“Truly, truly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door but climbs in by another way, that man is a thief and a robber. I am the door. If anyone enters by Me, he will be saved and will go in and out and find pasture.” John 10:1,9
How can you tell if someone has entered into the ‘sheepfold’ rightly?
“I am the good shepherd. I know My own and My own know Me, just as the Father knows Me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.” John 10:14-15
How can you tell if someone really ‘knows’ Jesus?
So, every healthy tree bears good fruit, but the diseased tree bears bad fruit. A healthy tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a diseased tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus you will recognize them by their fruits.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of My Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to Me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you workers of lawlessness.’ Matthew 7:17-23
Then what fruit should you be looking for?
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. Galatians 5:22-23
How well do you know this Fruit of the Holy Spirit? Can you tell the difference between the real and the counterfeit? Have you inspected this fruit in your own life? Have you done a deep-dive in scripture in studying this fruit? Have you asked the Holy Spirit to show you how He is working this fruit out in your own life? Have you asked Him how you can be more helpful in allowing Him to produce this fruit in your life? Does the Holy Spirit help you recognize His fruit in others? Does He speak to you about those who have His fruit? Can you recognize when someone is ‘preforming’ for show, rather than it being real?
But the evil spirit answered them, “Jesus I know, and Paul I recognize, but who are you? Acts 19:15
In the spiritual realm the glory and light of Christ is seen dwelling within a person. The evil spirits can easily recognize people and who belongs to whom. Does His light shine within you? Are you ‘sealed’, do you have His ‘mark’?
In Him you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in Him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit, who is the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory. Ephesians 1:13-14
So- to know someone by their ‘fruit’ would require being a recipient of that fruit. This means knowing them through all the seasons. This requires REAL ‘fellowship’ that has been tested in all the seasons. How are they under very stressful situations? How are they with very hard challenges? How are they when they have failed? What are their responses? Is it the fruit of the Spirit that you encounter? Humility? Gentleness? Transparency? Faithfulness? Gratitude? Selflessness? Others centered? Do they have the ability to suffer long without complaining, even when it isn’t their fault? Do you marvel at how much they talk about Jesus and the work of the Holy Spirit in their lives? Do they share the areas the Holy Spirit is convicting them? How ‘real’ are they?
Do you have friends like this?
Father draw close to us. Holy Spirit show us Jesus. Thank You Jesus for never leaving us. Help us to recognize You today in others. Help us to recognize Your fruit.