Explaining why people of other religions appear good & as if possessing the Fruit of the Spirit?
Q: A friend asked me a question and I'm struggling with how to answer. I'd like to help them understand as they're struggling with some aspects of faith and am hoping for help with something I simply don't know how to articulate.
If we are told to judge the fruits of the spirit to determine true change has happened to someone and they are actively following Him, then how do we rationalize people of other beliefs and faiths who exhibit the same fruits of the spirit without being His followers or marked by The Holy Spirit? The friend's main example was the Buddhist followers, who tend to exhibit many of the listed fruits of the spirit, arguably better than many Christians, but usually see Jesus as just one of many teachers in history and have no relationship with Him as their Savior. If theoretically anyone can have the fruits of the spirit without it actually being the work of the Spirit, then how is that a good way to judge believers on their walk being genuine?
It also led to them asking how we can argue Jesus is the only way if the goal is to exhibit those fruits, and other beliefs can produce that. I think they're struggling between Christianity and Buddhism but also mentioned other belief systems where they see people exhibiting those characteristics.
I'm uncertain how to answer and don't want to push them away from Him, but also don't want to dismiss what they're witnessing as far as behavior from people of different beliefs. Obviously I'm praying on this as well, but felt led to ask for guidance.
Clarifying question: Is the goal of Christianity to showcase the fruits of the Spirit? (Paragraph 3)
In their view as it relates to how to determine if someone is following Christ, that's been their takeaway from other Christians. I think they're searching for what the focus point is which I want to go into, but they seem to be hung up on the fruits aspect and whether they can reach God through Buddhism (I think following the "many paths to God" idea) if the validation for a true Christian is fruits they could find elsewhere. I think aspects of Christianity have seemed hypocritical and they're more drawn to Buddhism as far as their lifestyle, but want the benefits of salvation and I've never faced a question like this before.
A: Many religions practice ourward appearance of religiosity and outward goodness. Its a sham. Similar to distirted Judaism of Jesus day. It's like how monks, Islam, Catholics, Orthodox etc appear outwardly good but inwardly Jesus said they're whitewashed tombs. The Jews were horrified to hear and learn God doesn't only see the outward appearances, which are easily decievable to others, but God sees the inner man. The inner man is what God converts.
His Q sounds more like a moralism focus from those in religions. Scripture says we were created in God's image. We had righteousness and perfection until the fall. The Law of God in that aspect;Communicable attributes, are something we can live out but as sinners its in a distorted way. It's always selfish. "Doing sth to gain something from it" ie. So called good works. Your nice to your neighbor to gain xyz. There's ulterior selfish motives vs pure and right/righteous motives such as the Born again have since we are a new creation having been transformed, [having God's love in us] and the Holy Spirit in us. Thus we can rightly live out those Fruits in truth & love. Godly proper love, because of Jesus and the Gospel.
Humans have God's Law written on their hearts and their conscience bears withness; it accuses or excuses. As they grow up they love and run to sin and seer their conscience in time, to do the wickedness their nature desires. They hate righteousness; the righteousness of God, and as Isaiah says they always only continuously do evil all their life.
Man is good only in their own eyes, by their distorted sinful perspective. Scripture says each man proclaims his own goodness. And the heart is decietfully wicked.
The Goodness of sinful people is a self righteousness one, not a true holy righteousness that reflects God's perfection.
Via the Gospel, God reveals the truly sinfulness of sin and all sinner who sins, thus those who are drawn by God, who opens their eyes, and are convicted with a godly sorrow and a contrite heart can look at themselves in truth and see their need for Christ and run to God for salvation; obeying the Gospel, being converted, and by God's power they then posess the righteous new nature and are given the Fruit of the Spirit. They live in and live out these naturally and rightly. Not perfectly, but in progression growing in holiness.
So remember, people can definitely appear to "be good" -- and exhibit what "seems like" the Fruit of the Spirit -- even if they don't believe in God. Scripture even warns us that Satan and his followers (including people) can disguise themselves as angels of light. They *look* really good, even though they're bad/evil.
So we have to understand that even from what Scripture tells us, judging the fruits of others is not meant to be a foolproof guarantee that someone is saved.
Now, for the next part, where they question why Jesus would have to be the only way if the goal of Christianity is to exhibit those fruits: the thing is, exhibiting those fruits is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is being reconciled to our holy God, even though we've done wrong things. Even one little wrong thing is enough to separate us from God (and therefore from the Source of eternal life), because He is holy -- and holiness cannot be fully united to anything unholy, because it would no longer be holy.
The goal of most religions is eternal paradise of one sort or another, and each religion offers an explanation of how to reach that. While most religions do have "be good" and "treat other people well" teachings, they also say you *have* to do those things *in order* to reach paradise/God/utopia/etc. But Christianity is different. Christianity teaches that we would have to be absolutely PERFECT across our entire lives in order to be able to get to Heaven -- and it points out to us that not one of us is perfect. So none of us can get to Heaven on our own. We've all been separated from God by our sins (and are headed to eternal damnation). So out of Grace and God's good pleasure he decided to make the way for salvation possible; through Jesus. Jesus -- God who took on humanity -- came to live the perfect life none of us live(d), and then to voluntarily take the death (separation from God = death) we'd earned [the wages of sin is death. Rom 3:23], (& he took upon himself on the cross all believers sins, paying that eternal debt),... and after defeating death he offers us His life (eternal life!) if we trust in Him and submit our lives to Him.
So it's not our good deeds that save us in Christianity. Our good deeds are *evidence* that we're saved, but they're not what *accomplish* our salvation. We could never be good enough to accomplish our salvation, and neither can anyone else. Doing good things doesn't take our past sins (or their consequences) away. The bad just keeps piling up fir the unsaved until they are called to account for them at death. Christians do good things out of love and obedience to God, because we know that what He calls good (those good fruits) are truly good -- good for us and good for others -- and we want to honor Him. But they don't contribute in any way to our salvation.
We also have good evidence that Christianity is the one true religion. Comparing what religions actually teach might be helpful to your friend, because while many of them do teach people to behave in acceptable ways among humanity, most of the rest of what they teach (including *why* we should behave well) is in conflict.
Why Christianity
What was the first Religion
The Gospel
Grace & Mercy
Why seek salvation
Why do people die
How can God be our Savior
How can Jesus bear man's sin
God's Patience wears out
In addition, this may be a help as you reach that person for Christ. It's geared towards reaching those in or drawn to that religion, so you can gleen and use anything there.
If we are told to judge the fruits of the spirit to determine true change has happened to someone and they are actively following Him, then how do we rationalize people of other beliefs and faiths who exhibit the same fruits of the spirit without being His followers or marked by The Holy Spirit? The friend's main example was the Buddhist followers, who tend to exhibit many of the listed fruits of the spirit, arguably better than many Christians, but usually see Jesus as just one of many teachers in history and have no relationship with Him as their Savior. If theoretically anyone can have the fruits of the spirit without it actually being the work of the Spirit, then how is that a good way to judge believers on their walk being genuine?
It also led to them asking how we can argue Jesus is the only way if the goal is to exhibit those fruits, and other beliefs can produce that. I think they're struggling between Christianity and Buddhism but also mentioned other belief systems where they see people exhibiting those characteristics.
I'm uncertain how to answer and don't want to push them away from Him, but also don't want to dismiss what they're witnessing as far as behavior from people of different beliefs. Obviously I'm praying on this as well, but felt led to ask for guidance.
Clarifying question: Is the goal of Christianity to showcase the fruits of the Spirit? (Paragraph 3)
In their view as it relates to how to determine if someone is following Christ, that's been their takeaway from other Christians. I think they're searching for what the focus point is which I want to go into, but they seem to be hung up on the fruits aspect and whether they can reach God through Buddhism (I think following the "many paths to God" idea) if the validation for a true Christian is fruits they could find elsewhere. I think aspects of Christianity have seemed hypocritical and they're more drawn to Buddhism as far as their lifestyle, but want the benefits of salvation and I've never faced a question like this before.
A: Many religions practice ourward appearance of religiosity and outward goodness. Its a sham. Similar to distirted Judaism of Jesus day. It's like how monks, Islam, Catholics, Orthodox etc appear outwardly good but inwardly Jesus said they're whitewashed tombs. The Jews were horrified to hear and learn God doesn't only see the outward appearances, which are easily decievable to others, but God sees the inner man. The inner man is what God converts.
His Q sounds more like a moralism focus from those in religions. Scripture says we were created in God's image. We had righteousness and perfection until the fall. The Law of God in that aspect;Communicable attributes, are something we can live out but as sinners its in a distorted way. It's always selfish. "Doing sth to gain something from it" ie. So called good works. Your nice to your neighbor to gain xyz. There's ulterior selfish motives vs pure and right/righteous motives such as the Born again have since we are a new creation having been transformed, [having God's love in us] and the Holy Spirit in us. Thus we can rightly live out those Fruits in truth & love. Godly proper love, because of Jesus and the Gospel.
Humans have God's Law written on their hearts and their conscience bears withness; it accuses or excuses. As they grow up they love and run to sin and seer their conscience in time, to do the wickedness their nature desires. They hate righteousness; the righteousness of God, and as Isaiah says they always only continuously do evil all their life.
Man is good only in their own eyes, by their distorted sinful perspective. Scripture says each man proclaims his own goodness. And the heart is decietfully wicked.
The Goodness of sinful people is a self righteousness one, not a true holy righteousness that reflects God's perfection.
Via the Gospel, God reveals the truly sinfulness of sin and all sinner who sins, thus those who are drawn by God, who opens their eyes, and are convicted with a godly sorrow and a contrite heart can look at themselves in truth and see their need for Christ and run to God for salvation; obeying the Gospel, being converted, and by God's power they then posess the righteous new nature and are given the Fruit of the Spirit. They live in and live out these naturally and rightly. Not perfectly, but in progression growing in holiness.
So remember, people can definitely appear to "be good" -- and exhibit what "seems like" the Fruit of the Spirit -- even if they don't believe in God. Scripture even warns us that Satan and his followers (including people) can disguise themselves as angels of light. They *look* really good, even though they're bad/evil.
So we have to understand that even from what Scripture tells us, judging the fruits of others is not meant to be a foolproof guarantee that someone is saved.
Now, for the next part, where they question why Jesus would have to be the only way if the goal of Christianity is to exhibit those fruits: the thing is, exhibiting those fruits is not the ultimate goal. The ultimate goal is being reconciled to our holy God, even though we've done wrong things. Even one little wrong thing is enough to separate us from God (and therefore from the Source of eternal life), because He is holy -- and holiness cannot be fully united to anything unholy, because it would no longer be holy.
The goal of most religions is eternal paradise of one sort or another, and each religion offers an explanation of how to reach that. While most religions do have "be good" and "treat other people well" teachings, they also say you *have* to do those things *in order* to reach paradise/God/utopia/etc. But Christianity is different. Christianity teaches that we would have to be absolutely PERFECT across our entire lives in order to be able to get to Heaven -- and it points out to us that not one of us is perfect. So none of us can get to Heaven on our own. We've all been separated from God by our sins (and are headed to eternal damnation). So out of Grace and God's good pleasure he decided to make the way for salvation possible; through Jesus. Jesus -- God who took on humanity -- came to live the perfect life none of us live(d), and then to voluntarily take the death (separation from God = death) we'd earned [the wages of sin is death. Rom 3:23], (& he took upon himself on the cross all believers sins, paying that eternal debt),... and after defeating death he offers us His life (eternal life!) if we trust in Him and submit our lives to Him.
So it's not our good deeds that save us in Christianity. Our good deeds are *evidence* that we're saved, but they're not what *accomplish* our salvation. We could never be good enough to accomplish our salvation, and neither can anyone else. Doing good things doesn't take our past sins (or their consequences) away. The bad just keeps piling up fir the unsaved until they are called to account for them at death. Christians do good things out of love and obedience to God, because we know that what He calls good (those good fruits) are truly good -- good for us and good for others -- and we want to honor Him. But they don't contribute in any way to our salvation.
We also have good evidence that Christianity is the one true religion. Comparing what religions actually teach might be helpful to your friend, because while many of them do teach people to behave in acceptable ways among humanity, most of the rest of what they teach (including *why* we should behave well) is in conflict.
Why Christianity
What was the first Religion
The Gospel
Grace & Mercy
Why seek salvation
Why do people die
How can God be our Savior
How can Jesus bear man's sin
God's Patience wears out
In addition, this may be a help as you reach that person for Christ. It's geared towards reaching those in or drawn to that religion, so you can gleen and use anything there.
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