Being a Christian can be summed up in one word: LOVE.
Love is the one way in which others can tell that we are followers of Jesus as stated in John 13:35, "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another".
In distinguishing false prophets from true believers, Jesus stated in Matthew 7:16 that "You will know them by their fruits."
A Christian, a person with a heart for God, will yield the Fruit of the Spirit. Galatians 5:22-23 tells us that "The fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control"
LOVE is the very first fruit of the spirit.
"If someone says 'I Love God' but hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen, how can he love God whom he has not seen? And this commandment we have from Him: that he who loves God must love his brother also". 1 John 4:20-21.
Sadly, we are seeing that the fruit produced by many people in today's world is hate, intolerance and fear, which is generally directed towards Muslims, homosexuals, socialists, communists, social justice advocates, "do-gooders" and so on.
Hate is a manifestation of fear.
Yet 1 John 4:18 tells us that "there is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves torment. But he who fears has not been made perfect in love."
In Matthew 22:37 & 39, Jesus summed up the entire law, the entire bible in two commandments: "You shall love the Lord Your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind and ... You shall love your neighbour as yourself".
As Christians we are commanded to love, not hate.
Our fruits should distinguish us from the fruits of the world. Whilst we live IN the world, we are not OF the world.
What are your fruits?
What do people see when they see you? Do they see a person of love, with compassion for all? Or do they see a person of hate and fear, full of vitriolic bigotry?
When people see you, do they see Christ?
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