between the spiritual and carnal among the people of God. John is separating the sheep and the goats. Although his primary purpose is to give true believers a biblical assurance of salvation, he subsequently exposes those who profess faith in Christ, yet remain unconverted. For many today, this is a hard saying and difficult to accept. Nevertheless, John is simply following a teaching and pattern established by the Lord in Matthew 7:17–19: the proof of a good tree is the good fruit it bears, for