Fruit in Keeping with Repentance

There have been a number who have professed salvation this year in and around our youth ministry, which is awesome. That God would take any and change us from being dead to alive is for Him to show the immeasurable riches of His grace. But how is it that we know that we, or anyone else, are new creatures? Is it possible for us to see the newness of life in another?

We are called to be fruit inspectors and that includes our own fruit. Is there fruit in keeping with repentance? What would that fruit look like? Would there be just a piece here and there, or should it be increasing?

In the lives of some of the kids in our ministry in the past we have seen great transformation. As far as I know none of these kids have really been people we would term as "bad" kids. If they are going to jail every other month and now they are not it is easier to identify the change. Often in our case they are going to church and having the right answers to the questions, but there is just something that doesn't add up. I hope you know what I mean.

But, when God really does get a hold of their life and He makes in them a new creature, then we can really see what a new creature looks like. This has to be the most exciting thing to watch. When the Holy Spirit makes someone alive to the Word and fellowship and prayer, it is obvious. He alone can take our passions and turn them completely around. He can take one who is consumed with video games and make them of no interest. He can take someone who only thinks about work and place ministry in the heart.

In order that this post doesn't get too long; He can change our affections and that is a true indicator of fruit in keeping with repentance. If our affections never change then we must look to see if there is newness of life. We do not have true Heavenly affection before salvation and we should not be consumed with earthly affection after.

May He do a mighty work in our hearts to turn our eyes and hearts toward Him, so that we might live on unseen things and find our delight solely in Him. The Holy Spirit must do that work, but as we ask Him to do this work in us, He delights to bring about the change.