Why do unsaved people display what appears the Fruit of the Spirit?
Q: Paul in Gal 5 lays out the Fruit of the Spirit. I know many non Christians who have those characteristics and a lot of Christians who don’t. Could you explain this so I understand it?
Being made in God's image, we were originally all possessing the Communicable attributes of God in perfection. However after the Fall man has a distorted version in the sin nature, until saved. There will be elements of it the unsaved have; they use the moral bits (they haven't seared in their conscience) for evil not to God's glory. Its idolatrous morality they live in. Not righteous perfection. Even believers who are redeemed, though we are restored in redemption, it isn't to perfection (so to speak) as we're stuck in this sin stained body. When we leave it behind for glory [heaven] well be free of it and recieve a perfect new body for for a eternity in righteousness. Upon entering eternity well be perfected.
We still fight sin and our flesh here.
1 John 3:2:
"Beloved, we are God’s children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is."
Philippians 1:6:
"And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion [perfection] at the day of Jesus Christ."
Revelation 21:4:
"He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away."
I believe Livingwaters did a podcast on this. I wish I recall which one, a sorta nerwerish one. Not an early one. If I find it I'll link it here.
Hope this helps.
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Comments:
Well a "Christian" that doesn't bear fruit isn't Christian. They're just using the title or are deceived.
You're juxtaposing the fruit of the spirit against the works of the flesh. The Christian life is one of faith working through love by the power of the Spirit, not of the flesh’s effort through works of the Mosaic Law. We are free from the Law and overcome the flesh because we are led by the Spirit.
It’s not the fruit of the Spirit. It might be vestiges of the image of God in a man, good training, an active conscience, fear of man. It may resemble the fruit of the Spirit like wax fruit in a basket atop a table looks like real fruit.
God's Spirit has had an impact on every human, whether Christian or not, but bestly through other Christians, as they have spiritual life to be able to live that out. The lost are not as bad as they could be (as they hold to some morals of preference) and the saved are not as good as we should be (not fully rid of sin).
It is possible for unsaved people to act good, live moral, etc. based on personality, experience, upbringing, conscience, etc. Just as it is possible for a Christian to live and act in the flesh, rather than the spirit (with the Spirit).
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