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Post by zirui on Apr 28, 2017 18:49:19 GMT
What the difference between works and fruits? I know God wants us to bear good fruit is that the same as righteous works like helping the poor caring for the widows and the orphans?
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Post by Larry Marquez on Apr 28, 2017 20:12:25 GMT
I guess fruits are the after result of our works? Kind of like how we reap what we sow?
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Post by zirui on Apr 28, 2017 21:40:57 GMT
fruits may be character traits gained from serving God? Like humility
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Post by ingalsbe on Apr 29, 2017 16:28:28 GMT
*works is doing an action (ie helping someone)
*fruit - this is who gains from the works - satan,you, or Jesus. (if Jesus gains, then it is "good fruit." all else is "bad fruit")
*good fruit vs bad fruit is usually going to be determined via the person's reason for doing it.
I will just tell you out of experience of what i have seen.
fruit, a lot of times, is a spiritual thing. sometimes this does require discernment to see it.
I will give you an example:
I know a guy, who i will call "ted." ok.. ted has a background in psychology. he is a guy who always talks about God and quotes the bible. he is always on the phone with people in order to counsel them with the problems they experience in life. he is full of random ideas of how to help people.
i asked God to show me what was really going on in the spiritual realm with ted. well, ted was turned over to a strong delusion more than 10 years ago. while he worked in the psychological field, he picked up demons of witchcraft and control. the reason why he "counsels" people is to control them (however, he honestly believes that he is helping them - meaning that he really doesnt have an intent to control them). he always tells them what to do and when they dont do what he says, he gets angry with them.
ted actually believes that he is doing God's work. in reality, he is doing the work of satan, because of the witchcraft and control demons controlling people through him. on the outside, it appears as though he is a righteous guy who is helping people, however, what is produced through his works (ie his "counseling" of people) is control and manipulation, which is bad fruit.
in essence, you need to be able to discern the heart and the spirits behind people's works in order to know if it is good fruit or bad fruit.
when getting into bible references, we can look at the Pharisees. on the outside they looked holy and they seemed holy, because they followed the law. in reality, they were evil at the core and Jesus even told them so. when the Pharisees did their "good" works, all of it was in vain, because they were doing it out of their own selfish reasons.
when you do works out of your own selfishness, or personal reasons, the person who gains is you. when you do works because your demons convince you of it, or because they control you, then satan gains. if you do works, because Jesus told you to, then the one who gains is Jesus. when Jesus gains from the works you do then it is good fruit. everything else is bad fruit.
you want to have good fruit? then ask Jesus what you should do and then do it.
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Post by zirui on May 1, 2017 17:39:50 GMT
Thanks for the answer.
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Post by ingalsbe on May 3, 2017 18:56:50 GMT
you're welcome
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