2Cor. 5:17 - What this means is that those who become Christians become new persons. They are not the same anymore, for the old life is gone. A new life has begun! This "new life" will display the fruit that originates in the power and virtues of God.

How can you tell if what you are looking at is an apple tree? The way you tell is by the kind of fruit it bares. If what you see being produced by the tree looks like pears then it's not an apple tree you've got, it's a pear tree. The same holds true with people! It's possible for people to think they're a Christian! They may even go to church on Sundays! Maybe they even sing in the choir! Maybe they're even in a leadership position! But when their life is held up to the Word of God, the fruit being displayed is not consistent with that of a "tree of righteousness".

It's a right and a good thing for us to examine ourselves to see if we really do have the life of Christ within us! 2Co 13:5 - Examine yourselves to see if your faith is really genuine. Test yourselves. If you cannot tell that Jesus Christ is among (in) you, it means you have failed the test. To the Ephesian Believers the Apostle Paul said these words. Eph 4:24 - You must display a new nature because you are a new person, created in God's likeness-righteous, holy, and true. To the Galatians he said, "It doesn't make any difference now whether we have been -circumcised or not. What counts is whether we really have been changed into new and different people."

Clearly it doesn't really matter what denomination you belong to or how many times you go to church! It doesn't matter so much if you're a part of the latest move of God or not! What really matters to God is "have you been changed into a new person". What really matters is are you growing in Christ likeness! Are you maturing and bearing fruit produced in your life by the power of God. Oh someone might say "well I'm filled with the Spirit and speak in other tongues". Well, great, but is your life changed! Are you growing in the fruit of the Holy Spirit? The spiritual rubber must meet the road of practical living in such a way that God is being glorified through our actions. This is how our love for is manifest. Love, like faith, requires actions to verify its quantity and quality.