I John 2:4–6
“Whoever says ‘I know Him’ but does not keep His commandments is a liar, and the truth is not in him, but whoever keeps His word, in him truly the love of God is perfected. By this we may know that we are in Him: whoever says he abides in Him ought to walk in the same way in which He walked.2”(ESV)
Ever opened a beautiful box of chocolates with no labels? The wrapping is flawless. The presentation is perfect. You unwrap one with anticipation… and sometimes find a sour cherry inside.
John is confronting the same reality. Some people wear the appearance of Christianity like elegant packaging, but nothing has changed beneath the surface. You can take moldy bread, dip it in chocolate, and wrap it in gold foil. It still decays from the inside out.
A.W. Tozer wrote, “Faith and obedience are two sides of the same coin and are always found together in the Scriptures. As well try to pry apart the two sides of a half-dollar as to separate obedience from faith.”
This is where many get confused.
Faith saves.
Works prove.
In John 15:2, Jesus says, “Every branch in Me that does not bear fruit He takes away, and every branch that does bear fruit He prunes, that it may bear more fruit.2”(ESV)
Gardeners, farmers, arborists—and good leaders—always inspect the fruit. No fruit reveals a deeper problem: disconnection from the vine.
What does your fruit say about what’s inside?
Where might the Lord be pruning to bring new life?
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