not leave any gray area in between, but made it very black-and-white, and showed that you are either a true follower of Christ or you are not. Therefore, do not be deceived by the watered-down message, which is not the true gospel, that says once you are saved, you are always saved (regardless of how you live), or by those who preach the hyper-grace message devoid of the need for obedience to God. May the Lord direct your hearts into God's love and Christ's perseverance.

Attribution notice: All Scriptures are taken from the New International Version (NIV1984), copyright Zondervan, used by permission, all rights reserved.

Author's note: If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy Black and White, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Drifting Away, Is Obedience Optional?, The Apostasy Parables, Holy Living in a Perverted World, Aim for Perfection, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, The Straight and Narrow Path, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Ask for the Ancient Paths, Living a Life Worthy of the Lord, Separation from the World, The Difference Between a Disciple and a Believer, and Doing What is Right. You can find more of my articles related to Seeking the Lord on the Home page of this blog. You may also access my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master." Now I'd like to ask a very important question.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org

Dedication to God

People are often dedicated to something, such as their job, their children, their wives, their husbands, their public service, or even to sports. Soldiers are dedicated to their profession. They give themselves wholly or chiefly to these objects of their devotion. But the Scriptures teach us to be dedicated to the Lord.

The Firstborn Belongs to the Lord
The Scriptures say that the firstborn belongs to the Lord, including both the firstborn child as well as the firstborn animals.

"The Lord said to Moses, 'Consecrate to me every firstborn male. The first offspring of every womb among the Israelites belongs to me, whether human or animal.'” (Ex 13:1-2, NIV).

Since the first fruits of every womb belong to the Lord, He requires that they be dedicated to Him.

Why should the firstborn belong to the Lord?

The Lord Always Gets the First Fruits
First of all, the firstborn belong to the Lord, because the Lord always gets the first fruits of everything. Just as tithing is required on our financial income, our crops, our livestock, and all our increase, and just as we give God the first day of each week and keep it holy to honor Him, we also give him the first fruits of the womb.

God Deserves Our Very Best
Secondly, the firstborn belong to the Lord, because God deserves our very best.

The apostle Paul wrote of Christ, "And He is the head of the body, the church; He is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything He might have the supremacy." (Col 1:18). Another version says, "...that in everything He might have first place."

Matthew Henry states: "God, who is the first and best, should have the first and best, and to him we should resign that which is most dear to us, and most valuable. The firstborn were the joy and hope of their families. Therefore they shall be mine, says God. By this it will appear that we love God best (as we ought) if we are willing to part with that to him which we love best in this world."

Since the firstborn child is the very best, the Lord requires that we dedicate it to Him.

Dedicate That Which God Has Spared
Another reason behind dedicating the firstborn child to the Lord is that we should dedicate that which God has spared. Remember how in the Lord's judgment on Egypt, He had sent the death angel to kill the firstborn of every household in Egypt (Ex 11), but because of the blood of the lamb on the homes of the Israelites during Passover (Ex 12), He spared the firstborn children of every Israelite household. Likewise, when God has spared, rescued, or saved someone, it is fitting to dedicate that person to Him. Matthew Henry states: "That which is by special distinguishing mercy spared to us should be in a peculiar manner dedicated to God's honour."

Children Dedicated to the Lord Obligated to Serve Him
One example from Scripture of someone dedicating their child to the Lord is Hannah, who dedicated her son Samuel to the Lord while she was barren, before he was conceived.

"She made a vow and said, 'O LORD of hosts, if You will indeed look on the affliction of Your maidservant and remember me, and not forget Your maidservant, but will give Your maidservant a son, then I will give him to the LORD all the days of his life, and a razor shall never come on his head.'" (1Sa 1:11)

Later after the boy was born and weaned, she said, "For this boy I prayed, and the LORD has given me my petition which I asked of Him. So I have also dedicated him to the LORD; as long as he lives he is dedicated to the LORD." (1Sa 1:27-28)

"Then Elkanah went to his home at Ramah. But the boy ministered to the LORD before Eli the priest." (1Sa 2:11)

My wife and I dedicated every one of our five children to the Lord when they were babies. They belonged to God in the first place, and we were simply giving them back to Him. In doing so, we were committing our children to Him. Matthew Henry states: "Parents have a right to dedicate their children to God, as living sacrifices and spiritual priests; and an obligation is thereby laid upon them to serve God faithfully all the days of their life." Whenever someone dedicates a child to the Lord, it should not be taken lightly, because God takes us at our word and expects us to follow through on what we have solemnly promised Him in His presence.

The Apostles Were Dedicated to the Lord's Service
In the gospels we discover that the apostles left everything and dedicated themselves to the Lord's service.

"And [Jesus] said to them, 'Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.' Immediately they left their nets and followed Him. Going on from there He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and He called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him." (Mat 4:19-22)

Later on, He promised them great reward for leaving everything and dedicating their lives to Him.

"Peter began to say to Him, 'Behold, we have left everything and followed You.' Jesus said, 'Truly I say to you, there is no one who has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or children or farms, for My sake and for the gospel's sake, but that he will receive a hundred times as much now in the present age, houses and brothers and sisters and mothers and children and farms, along with persecutions; and in the age to come, eternal life.'" (Mar 10:28-30)

cf., Mat 19:27-29; Luke 18 28-30

The apostles remained steadfast in their dedication to the Lord, even after His death, burial, resurrection, and ascension into heaven. Their devotion became apparent when it was challenged by the need to deliver food to the widows in the community. Scripture says, "So the twelve summoned the congregation of the disciples and said, 'It is not desirable for us to neglect the word of God in order to serve tables....But we will devote ourselves to prayer and to the ministry of the Word.'" (Act 6:2,4). Being devoted in this way to prayer and the ministry of the Word is a great picture of dedication to God.

All Disciples of Christ Are Consecrated to the Lord
However, dedication is not just something we should do with our firstborn children, because all disciples of Christ are actually consecrated to the Lord.

All Those in Christ are Considered Firstborn
Since Christ is the firstborn and His disciples are in Him, then in essence all those in Christ are considered firstborn. Matthew Henry puts it this way: "It is the church of the firstborn that is sanctified to God, Heb 12:23. Christ is the firstborn among many brethren (Rom 8:29), and, by virtue of their union with him, all that are born again, and born from above, are accounted as firstborn. There is an excellency of dignity and power belonging to them; and, if children, then heirs."

We are Called to Holiness and Separated unto God 
Indeed dedication is not only for certain followers of Christ, but we are all called to holiness and separation unto God. For Paul wrote, "For God did not call us to be impure, but to live a holy life." (1 Thes 4:7, NIV). Since we are called to live a holy life, and holiness is being set apart for God or consecrated to Him, then we are all called to a life of devotion to Him. Peter wrote, "But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do;" (1 Pet 1:15, NIV)

We Are to Live for the Lord, Not Ourselves
Moreover, we are all supposed to live for the Lord, not ourselves. Paul wrote, "And He died for all, so that they who live might no longer live for themselves, but for Him who died and rose again on their behalf." (2Co 5:15)

You Are Not Your Own
Scripture teaches that your life is not your own. Paul said, "Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body." (1Co 6:19-20)

Offer Your Body as a Living Sacrifice to God
We as followers of Christ are supposed to offer our bodies as living sacrifices to God. Paul said, "Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship." (Rom 12:1). As we know, any sacrifice that was laid upon the altar under the Law was left there until it was fully consumed. A sacrifice was not taken back by the one offering it, so when we offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices, they are dedicated to Him.

Putting it All Together
As we have seen from the Word of God dedication -- also known as devotion or consecration -- is an important aspect of our worship of God and service to Him. The first fruits of the womb belong to the Lord, so He expects us to dedicate the firstborn to Him, and that is what we should do. For He deserves our very best. Parents also have the right to dedicate not only their firstborn, but all of their children to the Lord, if they wish, which in turn obligates those children to faithfully serve the Lord.

The devotion of the apostles to the Word of God and prayer demonstrated their devotion to the Lord, which is an example for all of us who are called to be ministers of the New Covenant. Then we in turn become examples for every disciple of Christ we touch to also live a life of sincere and pure devotion to the Lord. For we are all called to live a holy life that is separated to God. Since we are all in Christ the firstborn, we are all coheirs with Him, sharing in all the rights and privileges that this affords, as if we, too, were the firstborn. But with that status comes the responsibility to live a life of holiness and separation to God, to live our lives for the Lord and not for ourselves, and to offer our bodies to God as living sacrifices, since our lives are not our own. Let it be a reminder to us all of the life of dedication to God, to which we have been called.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB copyright the Lockman Foundation, used by permission. Other Scriptures where noted as NIV, taken from the Holy Bible New International Version, copyright Zondervan, used by permission. Dedication to God image by Charity V. Lacroix, from A Brush with Life.
 
Author's note: You are invited to read Holy Living in a Perverted World, Separation from the World, The Straight and Narrow Path, Whatever You Do, Do All Like This, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Aim for Perfection, Godly Attire and Adornment -- Seven Divine Revelations, Carrying Your Cross or Cross Dressing?, Tattoos and Body Piercing, Keeping Your Body Pure and Holy, Alcohol and Cigarettes -- Ten Divine Revelations, Rock, Rap, and Reggae Music -- Three Divine Revelations, The Forgotten Sin of Worldliness, and Called to be Blameless. You may access the Main Directory for this Seeking the Lord blog for more articles like this, as well as my complete blog directory at "Writing for the Master."

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.

The Way, Will, and Word of God

Dear God-seekers,

In my previous article, The Ways of Life, I coined an expression, "the www of God's kingdom." I explained how there are the ways of God, the will of God, and the Word of God. These three w's are emphasized throughout Scripture. But today I want to show you how the Lord Himself emphasized them in His famous Sermon on the Mount, teaching on all three of these topics at the closing of that sermon in Matthew chapter seven.

The Narrow Way

"Walking on the Narrow Way"

First of all, as I have explained in The Straight and Narrow Path, Jesus taught that we must enter through the narrow gate and follow the narrow way.

He said, "Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it." (Mat 7:13-14)

We have choices. On the one hand, there is the wide gate with it's broad way. On the other hand, there is the small gate with its narrow way. Many people enter through this wide gate, which leads to destruction. In fact probably the majority do so. But few people find the narrow way, which leads to life. They are the minority.

Like I explained in Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, in Luke's gospel, the Lord is recorded as saying, "Strive to enter through the narrow door; for many, I tell you, will seek to enter and will not be able." (Luk 13:24). That word strive means "to struggle, literally (to compete for a prize), to endeavor to accomplish something), fight, labor fervently, strive, to contend, struggle, with difficulties and dangers antagonistic to the gospel."

Beware of False Prophets
One of the reasons you have to strive to enter the narrow gate is because the devil does not want you to, and he tries to prevent you from doing so. You have a very real adversary, who hates you and wants to destroy you. That is the reason you must strive to enter the narrow gate, not because the Lord does not want you to.

"Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn bushes nor figs from thistles, are they? So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. So then, you will know them by their fruits." (Mat 7:15-20)

The Lord warned us of the devil's emissaries, who come preaching the message everyone wants to hear. they will convince you that you don't need to strive and that the narrow road to life is much wider than you think it is. They come wearing sheep's clothing on the outside, but they are actually ravenous wolves inside. You must be careful not to be deceived by them.

Since you cannot determine by their outward appearance that they are wolves, you must test their fruit. The Lord said you would know them by their fruits, which refers to what they produce and what they do. This is the way that everyone is known in the spirit realm, not by their outward appearance. For example, angels and demons can appear in different forms, but they are known by their character. That too, is how we know these false prophets.

The Lord said that a good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. This is how it is with people. So any preacher who bears bad fruit is not a good tree. And any preacher bearing good fruit cannot be a bad tree. I covered this in my previous article, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets.

What does the good fruit look like? It's the fruit of the Spirit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Gal 5:22-23)

On the other hand, the bad fruit is the deeds of the flesh. “Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.” (Gal 5:19-21)

Consider what each of these sins listed here is referring to. Immorality means fornication or sexual relations outside of marriage (e.g., adultery, incest, rape, molestation). Impurity means any uncleanness, any dirty things in your life and heart (e.g. sexually impure thoughts, impure actions, even those that are not of a sexual nature like smoking cigarettes, watching secular TV, videos, and movies, listening to secular music). Sensuality means being sexually immodest or promiscuous, filthiness, or debauchery.

Idolatry means image worship, making anything into a god, putting anything above God, loving anything or anyone more than Him, praying with an image or diagram before you (e.g., statues of Mary or other saints, images of Jesus, Buddha, phallic symbols, figurines, satanic symbols, etc.), loving or being controlled by material things (e.g., cars, boats, toys, games, money, etc). Sorcery means magic or witchcraft, which includes occult activities like incantations, casting spells, white or black magic, voodoo, drugs, séances, contacting the dead, mediums, Ouija boards, burning incense, crystals, astrology, horoscopes, tarot cards, palm reading, fortune telling, psychic healing, channeling, telepathy, role playing games, Dungeons and Dragons, yoga, transcendental meditation, astral projection, levitation, mind control, satanism, etc.(Also see Demon Busters list).

Enmities means hatred, opposition, conflicts, or being adversarial. Strife means quarrel, disputing angrily, contention, debate, variance, or discord that produces a dispute. Jealousy means envy, fervent mind, zealousness for something other than the Lord or the true things of God (e.g., it was out of jealousy they crucified Christ). Outbursts of anger means passion (as if breathing hard, loud sighing), fierceness, indignation, wrath, fits of rage, temper tantrums, losing your temper. Disputes means selfish ambition, plots, complicated schemes, secret plans, conspiracies, (e.g., they plotted to kill the Lord). Dissensions means disunion, division, sedition (rising commotion in which people come together against authority).

Factions means a party (e.g., political or religious) or disunion, clique, sect, cult, splinter groups that follow heresy (error in fundamental religious beliefs). It also includes secret societies and brotherhoods that require oaths or initiation of some sort for membership (e.g., Freemasons, Knights of Columbus, Shriners, Elks, mafia, fraternities, and sororities).

Envying means ill will, envy, jealousy. Drunkenness means using alcohol to change your state of mind, using it as a drug. Matthew Henry said, “Drunkenness is excess in drinking of wine or strong drink, whereby the stomach is overcharged, the mind is intoxicated, and the body enfeebled and unable to perform its office.” Carousing means reveling. Matthew Henry said, “Reveling is excess in feed, nocturnal riotings in eating, drinking, dancing, singing, chambering and wantonness. The Syriac version renders it, ‘lascivious singing’; and the Arabic version, ‘songs’ which are a part of the nightly revels: and such like which are of the same nature and kind.” To put it in modern terms, reveling is jamming to worldly music, nighttime dancing, partying, “kicking,” singing lascivious songs, “rocking,” letting loose, etc.   It means to make a racket, make whoopie, make merry, whoop it up, jollify, “kick” it up, or participate in orgies.

A Christian medical doctor I know in Africa said that in the Spirit, God showed him something. He discovered that the church he used to attend in the village was dominated by witchcraft and surprisingly some of those he thought were Christian were in fact using Christianity as a cover while they continued to work for Satan.

I have already explained in my article, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, that this is not a comprehensive list of all sins. In that article, I showed numerous lists found in the Scriptures of sins that will keep you from heaven. But at the end of this list in Galatians, Paul finished by saying, “And things like these”. That is a very broad expression that covers a vast array of sins. So not all bad fruit that a false prophet could produce are necessarily listed in Galatians 5:19-21, but any fruit they produce that are like the ones Paul listed are also bad. He said, “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”. So you should avoid any preacher who is practicing such things. As the Lord said, "Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” (Mat 7:19). Therefore, those who follow them will also end up in the fire. 

The Will of God

As I have covered in Walking in the Perfect Will of God, those who enter the kingdom of heaven are the ones who do the will of God.

Jesus said, "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. 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?' And then I will declare to them, 'I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.'" (Mat 7:21-23)

Not everyone who calls Jesus “Lord” will enter. He who does the will of God will enter. The will of God is His desire or pleasure. It is what He has determined should happen.

Elsewhere Jesus also said, "For whoever does the will of God, he is My brother and sister and mother." (Mar 3:35). He also taught us to pray, “Heavenly Father, Your will be done.” We are constantly seeking the will of God. It's not always easy to follow His will, as Jesus Himself experienced in the Garden of Gethsemane. You may recall that He prayed, "My Father, if this cannot pass away unless I drink it, Your will be done." (Mat 26:42b).  But even though it may be difficult, and it may require self-denial, it is the only way to inherit eternal life. The apostle John said, "The world is passing away, and also its lusts; but the one who does the will of God lives forever." (1Jn 2:17)

The Lord said on “that day” (judgment day) many people who call Him "Lord" will point to their gifts and how He used them (prophesying, casting out demons, performing many miracles). They will seek to show that since they did all these things in His name, that it is evidence of their allegiance to Him and qualification to enter the kingdom of God.

But He doesn’t know such people. He said He will command them to depart from Him. He will call them those “who practice lawlessness” (i.e., workers of iniquity, wicked people, evil people). In the expression, "you who practice lawlessness", the word “practice” refers to what they do (i.e., their works). And the word “lawlessness” refers to wickedness (i.e., unrighteousness, iniquity, violation of law, that which is illegal). Yes, even in the New Covenant of grace, we must still obey The Law of Christ. It’s not enough to call Jesus "Lord". Don’t think that because the Lord uses you a lot in supernatural gifts that you’ll enter the kingdom. You must obey His commands, or else you will not see His face.

The Word of God
Finally, the Lord said we must hear the Word and act on it.

"Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. "And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. "Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. "The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell--and great was its fall." (Mat 7:24-27)

The man who hears the Word of God and acts on it (puts into practice) is the one who built his house on the solid rock. His house represents his life. On the other hand, the man who hears the Word of God and does NOT act on it is like the one who built his house on shifting sand. Both houses encountered a storm. Both men will stand before the Lord in judgment, which is like a great storm. Each of us is either like one of these men or the other. The house is your life. We are either building our lives on the solid rock or on shifting sand.

The house that was built on the rock will not fall, and neither will the person who hears the Word of God and obeys it. The house that was built on the sand fell with a great fall. This is how the person's life will end, who merely heard the Word of God, but did not put it into practice. Wise men build on the rock. Foolish men build on sand.

As I explained in my article, You Must Be Born Again, Jesus said, "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." (Joh 3:36)

He also said, "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments...He who has My commandments and keeps them is the one who loves Me..." (Joh 14:15,21a)

This is why it says in Scripture, "And having been made perfect, He became to all those who obey Him the source of eternal salvation." (Heb 5:9)

Putting it All Together
The Lord concluded His Sermon on the Mount by emphasizing the need to follow the way of God, which is the narrow way, as well as do the will of God, and put into practice the Word of God.

In this passage, entering through the narrow gate involves bearing good fruit, doing the will of the Father in heaven, and obeying the Lord’s commands, as well as hearing the Word and putting it into practice. Those who do so are wise. They will not fall, they will find life, they will enter the kingdom of heaven.

On the other hand, taking the broad way and the wide gate is to produce bad fruit -- the deeds of the flesh, to practice lawlessness, to work iniquity, to lead a wicked life, and to merely hear the Word without putting it into practice. Those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God, even though they may call Jesus Lord and operate in the supernatural spiritual gifts in the name of Jesus Christ. They will either be deceived by false prophets or become one. They will be cut down and thrown into the fire. Those who take this broad road are foolish. They will end in destruction. They will fall with a crash. They will be told to depart from the Lord, since He doesn’t know them.

We must strive to enter through the narrow gate. We must beware of the false prophets. We must test their fruit. We must obey the Lord’s commands and do the will of God to enter the kingdom of heaven. We must hear the Word and act on it. All who are wise will do so.

Attribution notice: Most Scripture quotations taken from the NASB. The "Thy Will Be Done" painting and the "Wise and Foolish Builders" painting © 2012 is by Danny Hahlbohm, all rights reserved by the artist. The "Walking on the Narrow Way" illustration is by my seventeen-year old daughter C.V. Lacroix. You can find more of her artwork at A Brush with Life.

Author's note:  I invite you to visit these related articles of mine: The Ways of Life, The Straight and Narrow Path, Sins That Will Keep You From Heaven, Striving to Enter the Kingdom of God, Testing the Spirits of False Prophets, You Must Be Born Again, The Law of Christ, Walking in the Perfect Will of God, Is Obedience Optional?, Obedience by the Spirit, Righteous Deeds and White Robes, Faith Works!, and Doing What is Right, and Is Practical Righteousness a Lost Truth? You can access my complete blog directory at Writing for the Master.  I also recommend the booklet by brother Sadiq Ibraham, called Walking in God's Perfect Will.

Do You Want to Know Him?
If you want to know Jesus personally, you can. It all begins when you repent and believe in Jesus.  Do you know what God's Word, the Bible says?

“Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” (Mar 1:14b-15).  He preached that we must repent and believe.

Please see my explanation of this in my post called "Do You Want to Know Jesus?"

_________________________________________________

Len Lacroix is the founder of Doulos Missions International.  He was based in Eastern Europe for four years, making disciples, as well as helping leaders to be more effective at making disciples who multiply, developing leaders who multiply, with the ultimate goal of planting churches that multiply. His ministry is now based in the United States with the same goal of helping fulfill the Great Commission. www.dmiworld.org.