Fruit

In Matthew 7, Jesus gives a serious warning: not everyone who says they know Him belongs to Him. Some people will call Him “Lord” and look like a Christ follower on the outside, but Jesus says, “I never knew you” (Matthew 7:23). That’s hard to hear because it shows that Christianity is more than just professing Christ as Lord.

Even demons know who Jesus is. In Matthew 8:28–30, demons immediately recognize Jesus as the Son of God. They know the truth about Him, but they don’t love Him, trust Him, or follow Him. Knowing facts about Jesus is not the same as having a relationship with Him.

Jesus says we should recognize fellow Christians by their fruit. A healthy tree produces healthy fruit, and bad trees produce bad fruit. In other words, what comes out of our lives reveals what’s really happening in our hearts.

Real faith changes us. When someone truly knows and follows Christ, the Holy Spirit begins producing fruit in their life: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (the fruits of the spirit). That doesn’t mean Christians are perfect, but it does mean there should be evidence that Jesus is changing us over time.

The question isn’t simply, “Do I know Jesus?” The real question is, “Does my life show that I love and follow Him?” Jesus isn’t looking for people to just proclaim who He is, He wants people to do as He does.