What really separates God’s true children from religious unloving children?

Why do some “Christians” walk in pride, arrogance and haughtiness?  Why do some “Christians” walk puffed up with vain knowledge?  Why do some Christians walk high-minded or puffed up spiritually as a Pharisee?

What really separates God’s children from religious unloving children or even children of evil…from darkness and light…from the goats and sheep?  Here is that answer…

The answer is so much simpler than many claim.  You Will Know Them by Their Fruits:

Matthew 7:15-21

¹⁵ Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.
¹⁶ Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles?
¹⁷ Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit.
¹⁸ A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit.
¹⁹ Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
²⁰ Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
²¹ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.

EVEN if you are Christian who performs miracles, prophesies, heal others through the power of Jesus or speak in tongues but you do not walk in the fruits of the Spirit—chiefly charity (love) then according to the Word of God you are nothing and you are compared to a tinkling brass which is just a racket of noise.

Apart from receiving salvation in Jesus as well as the baptism of water and of the Holy Spirit with fire, teaching people to seek and walk in the fruits of the Spirit is one of the most important lessons and attributes that we can receive from GOD.  Our fruits are how we are known and how we bear fruit not only in ourselves but in others as good fruit-producing seeds.  THIS is what separates us and Apostle Paul makes that point very clear in 1 Corinthians 13:1-10.  

This all coincides with the first two commandments: To LOVE the Lord God with your heart, strength, mind and soul and to LOVE your neighbor as yourself (your  neighbor is anyone you come in contact with).  This is how to walk Christ like which also is related to walking not by the seeing of your eyes or hearing of your ears (Isaiah 11:1-3).  By walking in this manner also implies that we don’t judge the outward appearance.  If God (Jesus) never judged the outward appearance and even taught against it why would we? (1 Samuel 16:7, John 7:24)

How will we know if we have the seal of the Holy Spirit? By performing miracles or healings? By speaking in tongues? Or by being an apostle, or an evangelist, or a prophet? No. You could have one or more of these gifts but still grieve the Holy Spirit. It is by producing good fruit - "for the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness, righteousness, and truth" (Ephesians 5:9). And, "the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control" (Galatians 5:22-23). 

But the greatest of these is love.

"Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. Love never fails" (1 Cor. 13:4-8).

Gifts of the Spirit are wonderful to have but they all will fail and cease.  The only gift from God that will continue on even into eternity is LOVE.

1 Corinthians 13:1-10

Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal.

² And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing.
³ And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing.
⁴ Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity envieth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up,
⁵ Doth not behave itself unseemly, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil;
⁶ Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
⁷ Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.
⁸ Charity never faileth: but whether there be prophecies, they shall fail; whether there be tongues, they shall cease; whether there be knowledge, it shall vanish away.
⁹ For we know in part, and we prophesy in part.
¹⁰ But when that which is perfect is come, then that which is in part shall be done away.

Matthew 6:33

But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

What does God mean by seek the kingdom first?

It first means Romans 14:17

For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.

Final answer:  We first seek Jesus (salvation) because we are the righteous of God through Jesus (2 Corinthians 5:21).  Now let’s bring it all together.  God and Christ are love and when we receive him we must walk in love and peace.  HOW?  By obeying the 1^st and 2^nd commandments of God.

Love the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, body and soul –

Love your neighbor as yourself –

By doing these two things we will have peace, love and joy in the Holy Ghost ultimately  causing us to obey the rest of God’s commandments.

Do you love your neighbor as yourself?  Even gossip, backbiting, slander and putting down others are sins and breaking the 2^nd commandment.

This scripture below is one of most important scriptures for the last days and how Christians should walk and treat others.  As Christians we always suffer trials and tribulations but children of God going through trials aren’t the only ones being tested.  Who else is being tested? People not in the trial on the outside looking in are also being tested and the biblical story of Job proves that.

 Here is the important scripture:

Matthew 25:40

And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.

We have to be very careful in these last days especially if we claim ourselves as God’s children (Christians).

This blog contains some writings that are copyrighted from my old self-published book called Drawing a Line in the Sand.  The new more professionally written version is contained within my new manuscript called "Drawing a Line in the Sand Revisited". 

By Daniel Staneart and another contributor