How can I see beyond appearances?

Matthew 7:16-21“You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. . . . A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. . . . Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions. “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven.”

1 John 4:1-3Dear friends, do not believe everyone who claims to speak by the Spirit. You must test them to see if the spirit they have comes from God. For there are many false prophets in the world.

God’s people must be “fruit inspectors,” looking beyond appearances and words to the actual by-products of a person’s behavior and character. Obedience to the Bible is an essential test of authentic faith in Jesus Christ. Good works alone are not sufficient. One’s words and visible works must match their character and conduct.