Jesus told us that we will know a tree by it’s fruit. You will know if people are following Jesus by their actions. How people respond determines if they follow Jesus or not? 1 Corinthians 13:4-8 helps determine whether followers of Jesus are in the spirit or not as love is a fruit of the spirit. The people will know that you are a disciple by your love. Love is not agreement. Love is showing how good God really is.
1 Corinthians 13:4 Love is patient, love is kind, it is not jealous; love does not brag, it is not arrogant. 5 It does not act disgracefully, it does not seek its own benefit; it is not provoked, does not keep an account of a wrong suffered, 6 it does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; 7 it keeps every confidence, it believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never fails;
John 13:35 By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.
What defiles a person is what comes out of them. Evil will come against you, but it’s how you respond to that evil. Peter mentions that we are not to repay evil with evil, or insult with insult, but rather a blessing so you can inherit a blessing. It’s always better to give than receive. Without giving, how can you receive? What you sow is what you reap. If you sow to the flesh you will reap corruption, but to the spirit eternal life.
1 Peter 3:9 not returning evil for evil or insult for insult, but giving a blessing instead; for you were called for the very purpose that you would inherit a blessing.
Acts 20:35 I have shown you in every way, by laboring like this, that you must support the weak. And remember the words of the Lord Jesus, that He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive.’
Galatians 6:8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
Thinking about something is not sin, but if you meditate on it long enough, you will act on it. It’s all about your actions. If you look at the works of the flesh, they are all actions. Now look at the fruit of the spirit, they are actions as well. Sin entered this world by an action. What are your actions saying? Be blessed my friends.
Galatians 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, 20 idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, 21 envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. 22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. 24 And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. 25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. 26 Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.