Fruit Inspection

Over the last year and a bit, my wife has had some struggles. She has often wondered why it is that some people seem look at the clear evidence and always make the wrong choice.

I have often tried to encourage her by pointing her to what the bible teaches about man...even some in the church. The unbeliever is under a strong form of self deception...he knows the Living and True God and then spends his living hours trying to convince himself against this truth.

The bible warns us not to be simply hearers of God's word, instead we are to be doers. Then the word of God goes on to say that those who hear God's word and do not put to practice what they know are self deceived.

The apostle Paul tells God's people that there is a life long struggle in the life of God's children...this struggle is between the old sinful nature and the new life of God's Spirit.

One of the signs that a person has begun to go back to the ways of the flesh, the ways of their old sinful nature is that they begin to deceive themselves.

Just like the unbeliever who knows God, knows His wrath, knows that one day he will have to face God's wrath, and yet he still chooses the fools errand. He chooses to run and hide from the One who you can run and hide from.

The Christian who begins down this road doesn't outwardly deny God, he still holds God on his lips...in certain environments anyway, but his heart is far from God.

Why is it that some people continue to listen to those who spew forth lies and discord? I believe in some cases it is because they have not been discerning enough to really see the truth. But in many other cases I believe that over longer periods of time these people do see the true colors of those who are lying to them and instead of fleeing from the serpents tongue, they are flattered into continuing in the fellowship of vipers. The Proverbs has strong words for those who listen to lies and those who eagerly listen to spiteful words.

'An evildoer gives heed to false lips; a liar listens eagerly to a spiteful tongue'. Proverbs 17:4

By choosing to listen to the liar and the gossip the ears of the listener are also showing what the listener's heart looks like...black and wicked.

Spurgeon on Preaching

Here is a good quote from a preacher of the past.

"Let the two methods be set side by side as to practical result, and it will be seen that those who never exhort sinners are seldom winners of souls to any great extent, but they maintain their churches by the converts from other systems. I have even heard them say, "Oh, yes, the Methodists and Revivalists are beating the hedges, but we shall catch many of the birds." If I harboured such a mean thought I should be ashamed to express it. A system which cannot touch the outside world, but must leave arousing and converting work to others, whom it judges to be unsound, writes its own condemnation."