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If you're going by the law, the basis of fruit is how you treat those who are least of all.
Paul said that if righteousness can come by the law, then Christ died in vain.
The Spirit has the role of leading us to obey God.
In Matthew 5:28, Jesus taught something that was more difficult than the law, it says that our intent to lust counts as the action of lust. This this not taught in the law, it is alluded to in Job.
Jesus inaugurated the New Covenant (Lk 20:22, 1 Co 11:25), and then commissioned his apostles to make disciples of all nations (Mt 28:19).
Sounds like humans saying who is of God and who is not instead of God.
They shall be know by their fruits. For it is God that works in us both to will and do His good pleasure. Make us perfect in every good work to do his will, working in us that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. For God has said I will put my laws in our hearts and write them in our minds. So say not in your heart who shall bring it down from above or up from the deep. But say the word is nigh unto thee. In thy mouth and in thy heart that you do it. That is the word of faith in which we preach.
If it's written in our hearts, then it's a different kind of "law" than in a book.
You might want to reread chapter 1 and 2 again. It is not likely that you are understanding it correctly considering this statement of yours.
What do you think the law of sin is?
Exactly.
The law of liberty speaks about treating others as Jesus has treated you. If you fail to do so, you then get judged without mercy i.e. by the mosaic law.
So are you now agreeing that God's law is His instructions for how to bear fruit for Him by teaching us how to treat those who are lest of all? How good or bad of a job that the Israelites followed God's law doesn't change that it is God's instructions for how to bear fruit for Him.
I completely agree that we do not earn our righteousness as the result of obeying God's law and I have never suggested otherwise because that was never one of the reasons for why we should obey it, so that is not contrary to my position.
You are free to think that, but if you are unable to explain how your position is not absurd, then the problem remains with your position. You are more that welcome to explain what it is that is innate to a command not to sin that magnifies sin instead of leading us away from sin or to explain why it is not absurd to think that Paul delighted in causing sin to increase.
Why do you say that the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey God, but stop short of saying that the Spirit has the role of leading us to obey what God has instructed?
The Israelites are a light to the nations either by being an example of what we should do when they obeyed God's law or by being an example of what we should avoid doing when they disobeyed God's law, and we should learn from their example of disobedience what we should avoid doing (1 Corinthians 10:1-13). So regardless of the extent to which the Israelites did what is righteous or wicked, we should still have faith for God to correctly divide between the two through His law in accordance with the leading of the Spirit.
If what you said it correct, then you are arguing that Jesus sinned in violation of Deuteronomy 4:2 and is therefore not our Savior. However, if we correctly understand what is being commanded against by the 7th and 10th Commandments against adultery and coveting in our hearts, then we will not lust after a woman in our hearts, so Jesus was just teaching how to correctly obey those commands as it was originally intended, not adding to or subtracting from the law.
At the same time, there's people who were born into Christian Families, really trying hard ... but didn't get born again. Best to leave this expertise up to God.
No. It's not about a written code, it's about maturing spiritually and participating in the divine nature. This divine nature was given to us on second birth.
Do you affirm or deny that God gave the Israelites instructions for how to participate in the divine nature? For example, if someone obeys the command to love their neighbor as themselves through faith in God, would you affirm or deny that they are bearing fruit for God and that they are participating in the divine nature? God's law is spiriteual (Romans 7:14), while works of the flesh are contrary to it. For example, in Galatians 5:19-22, everything listed as works of the flesh that are against the Spirit are also against God's law, while all of the fruits of the Spirit are aspect of the divine nature that are in accordance with it
Oh, I'm not saying I can judge who's of God and who's not-but good fruit is pretty necessary as evidence, while all different for each person most likely, depending on individual circumstances.
I agree with the concept of Good fruit in the context most Catholic teaching says you need to express Christian love.
I disagree with the premise of your question, thus will not provide any answer to it. There are two covenants, and two sets of providence from God. The requirements of those participating in the second covenant, cannot be reached by using the providence from the first.
