IF a person …

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IF…

… a person studies to be a pilot, and gets his pilot’s license, but never flies, is he a pilot?

… a person gets a degree in education and earns her teaching certification, but never teaches, is she a teacher?

… a person earns a JD degree and passes the bar exam to become an attorney, but never practices law, is he an attorney?

… a person spends years at a university studying to become a doctor, graduates and successfully completes an internship, but never practices medicine, is she a doctor?

… a person attends a police academy and successfully completes the rigors of the school and all the examinations, but never wears the uniform and serves his community, is he a police officer?

… a person studies the field of real estate and even earns her real estate license, but never works in the field of real estate, is she a realtor?

… a person claims to be a Christian and becomes a church member, but doesn’t serve in the church, doesn’t read his Bible with any consistency, doesn’t pray personally, rarely gives to the church, and never shares his faith, is he really a Christian?

Matthew 7:15-23 says, “15 Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. 16 You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. 18 A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. 19 So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. 20 Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.21 Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. 22 On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ 23 But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws’.”

Scotty