?How can you know who the "TRUE" believer is?

[shepherdsword]

THIS IS A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER WHEN THINGS GET HEATED HERE: The "bad fruit" is name calling, and repeated accusations, etc.

Oh...you mean pretty much what you did to me....ok..I see

 

[ScottA]

Oh...you mean pretty much what you did to me....ok..I see

Correction: I should have included "lying" also.

 

[Writer]

THIS IS A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER WHEN THINGS GET HEATED HERE: The "bad fruit" is name calling, and repeated accusations, etc.

When a bad spirit, not ignorant enemy, attacks me, like you just now, I simply go into my rebuke mode, or don't you know a rebuke when you hear it.

 

[shepherdsword]

Correction: I should have included "lying" also.

Ah..also what you are doing now.

 

[ScottA]

When a bad spirit, not ignorant enemy, attacks me, like you just now, I simply go into my rebuke mode, or don't you know a rebuke when you hear it.

Oh geez...

When I said "HERE"...I was not referring to YOU, but to "HERE" on Christianity Board in general.

 

[ScottA]

Ah..also what you are doing now.

Like I was saying... And there is that "repeat accusation" fruit.

"For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Matthew 24:28).​

 

[Kokyu]

No, you're the troller, you poor little ???. You're just too cute!

*Shrugs* Ookay...

 

[shepherdsword]

Like I was saying... And there is that "repeat accusation" fruit.

"For wherever the carcass is, there the eagles will be gathered together" (Matthew 24:28).​

You mean like what you are doing now?

Pr 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

 

[ScottA]

You mean like what you are doing now?

Pr 26:5 Answer a fool according to his folly, lest he be wise in his own conceit.

No...and the difference is...I made no accusations, only observations, taking care not to make things personal.

 

[shepherdsword]

No...and the difference is...I made no accusations, only observations, taking care not to make things personal.

Whatever....I forgive you

 

[nedsk]

samed

Exactly right! It only matters what.God things not some rando named Matthewg on the Internet. You're making progress.

 

[Doug]

Matthew 7:15-20​

​

You Will Know Them by Their Fruits​

15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. 16 You will know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes from thornbushes or figs from thistles? 17 Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Therefore by their fruits you will know them.​

​

The fruits of the Spirit: Every true believer knows what the fruits of the spirit are by memory, like the ten commandments. If you don't know those two things, you can't see them in the mirror. Start there!​

​

Paul does not tell us the church, the body of Christ, to know whether or not someone is a true believer by their fruits.

This passage was given to Israel to know who a false believer among them in the tribulation was

 

[MatthewG]

THIS IS A GOOD THING TO REMEMBER WHEN THINGS GET HEATED HERE: The "bad fruit" is name calling, and repeated accusations, etc.

And the downgrading of someone’s faith, and that is just not good. I agree with Bad Fruit. It’s not cussing or anything like that, it’s the downgrading “bad” fruit.

Fruits naturally progress to be rotten, just about 4-6 days from the store to the fridge if not used it goes bad.

Abiding in Christ, thoughfullness and consideration is far more abounding to good fruit by the spirit.

 

[Scott Downey]

What is the practical advantage to know someone is a false believer?
One thing is they are dangerous, you are in peril when among them.
And they will be among you. You cannot fully escape them, but you can be careful to not follow them and their destructive heresies.

2 Corinthians 11:25-27

25 Three times I was beaten with rods; once I was stoned; three times I was shipwrecked; a night and a day I have been in the deep; 26 in journeys often, in perils of waters, in perils of robbers, in perils of my own countrymen, in perils of the Gentiles, in perils in the city, in perils in the wilderness, in perils in the sea, in perils among false brethren; 27 in weariness and toil, in sleeplessness often, in hunger and thirst, in fastings often, in cold and nakedness—

2 Peter 2
New King James Version
Destructive Doctrines
1 But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction. 2 And many will follow their destructive ways, because of whom the way of truth will be blasphemed. 3 By covetousness they will exploit you with deceptive words; for a long time their judgment has not been idle, and their destruction [a]does not slumber.

 

[Scott Downey]

Entire book of Jude describes false brethren. We have many warnings from the apostles about them, so they are writing to you to be careful as they will have an effect on all your relationships, a man is known by his friends.

Jude

​

Greeting to the Called​

1 Jude, a bondservant of Jesus Christ, and brother of James,
To those who are called, [a]sanctified by God the Father, and preserved in Jesus Christ:
2 Mercy, peace, and love be multiplied to you.

Contend for the Faith​

3 Beloved, while I was very diligent to write to you concerning our common salvation, I found it necessary to write to you exhorting you to contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all delivered to the saints. 4 For certain men have crept in unnoticed, who long ago were marked out for this condemnation, ungodly men, who turn the grace of our God into lewdness and deny the only Lord [b]God and our Lord Jesus Christ.

Old and New Apostates​

5 But I want to remind you, though you once knew this, that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed those who did not believe. 6 And the angels who did not keep their [c]proper domain, but left their own abode, He has reserved in everlasting chains under darkness for the judgment of the great day; 7 as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities around them in a similar manner to these, having given themselves over to sexual immorality and gone after strange flesh, are set forth as an example, suffering the [d]vengeance of eternal fire.
8 Likewise also these dreamers defile the flesh, reject authority, and speak evil of [e]dignitaries. 9 Yet Michael the archangel, in [f]contending with the devil, when he disputed about the body of Moses, dared not bring against him a reviling accusation, but said, “The Lord rebuke you!” 10 But these speak evil of whatever they do not know; and whatever they know naturally, like brute beasts, in these things they corrupt themselves. 11 Woe to them! For they have gone in the way of Cain, have run greedily in the error of Balaam for profit, and perished in the rebellion of Korah.

Apostates Depraved and Doomed​

12 These are [g]spots in your love feasts, while they feast with you without fear, serving only themselves. They are clouds without water, carried [h]about by the winds; late autumn trees without fruit, twice dead, pulled up by the roots; 13 raging waves of the sea, foaming up their own shame; wandering stars for whom is reserved the blackness of darkness forever.
14 Now Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied about these men also, saying, “Behold, the Lord comes with ten thousands of His saints, 15 to execute judgment on all, to convict all who are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have committed in an ungodly way, and of all the harsh things which ungodly sinners have spoken against Him.”

Apostates Predicted​

16 These are grumblers, complainers, walking according to their own lusts; and they mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage. 17 But you, beloved, remember the words which were spoken before by the apostles of our Lord Jesus Christ: 18 how they told you that there would be mockers in the last time who would walk according to their own ungodly lusts. 19 These are [i]sensual persons, who cause divisions, not having the Spirit.

Maintain Your Life with God​

20 But you, beloved, building yourselves up on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Spirit, 21 keep yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ unto eternal life.
22 And on some have compassion, [j]making a distinction; 23 but others save [k]with fear, pulling them out of the [l]fire, hating even the garment defiled by the flesh.

Glory to God​

24 Now to Him who is able to keep [m]you from stumbling,
And to present you faultless
Before the presence of His glory with exceeding joy,
25 To [n]God our Savior,
[o]Who alone is wise,
Be glory and majesty,
Dominion and [p]power,
Both now and forever.
Amen.