Christian Values aren’t Spiritual Fruit

In a recent Substack post, I explored the need to examine the fruit of our actions so Christlikeness—rather than Christian beliefs—can be our highest aim.

As we begin to look for the fruit in the people, politics, and communities around us, it’s also critical to evaluate whether our own beliefs and actions align. Contrary to cultural rhetoric, having “Christian values” doesn’t equate to producing spiritual fruit.

In fact, we often see people fighting to preserve their own values—in churches, social circles, and the culture at large—more than we see them fight to display Christ’s love, patience, and self-control. And if our actions don’t reflect the loving, just heart of Jesus, we can’t reasonably call the beliefs that inspire them “Christian.”

Today’s post offers a few guiding questions for examining our beliefs to see what fruit they’re producing—and whether it looks like Jesus.

• Does the practical impact of these beliefs look—and feel—like love?
  Especially in the current political climate in which there are many conversations about “Christian” policies, it’s critical to consider how they’ll feel to everyone they’ll impact—not just the ones making the rules or the people supporting them. If said policies look or feel more like punishment than love to the people they impact, then the fruit isn’t Christlike.

• If someone from a different political affiliation or religion were to believe this way, would I perceive their resulting actions as kind, gentle, loving?
  In Western Evangelicalism, there’s a prevailing sense that certain actions are acceptable when carried out by people of their same belief system but unacceptable by everyone else. This is especially true in the ways Christians often protect their own religious freedom while disregarding the same freedoms for others. Jesus modeled what it meant to treat people with dignity, respect, and kindness—regardless of their background and beliefs. May we do the same.

• Who will these beliefs put into action practically help others—and who will they hurt?
  While it’s certainly valuable to consider the positive impacts of our beliefs in the world—such as the ways we’re led to love and serve others—it’s also critical to consider the ways that the fruit doesn’t look loving—such as the ways we may support policies that hurt people whose lives don’t look like ours.

• Are these actions benefitting those in power while harming the poor, marginalized, and oppressed?
  Jesus challenged systemic structures and people in power who used their status to benefit themselves while harming others. As people who follow Him, our beliefs and actions should do the same.

• Do these beliefs and actions align with the Jesus I know?
  Perhaps the simplest and most important question for reflection is simply asking whether our actions reflect the loving Jesus we know.