Brumar,
There is some clarification needed. In looking for your answers you said:
He dug up some quotations which showed Hitler and some other Nazis combining a claimed allegiance to Christianity with their well-known hatred toward the Jews.
This is not just for you, but for all of us. Hitler could have called himself a christian. So could the other nazis. So could have Lt. Calley, so could have Emile, so could have I, or TLC, or ...well you get the picture.
Point being, anyone can call themselves whatever they wish, and in the age of inquisitions even many were killed in the Name of the Lord(supposedly in the Name) . Yet now, I do not think I have EVER seen or heard anyone say that any of the killing in the inquisition was justified because it was "church sanctioned" . I think the same should be true for a man like Hitler. He might have said he was a fruit tree, but where was his fruit? Was not his fruit death, misery, hatred, etc??
Why would anyone call such man christian? Because he made an oath? or received baptism? or took communion?
It is plain to read that the fruit of the Spirit is evident in a Christian.
(Mat 3:8 NIV) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.
(Mat 3:10 NIV) The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
(Mat 7:16 NIV) By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles?
(Mat 7:17-20 NIV) Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
(Mat 12:33 NIV) "Make a tree good and its fruit will be good, or make a tree bad and its fruit will be bad, for a tree is recognized by its fruit.
(Mat 21:19 NIV) Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.
(Mat 21:34,43 NIV) When the harvest time approached, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his fruit......."Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.
(Mark 11:13-14 NIV) Seeing in the distance a fig tree in leaf, he went to find out if it had any fruit. When he reached it, he found nothing but leaves, because it was not the season for figs. Then he said to the tree, "May no one ever eat fruit from you again." And his disciples heard him say it.
(Luke 3:8-9 NIV) Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire."
(Luke 6:43-44 NIV) "No good tree bears bad fruit, nor does a bad tree bear good fruit. Each tree is recognized by its own fruit. People do not pick figs from thornbushes, or grapes from briers.
(Luke 13:6-9 NIV) Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree, planted in his vineyard, and he went to look for fruit on it, but did not find any. So he said to the man who took care of the vineyard, 'For three years now I've been coming to look for fruit on this fig tree and haven't found any. Cut it down! Why should it use up the soil?'"'Sir,' the man replied, 'leave it alone for one more year, and I'll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit next year, fine! If not, then cut it down.'"
(Luke 20:10 NIV) At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants so they would give him some of the fruit of the vineyard. But the tenants beat him and sent him away empty-handed.
(Luke 22:18 NIV) For I tell you I will not drink again of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes."
(John 15:2 NIV) He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes so that it will be even more fruitful.
(John 15:4-5 NIV) Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me. "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing.
(John 15:8 NIV) This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.
(John 15:16 NIV) You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit--fruit that will last. Then the Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.
(Rom 7:4-5 NIV) So, my brothers, you also died to the law through the body of Christ, that you might belong to another, to him who was raised from the dead, in order that we might bear fruit to God. For when we were controlled by the sinful nature, the sinful passions aroused by the law were at work in our bodies, so that we bore fruit for death.
(Gal 5:22 NIV) But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
(Eph 5:9 NIV) (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth)
(Col 1:10 NIV) And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
(Heb 13:15 NIV) Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise--the fruit of lips that confess his name.
(James 3:17 NIV) But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.
(Rev 18:14 NIV) "They will say, 'The fruit you longed for is gone from you. All your riches and splendor have vanished, never to be recovered.'
dan |
