Wednesday, July 3, 2013

A CHRISTIAN IS RECOGNISABLE BY HIS WORKS

"Not all of those who say: Lord! Lord! will enter into Heaven, but only those who do the Will of my Father, who is in Heaven."

Listen to these words of the Master, all those who repel the Spiritist Doctrine as the work of the devil. Open your ears because the moment to listen has arrived.

Is it sufficient to carry the uniform of the Lord in order to be His faithful servant? Is it enough to say: 'I am a Christian', for anyone to be a follower of Christ? Search for the true Christians and you will recognise them by their works. "A good tree cannot give forth bad fruits, nor a bad tree good fruits." "Every tree that does not give forth good fruits will be cut down and cast into the fire." These are the words of the Master. Disciples of Christ, understand them well! What kind of fruits should be given by the tree of Christianity, which is a mighty tree, whose leafy branches cover part of the world with shade, but does not as yet shelter all who should seek refuge around it? Those from the Tree of Life are fruits of life, hope and faith. Christianity, as it has done for many centuries, continues to preach these divine virtues. It uses all its strength to distribute its fruits, but so few pick them! The Tree is always good, but the gardeners are bad. They tried to mould it to their own ideas, to prune it to their necessities. They cut it, diminished it and mutilated it. Having become sterile it does not give forth bad fruits, because it gives forth no fruits at all. The thirsty traveller who stops under its branches looking for the fruits of hope, which are capable of restoring strength and courage, sees only bare branches foretelling a coming storm. In vain he asks for the fruits from the Tree of Life. Only dry leaves fall at his feet. The hands of Man have so tampered with it that it has become scorched.

My dearly beloved, open then your hearts and ears. Cultivate this Tree of Life whose fruits give eternal life. The One who planted it incites you to treat it with love and even yet you will see it give an abundance of its divine fruits. Conserve it just as it was when Christ gave it to you. Do not mutilate it. It wants to cast its immense shade over the Universe, so do not cut its branches. Its tasty fruits fall abundantly so as to satiate the hungry traveller who wishes to reach the end of his journey. Do not gather these fruits in order to leave them to rot, so they are of no use to anyone. "Many are called, but few are chosen." This is because there are monopolizers of the Bread of Life, as there are also of material bread. Do not be one of them: the Tree that gives good fruits must give to everyone. Go then, and seek those who are hungry, lead them under the leafy branches of the Tree of Life and share with them the shelter it offers. "You cannot collect grapes from amongst the thorns." My brothers and sisters, turn away from those who call to you in order to show you the thorns of the way; instead, follow those who will lead you under the shade of the Tree of Life.

The Divine Saviour, the Just par excellence, spoke, and His words will never die: "Not all who say: Lord! Lord! will enter into the Kingdom of Heaven, but only those who do the Will of my Father who is in Heaven."

May the Lord of blessings bless you; may the God of Light illuminate you; may the Tree of Life offer you its abundant fruits! Believe and pray. 

- Simon (Spirit), Bordeaux, 1863.


Excerpted from the Chapter 18 of "The Gospel According to Spiritism" - Allan Kardec

No comments:

Post a Comment