Know Them By Their Fruit

An issue that has been brought to my attention as of late, from a friend who talks too much, is agnosticism. For some reason, he feels the need to try to debate me on politics and religion and while he is able to point out certain verses that he knows, he is unable to carry a real conversation which is why he calls a close friend of his to get information from him.

His friend is a man nearly eighty years old who is really intellectual by the secular world’s standards but does not believe in God. Or, at best, he is an agnostic. Despite this fact, he is sought after for advice on scripture despite not believing in Christ but since he is older and has worldly smarts, he is seen as a great source of information which may be true for something as shallow as what to do about so and so but when it comes to the Bible, he and other similar individuals would be a bad source of information.

The reason I write about such a story is to pinpoint a major problem within the church and secular Christians. Wait, what? Secular Christians is an oxymoron as the two term contradict one another much the same as the faithful unfaithful would be and while I enjoy discussing different topics of interest with others, it’s very hard for me to have a real conversation with an atheist, or agnostic, about something as in-depth and important as the Holy Bible. A few years ago, I would have jumped at the opportunity but now, as I have matured and grown in Christ, I understand what Proverbs 26:4 truly means: “Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”

Answer not a fool according to his folly, lest thou also be like unto him.”

–proverbs 26:4

As Christians, we are to separate ourselves from the secular world and its ways. Of course, this does not mean that we cannot have fun and enjoy ourselves or even debate someone else about an issue but we do not always have to have the last word. This man that I speak of and others like him may be well versed with scripture but without the Holy Spirit to direct and guide an individual, they are not going to be able to comprehend and understand scripture. Whenever I point this out, my friend defends his friend by explaining to me that the Holy Spirit is separate from Christ which completely contradicts scripture and Isaiah 11:2 reads: “And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”.

And the spirit of the LORD shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and might, the spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the LORD;”.

–isaiah 11:2

Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior which is one of the pinnacles of the Christian faith so when I hear someone try to deny the deity of Christ and reject the Holy Spirit as being of Christ then I know that they are secular Christians. In order to understand Christ better and grow in a relationship with Him, we need to read the Bible. It’s there for a reason. In any piece of literature, to understand what the author is trying to get across, to prove, or to express, we have to read the text and the same is true for Christ and His word:

Thus saith the LORD, Let not the wise [man] glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty [man] glory in his might, let not the rich [man] glory in his riches: But let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth me, that I [am] the LORD which exercise lovingkindness, judgment, and righteousness, in the earth: for in these [things] I delight, saith the LORD.”

–Jeremiah 9:23-24

Regardless of where we are in our walk with Christ and where we are in our lives, as Christians, we are to continue to grow in Christ and this includes our relationship with Him. Before we are able to understand how He works, we need to read His word and get to know Him better. For a Christian to tell me that I misinterpret scripture because of the Holy Spirit lets me know this person is, at best, a lukewarm Christian who takes little stock in what scripture has to say.

It’s not my place to say where a person is in their walk with Christ but we are told that we know them but their fruit and that His sheep know His name. Therefore, if someone denies the deity of Christ and rejects the Holy Spirit, well, we know this individual does not know Christ or hear His voice: “My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28).

My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me: And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.”

–john 10:27-28