| ------------------------------------------------------------ ( F ) GIFTS AND FRUITS - DISTINCTION Let us think for a moment about this situation in these terms. If we are to believe that speaking in tongues is the evidence that Christians have the Holy Spirit, then almost anyone can walk up to us and appear to speak in tongues simply because the gift of speaking in tongues, ( when it was in operation in the early years of the church ), was nothing more than the ability to speak the various languages of mankind. It is needless to say that in our present time, countless people can speak more than one language. If the ability for speaking other foreign languages were the evidence that a Christian has the Holy Spirit then it should be further needless to say that a person could, with that ability of speaking other languages, easily fake the spiritual gift and thus deceive the Christian. In reality, if we don�t have a proper, contextual, scriptural understanding of what the gift of tongues was meant for then an easily deceptive counterfeit can appear. Thus creating a real danger, in which we Christians can end up embracing the counterfeit as being the real deal. However, interestingly enough, Gods� very Word shows that His gifts were never meant to be outward signs of a Christian being filled or baptized in the Holy Ghost. In truth, the spiritual gifts of God were never meant to be a sign of any kind to the Christian. The gift of tongues was meant to be a sign strictly to the unbelieving Jew, as has already been shown from the scriptures. The gift of tongues is a gift of the Spirit as it is stated in the Word. But it is not a "fruit" of the Spirit; 9. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) - Eph. 5:9 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. - Galatians 5:22-23 As you can see, scripture does not say that tongues is a fruit of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, Jesus stated these words; 15. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17. Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them. - Matt. 7:15-20 Fruits, not gifts, are the standards, the signs, by which Jesus instructs the child of God to have the discerning knowledge as to who is truly of God and who is not. Therefore, it is erroneous and faulty for us as Christians to conclude that the gift of tongues is evidence of being filled or having been baptized in the Holy Spirit. In reality, the gift of tongues was never meant to be a sign between the children of God for any reason. Rather, it is the fruit of the Holy Spirit that is to be evident and the distinguishing hallmark which reveals that we have Gods� Holy Ghost within us. In addition to this, holy scripture shows quite clearly that it is not we, the Christian, who controls and operates the spiritual gifts. The scriptures are rather plain about the fact that it was the Lord Himself who chose which Christian received what gift. The gifts of the Spirit were distributed by the Lord according to His will. 1 Corinthians 12:11 proclaims; 11. But all these worketh that one and the selfsame Spirit, dividing to every man severally as he will. - 1 Cor. 12:11 Paul never taught nor promoted any mindset which would conclude that all Christians were to have and function in any one single spiritual gift of God. Paul certainly never taught the idea that all Christians receive the gift of tongues nor that said gift was to be the evidence that the Christian was baptized in the Holy Ghost. Rather, Pauls� spiritual teaching says the gifts of the Spirit were divided among Christians as the Holy Spirit willed and decided. It was then the Holy Ghost, not the Christian, who decided who would have the gift of speaking in tongues. Thus, precluding any assumption or surmising that every Christian should have and use the gift to speak in tongues. To think and behave otherwise is nothing more than a deceitful usurping of the sovereign act of the Holy Spirit. The gifts of the Holy Spirit are His property. And so in the days when the Christian church began to be established and grew, it was solely the Holy Spirits� descretion as to which Christian received which gift. Therefore, the mindset of the present day tongues movement which promotes the idea that all Christians receive and can function in the ability to speak in tongues is unreasonable and unscriptural. Not all Christians in the early church functioned in the gift of tongues, there is needless to say no justified reason to conclude and believe that all Christians can or are supposed to have that gift in this present time of the church. Take note in verse 11 that the scripture uses the word, severally. It does not say that the Spirit divides to every man, all gifts. Only severally. In addition to these things, let us take further notice of the importance of every Christian functioning in all of the fruits of the Spirit. In Matthew chapter 7, Jesus makes a necessity of spiritual fruit for all Christians by framing such necessity in the importance of being able to distinguish between what is good and that which is evil. The import of knowing such a distinction is due to the consequence of that which is evil and false. As Jesus described it, that which is evil and false will be burned up, destroyed. Thus, it is of necessity that all Christians have the ability to recognize fruit, not gifts. It is of necessity that all Christians have spiritual fruit, not spiritual gifts, much less the spiritual gift of speaking in other tongues. Again, in the books of Galations and Ephesians are these words regarding spiritual fruit; 19. Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, 20. Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, 21. Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. 22. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, 23. Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. - Gal. 5:19-23 9. (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;) - Eph. 5:9 Within these verses we can see a great example of the distinction between what Jesus called good and evil fruit. The works of the flesh are the evil fruit which leads to death and destruction and prohibits the doer of these evil works from inheriting the kingdom of God. But those who produce good spiritual fruit are of God and Christ; 1. I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman. 2. Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit. 3. Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you. 4. Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. 5. I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. 6. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. 7. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you. 8. Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. - John 15:1-8 Thus, it is the evidence of good spiritual fruit, not spiritual gifts and certainly not the gift of tongues, whereby we as fellow Christians will know who has the Holy Spirit and who does not. ----------------------------------------------------------------------- |
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