Probable Cause.

Thus you will know them by their fruits. Mathew 7:20

In law, a reasonable amount of suspicion, supported by circumstances sufficiently strong enough to support a prudent person’s belief that certain facts are probably true gives the police probable cause to make an arrest or conduct a personal or property search. The observation of behavior over time has often been used as the basis for generalizations about character, beliefs and attitudes. It should come as no surprise to the Christian that the world puts greater stock in the evidence represented by our actions than our words.

Matthew writes that a sound tree bears good fruit while and evil tree bears bad fruit. We live perilous times for Christians. In most places Christians have not been persecuted but rather diluted. We laugh at the same jokes, go to the same parties, use the same language and drink the same adult beverages. So complete is our assimilation that one might not find probable cause to accuse us as being Christians. If we belong to Christ, there has to be substantial evidence that we are his followers. We need to make sure we don’t compromise ourselves and cause fellow-believers to stumble and unbelievers to turn away by our disobedience to the word of God.

My prayer for you today is that you leave evidence all around you of your belief in God.

Deacon Larry Woodard