Our sole purpose in this life is to glorify God, our sole purpose in this life is to bear fruit for the glory of God. These are one in the same, “Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matt. 7:20) “Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.” (John 15:4) The pattern of Christianity over the last few decades for Christians has changed, it is now preached and believed that the fruit that we bear is to be only that growth within ourselves with no outward sign of that growth. A “make yourself a better Christian” mentality.
When my lovely wife was first saved, her greatest fear was that she was not good enough, that she was not a good enough Christian. She has since come to the realization that she was correct, she was not and never will be good enough, and that is all right, because none of us are, and we are still loved beyond comprehension. This pattern has become quite obvious to those who are spiritually mature, less witnessing to the lost, less Scripture study, less application of the Word, more emphasis on self and the personal relationship with the Lord, which, at least in the last one, is well and good, but it arrived at the experience of all else, many churches have become nothing more than community clubhouses, they are tight-knit little groups that have no need for the commandments of Christ, unless they fit what they see Him as.
Both the desire and the ability to reprove and correct in love left when nothing but love was exemplified, when the fear of possibly offending was set in place as the rule instead of speaking the truth in love. Let me put it plain and simple, the Word of God says, ”By their fruits ye shall know them,” only those that are abiding in the vine can bear fruit, we do not produce it, we bear it, and so the conclusion is obvious, if anyone is not bearing fruit, if there are no visible proofs of fruit, the leading of others to Christ, a great love for the lost, a strong desire to assist their brothers and sisters in Christ, then that person is not saved.
Do you know what the lost and most professing Christians think is the proof of salvation today? You go to church. If that person goes to church, it does not matter which one, then that person is a Christian. It is as blasphemous as saying that you have to be baptized to be born-again, it is as bad as saying that there are priests that can pray your soul out of some imaginary made-up place called purgatory, we have transformed the fruits of the Spirit into the similitude of works, read your Bible occasionally, don’t miss church on Sunday, be nice to everybody, and ta-da, you’re a Christian.
If you will not accept all the signs that the Lord God is showing us today of His imminent return, then believe when you see the truth of this great falling away. In places where we are still free to speak His name, slothfulness, self-centeredness, apathy reign, where there is great persecution, there is great faith. Those who are not bearing righteous, soul-winning fruit will be left behind, plain and simple, but if you like, we can employ the Word of God here instead, “And shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.” (Matt. 13:50)
Saved individuals do not act saved, they live a life devoid of self, they have been crucified with Christ, (Gal. 2:20) their lives are no longer their own. They carry a burden; they bear a cross that those who only profess the Lord with their lips could not begin to budge. Look deeply in yourself, “For if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged.” (1 Cor. 11:31) If you cannot see these fruits of the Spirit in your life, it is time to truly repent and come to Christ, soon it will be too late. “I love them that love me; and those that seek me early shall find me.” (Prov. 8:17)