@ LibertyGal

Throughout this whole series, I have gone through the fruits (evidence) of a life given to Jesus. These are traits we should see in anyone who is born again in Jesus Christ. I thought it would be useful to also show the “fruits” (evidence) of a life that has rejected Jesus. Seeing what the opposite looks like can help us better judge where we stand.

Blessing and Cursing

We can have some idea of who belongs to Jesus by our/their words.

Now concerning spiritual gifts, brethren, I do not want you to be unaware. You know that when you were pagans, you were led astray to the mute idols, however you were led. Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God says, “Jesus is accursed”; and no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit. (1 Corinthians 12:1-3)

Are your words more of a blessing or a curse towards God? It isn’t just by these two three-word sentences that we judge. When it comes to truth, do you put God’s word or man’s word first? In whom do you put your faith? When you are deciding what is good and what is evil, do you use man’s culture or the Bible to make your decision? When you decide how to use your time, do you do what everyone else is doing or does God’s will guide your actions? These all speak to where your heart lies. All of these expose whether your heart says “Jesus is Lord” or whether it says “Jesus is accursed.”

God Gave Them Over

There are definite signs of an unrepentant heart, and being unrepentant for long enough leads God to remove His sin restraining power and to give “them over to a depraved mind.” We are seeing this “fruit” of this situation growing in our culture today.

For even though they knew God, they did not honor Him as God or give thanks, but they became futile in their speculations, and their foolish heart was darkened. Professing to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the incorruptible God for an image in the form of corruptible man and of birds and four-footed animals and crawling creatures.

…

And just as they did not see fit to acknowledge God any longer, God gave them over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper, being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful; and although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them. (Romans 1:21-23,28-32)

One thing that the Bible makes clear is that every person alive knows that God exists, whether they admit it or not. One of the reason that Christians (and Jews) are attacked so much is everyone knows that the God of the Bible is different than the made up or demonic gods that others worship. God’s word is attacked more vehemently because they know He is real. Nobody hates a myth with such passion.

We live in the scientific age and many (most?) people put “science” above God and His word. Unfortunately much of what is called science is actually a pseudo-science that is more myth and story telling. It is based on false assumptions, so it always leads to false conclusions. That isn’t to say that real experimental science isn’t very useful. It is. Experimental science, that seeks the truth, is a good thing, but there is a lot of work that is called science that is not science at all. Any time someone says “the science is settled,” it should tell you that they are not talking real science, but more of a politicized, story-telling pseudo-science and it shouldn’t be trusted.

If we know that the God of the Bible is the omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent creator of the universe and that He inspired writers to accurately write His word into the Bible, then we know that the Bible is always the highest authority. If science “contradicts” the Bible, it is most likely that the science is wrong. (There is a chance that the Bible is misunderstood, but that is much less likely.) We need to always remember that our omniscient God knows more than any person or all people put together. Putting man’s word above God’s word is sin. As the passage above says, “Professing to be wise, they became fools.”

When we don’t acknowledge God, obey His commands, and believe the truth that He has clearly laid out for us in the Bible, He gives us “over to a depraved mind, to do those things which are not proper.” When we say, “We don’t want God,” He gives us the consequences of that choice.

What are the consequences (fruit) of rejecting God? You could say that the fruit of an unrepentant heart are “being filled with all unrighteousness, wickedness, greed, evil; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, malice; they are gossips, slanderers, haters of God, insolent, arrogant, boastful, inventors of evil, disobedient to parents, without understanding, untrustworthy, unloving, unmerciful.” Is this what you want to be? Is this the kind of person with which you want to surround yourself? Is this the kind of country in which you want to live? I don’t think so.

Somewhat recently, renowned atheist Richard Dawkins complained that England was losing its Christian culture. He missed the Christmas decoration and the Christian morality and such. He has made a career of denigrating Christians, but wanted the culture that Christians bring. He wants a world with a Christian culture that doesn’t include Christians or God. Such a thing never existed and never will. After the rapture, he will see what a world without Christ looks like and he will not like it. We are already seeing the “fruits” of rampant rejection of God.

We are now seeing these “fruits.” “Although they know the ordinance of God, that those who practice such things are worthy of death, they not only do the same, but also give hearty approval to those who practice them.” Our culture is calling good “evil” and calling evil “good.”

End Times

It seems like everything is getting worse now as God is rejected by more and more people and especially those in positions of influence and power, but in the end times, this trend towards evil will get so much worse.

But realize this, that in the last days difficult times will come. For men will be lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, disobedient to parents, ungrateful, unholy, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, without self-control, brutal, haters of good, treacherous, reckless, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these. For among them are those who enter into households and captivate weak women weighed down with sins, led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. (2 Timothy 3:1-7)

This actually sounds a lot like culture today. Do you notice these traits in society today?

• lovers of self
• lovers of money
• boastful, arrogant
• revilers & malicious gossips
• ungrateful
• unholy
• unloving & irreconcilable (centering around political parties, race, etc.)
• without self-control
• brutal, haters of good, & treacherous
• reckless & conceited
• lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
• holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power (false religion)
• always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of truth (science that denies God)
• Denying God and what Jesus did for us leads to all of these evils.

Unfortunately, there also many who pretend to be holy or even believe they are holy who are not and lead many believers to be unfruitful.

For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. (Titus 1:10-11)

Consequences of Denial of Christ

We’ve clearly seen that denial of Jesus/God or even just refusing to put Him first, leads to many sins that harm relationships and society. Those are the warning signs of what is happening to each and every sinner’s soul.

The more important harm is to our soul and to our future.

Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived; neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor homosexuals, nor thieves, nor the covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers, will inherit the kingdom of God. Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God. (1 Corinthians 6:9-11)

All people will live for eternity. The only question for each individual is whether they will spend an eternity with God in heaven where there is no more pain and suffering or whether they will spend eternity in Hell alone, in darkness, and in pain. The worst thing about Hell will be the lack of hope. God has enabled us to survive a huge amount of suffering when we have hope that the suffering will end one day and that justice will be served. Hell is suffering and knowing it will never end. What is worse than that?

The good news God gives us is “Such were some of you; but you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and in the Spirit of our God.” Although we have all sinned and sinned badly, we all have the opportunity to repent, to believe in Jesus (including all He did for us), and to submit to His Lordship. We all have the opportunity to turn away from our sins and join God in Heaven some day. What will you choose?

Repent & Choose Jesus

Be like the Roman jailer to whom Paul and Silas said, “… Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.” (Acts 16:31) Don’t be like the Israelites about whom the Bible says “However, they did not listen, but stiffened their neck like their fathers, who did not believe in the Lord their God.” (2 Kings 17:14)

He who overcomes will inherit these things, and I will be his God and he will be My son. But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” (Revelation 21:7-8)

Trust Jesus.

FYI, Read my whole series on the individual fruits of the Spirit listed in Galatians 5

Bible verses are NASB (New American Standard Bible) 1995 edition unless otherwise stated