"For no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly"
Romans 2:28

Ok, so maybe none of us reading this are truly Jews. Perhaps you are. Congratulations if so. But, regardless, if anyone is a Christian, or claims to be one, then this is talking about YOU. Israel was the physical entity that we see in the Old Testament go on this roller coaster of events by betraying and abandoning God and his law, being judged, coming back, falling away again, being judged again, etc. They are representative of the New Testament church. Peter alludes to this by saying to the church "you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for his own possession..." (1 Peter 2:9)

Paul makes the statement that Jews aren't really Jews necessarily. This thought process happens all the time in our everyday circumstances at school or work. We have stereotypes of people and races because of the culture we have grown up in. In the South, for instance, you may run across an African American guy who wears glasses, shops at American Eagle, can't dance, and listens to Mozart. His friends would pick on him by saying he's more "white" than "black." I think we've all had some sort of example like this portrayed in our high school careers, so I'll move on to the spiritual principle =).

Not everyone who claims Christ is truly His! The Jews had that problem. Modern day evangelicals have the same one. Just as things like clothes, music preferences, and rhythmic dancing abilities don't make a difference to a person's race, neither do the actions of a person in relation to their claimed spirituality. There are plenty of hell-bound people out there that are tens of thousands times sweeter than a Christian you know. And there are plenty of supposed Christians who can act the right way. Christ calls them white-washed tombs though (Matt. 23:27). Jesus tells the scribes and Pharisees that, although they may be pretty on the outside, they are dead on the inside.

So, no one is a Christian who is merely on outwardly. We are told that we will "know them by their fruit." (Matt. 7:16) And fruit is external. It's visible. It's readily seen. True. But we must not just see fruit hanging from a tree and be done with the examination. It may very well be a tree that is dressed with fruit much like a Christmas tree is decorated with lights and ornaments. True fruit grows. It takes processes for the fruit to bud and then to develop and then to ripen. And, when plucked from the tree, it will be sweet. A fruit bought at the store and hung on a tree will be dead and bitter, even rotten, when you take it to eat of it. Many in our churches see church as the farm market, a place to purchase their fruits to hang them up for another week. You will indeed know them by their fruit, but be careful to watch the fruit develop and grow, and take note of the fruits taste if you ever get a bite.

To wrap things up, Jesus said "everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light lest his deeds should be exposed. But whoever does what is true comes tot he light, so that it may be clearly seen that his deeds have been carried out in God." (John 3:20-21). It is, ultimately, not a matter of what you do or don't do. It is a matter of the heart. Either you hate or love the darkness, and, in turn, hate or love the light. Those are the options Christ leaves us with. If we love the light (Christ; "I am the light of the world."), then we will do what is true, and the light will show that those deeds, those things that are outward, were carried out by the God who is inside us and has given us a new heart (Ezekiel 36) that we may hate the darkness and love the light.

I pray that we all focus less on externals as we seek for God to continue renewing the inner workings of our hearts to the end that he be glorified by both our hearts and the fruits that they produce. Amen.

Grace and peace-