Monday, May 23, 2022
Evidence of Your Faith
“For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” (2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT).
Although I’ve given Bibles away, I don’t think I’ve ever thrown one away. So, I have a stack of Bibles on my desk that spans decades.
Those Bibles aren’t evidence that I’m a Christian; the evidence is found in the way that I live and the things that I say. It’s what the Bible describes as spiritual fruit.
The Bible says that we should bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance (see Matthew 3:8). Some people say they’re Christians, but they’re contradicting it by the way they’re living.
They’re getting drunk and partying the weekends away, they’re in an immoral relationship, or they’re doing some other things they shouldn’t be doing. But if other Christians try to talk with them about it, they’ll say, “Don’t judge me. The Bible says, ‘Judge not, that you be not judged.’”
However, the Bible also says, “You will know them by their fruits. . . . Every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit” (Matthew 7:16-17 NKJV). So, think of it mostly as a fruit inspection.
Producing spiritual fruit is important because something will happen in Heaven that some Christians don’t know about. It will take place after the Rapture and before the Second Coming — it’s called the Judgment Seat of Christ. Every Christian will be present.
Describing this judgment in 2 Corinthians 5:10, the apostle Paul wrote, “For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body” (NLT).
Think of this more like a heavenly awards ceremony. Do you want a participation ribbon or a winner’s trophy? If you’re a real Christian, there will be spiritual fruit in your life. There will be evidence that confirms you’re a follower of Jesus Christ.
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Cartoon companions Ben Born Again and YellowDog teach kids how to read the Bible, how to pray, how to know the will of God, how to resist temptation, and much more in this engaging resource written for children. A copy will be sent to you for a gift of any amount to Harvest Ministries this month.
