Is-siġra u l-frott tagħha għandhom rwol sinifikanti fil-Bibbja. L-ewwel kmandament minn Alla għall-bniedem kien jinvolvi siġra u l-frott tagħha. God forbade man to eat from the fruit of the tree of knowledge of good and evil. Madankollu, man disobeyed God’s commandment, whereby the Son of God, Ġesù Kristu, had to come to the earth to take care of the sin problem and restore what was broken. This restoration took place on a tree (is-salib). Fil-Patt il-Qadim, God used the tree and its fruits as symbols and metaphors and Jesus did the same. Jesus used the example of the tree and its fruits to warn His disciples for false prophets. But why did Jesus warn His disciples for false prophets and what did He mean by, you will know the tree by its fruits?
What did God say about the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil?
The first commandment of God to man was the prohibition of eating from the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
After God created and planted all the trees and herbs in the garden and put the man in the garden, God gave a commandment. Although all the trees were pleasant to the sight and good for food, God forbade man to eat from the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.
God warned man and told him what would happen if he would eat from the fruits of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, jiġifieri, man would die.
Although the fruits of this tree probably looked just as desirable and good to eat as the fruits of the others trees, there was one difference with the fruits of this tree and the other trees. The fruit of this tree carried the death within.
God knew what was hidden in the tree and its fruits and made this known to man.
Man obeyed God and didn’t eat from the fruit of the tree. Permezz tal-kliem ta’ Alla, man gained knowledge about the tree and its fruits and did know what would happen if man would eat from its fruits.
By walking in the faith (to know and obey the words of God) man would stay away from the tree and its fruits and would live. Għalhekk, Adam and Eve avoided the fruits that characterized the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, sakemm …
The deceiving words of the devil persuaded man and led man to sin
Until the serpent approached the woman. The serpent told her a whole other truth, whereby the woman began to doubt the words of God and didn’t consider His words as the truth. Because if man would have stayed faithful to the words of God and considered His words the truth, then man wouldn’t have sinned.
Satan had fallen because of his pride and sin and was cast upon the earth. Kien (U għadu) a fallen archangel that was (u huwa) full of evil, whereby the fruit of his lips (his words) kien (u huwa) ħażen, in contrary to the words of God, which are the truth and contain life.
Madankollu, man didn’t keep God’s commandment. As a result of their disobedience to God, man fell from his position of authority and went through life as a slave of sin and death.
The law of sin and death reigned in fallen man instead of the law of righteousness and life
The law of righteousness and life no longer reigned in man and his members, but the liġi tad-dnub u l-mewt reigned in fallen man and his members. Għalhekk, man would no longer bear the fruit of righteousness and life, but the fruit of sin and death (lill-. Rumani 5-8).
Just like the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil looked good from the outside and pleasant in their sight but carried the death, the seed of man looked good on the outside, but from that moment carried the death.
The fruit of the womb of the seed of man, jew fi kliem ieħor, people who are born of the seed of man, carried the death within. Bħala riżultat, people would bear the fruit of death, which is sin.
Until the Son of God, Ġesù Kristu, came and finished the redemptive work for fallen man and broke the covenant between man and death and hell u restawrata (imfejjaq) fallen mankind in his position and relationship with God by faith and regeneration in Christ, and from the light and the life in Christ, they could walk again with God through His Spirit and show Him that they do believe Him through obedience to His Word.
The new man was no longer a slave of sin and death. But through Christ and His blood the new man was made a slave of righteousness and life.
The result of repentance and regeneration
As a result of repentance and Riġenerazzjoni man would no longer walk according to his old rebellious nature and sinful flesh in disobedience to God and His word in darkness in sin. But the regenerated man would walk according to his new godly nature after the Spirit in obedience to God and His word in the light in righteousness.
God warned Adam for the evil and death, and Jesus also warned His disciples for the evil and death.
During Jesus’ walk with His disciples, He didn’t so much spoke evil about the words of the religious leaders – and the people of the house of Israel, but about the fruits of their lives.
Their works testified of them and indicated to whom they belonged and whom they served.
Do people bear the fruit of repentance and regeneration?
Ġwanni l-Battista knew this principle. He preached repentance and also spoke about the fruit of repentance, which must be visible in a person’s life.
If a person repents, the fruits will change. The fruits prove that someone repented.
If the fruits of someone’s life remain the same and are the same fruits as before the repentance, then the fruits testify that the person has not repented.
The same applies in the Patt ġdid to the rebirth in Christ.
If people come to the knowledge of the truth and by faith become a new creation, huma no longer sinners u wlied ix-xitan, imma saru wlied Alla (Dan japplika kemm għall-irġiel kif ukoll għan-nisa) and their fruits will change.
They shall no longer do the works of the flesh and live in sin (ribelljoni u diżubbidjenza lejn Alla) but through regeneration and qdusija, the person shall bear the fruit of the Spirit and of righteousness and walk in righteousness.
Why did Jesus warn His disciples for false prophets?
Jesus warned for false prophets, who looked like sheep from the outside, imma ġewwa kienu ravenous wolves.
When Jesus spoke with His disciples about the time before His return, Jesus warned again for the false prophets and Christs that would arise and do great signs and wonders and deceive many. They could even deceive the chosen ones, if God would not shorten the time.
Dan ifisser, that from the outside, these false prophets and Christs look like (imwieled mill-ġdid) dawk li jemmnu, who are appointed by God and act from God and His Spirit, partly due to the signs and wonders they perform, but inwardly they are not.
Mill-mod, this not only refers to false prophets, but also to false apostles, false evangelists, false shepherds, and false teachers in the church.
They are charismatic speakers and their words and message (sermons) seem like they are from God and contain the truth of God, but in that truth is a hidden lie, whereby they change the truth into a lie and deceive believers.
Their outward appearance and their pious words, sinjali u jistaqsi, look so real and godly, that even the chosen ones have difficulty to discern them from the true servants and witnesses of Christ.
How can you discern true prophets and Christians from false prophets and Christians?
Madankollu, Jesus gave one simple example on how we could discern true prophets and Christians from false prophets and Christians and that’s by their fruit.
Oqgħod attent mill-profeti foloz, li jiġu għandek b’ilbies tan-nagħaġ, imma ġewwa huma ilpup ravening. Intom tagħrfuhom mill-frott tagħhom. L-irġiel jiġbru għeneb tax-xewk, jew it-tin tat-tul? Hekk ukoll kull siġra tajba tagħti frott tajjeb; imma siġra korrotta tagħti frott ħażin. Siġra tajba ma tistax tagħti frott ħażin, lanqas siġra korrotta ma tista’ tagħti frott tajjeb. Kull siġra li ma tagħtix frott tajjeb hija mqaxxra, u mitfugħa fin-nar. Għalhekk mill-frott tagħhom intom tagħrfuhom
Mattew 7:15-20
know that the fruits of the tree testify of the tree
You should know that the fruits of the tree testify of the tree. The fruits testify what kind of tree it is, the health of the tree, and the life of the tree.
You can stand in front of an apple tree and say to a pedestrian that the tree is a pear tree, but the pedestrian will look at you thinking you’re crazy and maybe even comment that you are insane. Because if you say that an apple tree is a pear tree, while the apples hang on the tree, you’re confused.
The apples bear witness that it’s an apple tree and not a pear tree.
Għalhekk, you may wonder if many Christians are also not confused by saying that people, who persevere in sin and keep doing the works of the flesh, are born again and walk after the Spirit.
Christians even worship leaders in the church, who live in disobedience to God’s word and commandments, and exalt them and put them on a pedestal.
Mexxejja tal-Knisja, who lie, sexual abuse others (inklużi t-tfal), jikkommettu żína, adulterju, jkollhom relazzjonijiet omosesswali, huma divorced, jgħixu flimkien mhux miżżewġin, jisraq, tikkommetti frodi, idolatrija, sħaħar, and live as pagans (id-dinja) .
People can give themselves all kinds of names and titles, but the name and title don’t testify of their qualification and their faith, life and sonship, but the fruits of someone’s life testify of someone’s faith, life and sonship.
If the fruits don’t correspond with the name and title, then a name and title don’t mean a thing.
The two fathers, two spirits and two kinds of fruits
There are two fathers, two spirits, and two kinds of fruits. Let’s begin with fallen man aka the old man (il-ħolqien il-qadim).
The ruler of the world is the devil and the father of the children of wrath. The spirit of this world abides in his children. The children of the devil live in rebellion and diżubbidjenza lejn Alla u kliemu. They obey the words of their father and what the world says.
The sons of the devil are worldly and love sin and hate righteousness.
They bear the fruit of the flesh (the unrighteous works of the sinful flesh in which death reigns).
Sons of the devil are prideful and want to keep doing the works of the flesh because they love them.
They object against the word of God and eliminate every command of God, which is part of the Royal Law of His Kingdom, fejn isaltan Ġesù Kristu.
In contrary to the new man, who are sons of God and love the Word. Huma ħobb lil Alla fuq kollox, whereby they live in obedience to His word in His will.
The sons of God love righteousness and hate sin. They bear the fruit of the Spirit and do righteous works.
In the world, dnub, unrighteousness and death reign. Fil-Knisja ta’ Kristu, righteousness and life reign.
Għalhekk, the works of people bear witness to whom they belong and whom they serve.
Jesus warned man, Eżatt bħal missieru
Just like God warned man for the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and forbade man to eat from that tree, because the fruit carried the death, Jesus also warned His disciples for the fruit of the false prophets and Christs (and the apostles for the false prophets and false teachers), who carry the death within them. Because through their lies they don’t’t lead the believers to obedience to God to a righteous life and eternal life, but disobedience to God and shameful acts and hel.
If Christians, including apostles, evanġelisti, profeti, shepherds, u l-għalliema, keep doing the works of the flesh and bear the fruit of the flesh, then they don’t belong to God but the devil.
Through their works they testify that they are not servants of righteousness but servants of unrighteousness and fulfill the lusts and desires of their flesh.
The servants of righteousness vs the servants of unrighteousness
Servants of Christ are born of God and belong to Him and are witness of Christ and obey Him and keep His commandments (which are also the commandments of the Father). They are servants and workers of righteousness and walk in righteousness and bear the fruit of the Spirit.
Servants of the devil are only born of the corrupt seed of man and belong to the devil. They are witnesses of themselves. Għalhekk, they speak of themselves and speak and act from their carnal mind and feelings. They are servants and workers of iniquity and want to fulfill their carnal lusts and desires and therefore walk in unrighteousness and bear the fruit of the flesh which is sin.
Nies, who don’t believe that Jesus solved the sin problem and refuse to submit to Jesus Christ and love the things which are evil and keep doing the things that are an abomination to God and are considered evil, and do the things that oppose God’s will, don’t have the same Spirit as God. Għax kulħadd, who is born of God doesn’t habitually live in sin. (lill-. 1 John 3:4-11; 5:18-23)).
Jafu dan, li l-anzjan tagħna huwa msallab miegħu, biex il-ġisem tad-dnub ikun meqrud, li minn issa 'l quddiem m'għandniex naqdu d-dnub. Għax min hu mejjet jinħeles mid-dnub
Rumani 6:6-7
Int taf is-siġra bil-frott tagħha
Ġesù qal, you shall know the tree by its fruits, which means that you should look at their fruits (their lives). Because only through their fruits you can discern and know whether they are born again and belong to Christ or they belong to the devil.
Do they love God above all and do they live according to His will? Do they have peace with God and are they content, kuntenti, pazjent, and long suffering? And do they obey the Word and are they faithful to Christ?
Is their marriage in honor and their bed undefiled?
Do they preach from the Spirit the true gospel of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God as is written in the Bible? Do they call the people to repentance and a holy life in submission to the Head Jesus Christ?
Or do they love themselves and are they prideful, selfish and greedy for gain, and do they live according to the will and desires of their flesh in idolatry, sħaħar, sexual uncleanness and commit adultery?
Do they live together unmarried? Are they divorced or live separately from their spouse and have multiple partners?
Do they live in anger, nuqqas ta’ maħfra, and are they jealous at others, and do they lie, jisraq, frodi, covet, tixrob, mistreat, U … (imla l-vojt (lill-. 1 Korintin 6:9-20; Efesin 4; Galatin 5:19-22; Kolossin 3:5-10)).
Do they preach from their carnal mind and vain thoughts a manmade gospel and do they use the same words and message as the world, which only focus on prosperity and wealth for man and his earthly life, and do they promise and preach a liberty that leads to sin and bondage?
The deadly fruit of the false prophets and christs
The fruit of the mouth of false prophets and Christs are not Spirit and life, but are carnal and carries the death. Their words won’t lead to eternal life, but just like the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil in the Garden of Eden lead to eternal death.
God was aware of it, Jesus was aware of it, His disciples were aware of it, but are you aware of it?
Let us take the warning of Jesus seriously and obey His voice and prevent His Body from being defiled by these false apostles, profeti, evanġelisti, pastors u għalliema, who may look religious and charismatic on the outside and use the right religious words and are eloquent speakers and do great signs and wonders and have great succes, meanwhile they are inwardly still the old man, who live lascivious lives and love the (Pagan) world and its practices and walk in sin and keep doing the works of the flesh without someone intervering them.
‘Kun il-melħ tal-art’
