What makes an apple an apple? Is it defined by its shape, color, scent or flavor? Of course not. Think about it. Suppose you have a piece of wax that has been molded and colored to look like a real apple. Someone may say to you, "I like that apple you have there" referring to the decorative wax object. You realize that the word apple was used because of the general shape, color and size of the wax object. No one could argue that the object itself is not real, it is just not a real apple. In a similar illustration, suppose that you had a beautiful framed painting of an apple hanging on a wall in your house or apartment. One may remark, "What a nice apple you have hanging on your wall." You would understand that the person was referring to the picture and not a literal apple.

The fact of the matter is that we all know what real apples are even though they come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and colors. There are Red Delicious and Granny Smith apples, sweet apples and tart apples, baking apples and apples that are just good to snack on by themselves. And although you may find an apple that is not pretty at all by comparison to other apples (even wax ones), their appearance does not make them less of an apple.

There are all manner of things around us today that are made to appear real or are referred to as something that they are not. Sometimes we call this fiction, other times we call it deception. There are fictitious books, films, people, places and so on. Children are often confused as to what is real and what is not. We often hear the remark, "You can't believe everything you hear," and what good advice this is.

Because we relate so to the physical realm, as we mature, we become more adept at discerning truth from fiction in the world around us. However, it is difficult for most of us to discern what is real and what is not real in the spiritual realm. In fact, we are a people that are very easily deceived spiritually because we have little understanding (Luke 24:45, Ephesians 4:18). Many people today are religious. For sure, religion has played a big role in the history of the world. But, being religious is not synonymous with being saved (Matthew 7:22-23). There are many examples in the Bible of people who were religious but not saved. Think of Saul (later named Paul) in the New Testament. Saul was one of the most religious men of his day. Being zealous or having great zeal for God does not make one saved (Romans 10:2). Saul discovered that what he thought was real about God was not real at all. The Lord said that many religious people would not be allowed into heaven. In fact, He said that relatively few people would be saved (Matthew 7:14).

We are not to forsake examining ourselves spiritually to see if we be in the faith (II Corinthians 13:5). What is your testimony? When did God show you beyond doubt that you were lost? When did you repent? When did you first believe with saving faith? What is the difference in faith that does not save and faith that does? What did God do the day you got saved? The question is, "Are you a real child of God?"

Back to the question, 'What makes an apple an apple?' It is an apple only because it is the fruit yielded by the apple tree. It is what it is only by virtue of where it came from. Similarly, we are what we are by virtue of where we come from. We are either born of God or we are of the world. We are children of God or children of the devil (I John 3:10). It does not matter what we look like, sound like, or act like. In fact, there may be some people who look more like Christians than real Christians do. The bottom line question is, "Whose fruit am I?"