The Bible speaks to people who know God, not to people who do not know him. Jesus reserved his harshest criticism and judgment for the religious leaders, those who believed they stood the very closest to God. “To whom much is given, much shall be required.” The apostles warned us that those who teach the Word of God shall be held to a higher standard of accountability than those who do not. The writer of Hebrews warned that it would be better to have never believed in the Gospel than to turn away from its truth.

Jesus did not lightly say that people who bear bad fruit would be cut off of his vine (separated from him) and would be thrown into the fire to be burned. This burning is the second death which occurs in the Lake of Fire according to the Book of Revelation. The Lake of Fire is the application of God’s Law upon those who refuse to obey him in this flesh. This is also the place that Jesus calls the “outer darkness.” This outer darkness will be the place where rebellious men finally learn to obey their Creator. Their rulers here will be those sons of God who have learned to obey God to the best of their ability and who yearn to walk with him in total perfection and obedience, only doing what they see their Father doing. They will rule with a “rod of iron,” the application of God’s Law. No longer will men be allowed to carry out every sin they conceive. Every single sin will be punished according to God’s perfect plan of justice. For example, those who lead slovenly lives and expect everyone else to feed, clothe, and pay for their drugs will become the slaves of those who exercise self-control. Yes, in God’ perfect economy even slavery has its place, the place where rebellious sinners learn obedience.

Therefore let us learn how to judge our fruit and let us be sure that we bear good fruit instead of bad. Paul defined the criteria for good fruit to the Galatians. And remember, to understand the good we must also understand the bad. Paul said,

¹³ For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. ¹⁴ For the whole law is fulfilled in one word: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” ¹⁵ But if you bite and devour one another, watch out that you are not consumed by one another.

Keep in Step with the Spirit

¹⁶ But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the flesh. ¹⁷ For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do.¹⁸ But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. ¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, ²⁰ idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, ²¹ envy,^[d] drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. ²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience,kindness, goodness, faithfulness, ²³ gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. ²⁴ And those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires.

²⁵ If we live by the Spirit, let us also keep in step with the Spirit. ²⁶ Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another. (Galatians 5:13-26, ESV)

 Paul then elaborated upon these ideas to the Ephesians.

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. ² And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

³ But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. ⁴ Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking,which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving. ⁵ For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure, or who is covetous (that is, an idolater), has no inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and God. ⁶ Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.⁷ Therefore do not become partners with them; ⁸ for at one time you were darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of light ⁹ (for the fruit of light is found in all that is good and right and true), ¹⁰ and try to discern what is pleasing to the Lord. ¹¹ Take no part in the unfruitful works of darkness, but instead expose them. ¹² For it is shameful even to speak of the things that they do in secret. ¹³ But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, ¹⁴ for anything that becomes visible is light. Therefore it says,

¹⁵ Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, ¹⁶ making the best use of the time, because the days are evil. ¹⁷ Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is. ¹⁸ And do not get drunk with wine, for that is debauchery, but be filled with the Spirit, ¹⁹ addressing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody to the Lord with your heart, ²⁰ giving thanks always and for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, ²¹ submitting to one another out of reverence for Christ. (Ephesians 5:1-21)

And to the Romans Paul said,

⁴ Likewise, my brothers, you also have died to the law through the body of Christ, so that you may belong to another, to him who has been raised from the dead, in order that we may bear fruit for God. ⁵ For while we were living in the flesh, our sinful passions, aroused by the law, were at work in our members to bear fruit for death. ⁶ But now we are released from the law, having died to that which held us captive, so that we serve in the new way ofthe Spirit and not in the old way of the written code. (Romans 7:4-6) 

Today we have a choice. Do we live according to the Spirit and therefore produce fruit for God? Or, do we set our minds upon the flesh and upon deeds of darkness? If we live according to the flesh then we will produce fruit for death and our place will be in the outer darkness when Jesus comes to judge the world. If we produce fruit for death we will be found unworthy to be called a son of God and God will assign us a place with the hypocrites where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth. “Look carefully then how you walk, not as unwise but as wise, making the best use of the time, because the days are evil.”

(Note: I understand that every sincere Christian is at a different place in his or her walk with God. There will be people whom God accounts as his son whom we would probably despise if we merely knew them after the flesh. For an excellent teaching on this topic see chapter ten of Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. C.S. Lewis was one of God’s prophets who taught much about becoming a Son of God. See especially his masterpiece entitled Till We Have Faces. Then read my book When We Awake which you can find in the links on the left of this page).