Digging Deep

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. As God works in us both to will and to do according to His good pleasure we are to work that transformation out in newness of life. In Luke 6, Jesus taught that as His disciples set their mind on things above, they will understand their present circumstances from and eternal perspective. He also taught if their hearts are sourced in heavenly love, it will be manifest in word, intent, and deed even to those who hate them. There are to be no Christian Pharisees, but rather disciplers who are forgiving, not condemning; constantly discerning and humbly dealing with their own faults in the presence of a holy God, before they may be used by God to help remove the specks of fault in their brothers. Only as our hearts and minds are transformed by Christ will we have any treasure to share with those around us. “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5, NKJV) The religious person who is not willing to go deep with Jesus, to the heart of every matter, will only build a life of superficialities that will not withstand the trials of life. If our relationship with Christ is digging deep into our “willing” and our “doing”, He is founding our lives upon His bedrock and we shall not be moved when trial come. “For it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure.” (Philippians 2:13, NKJV)

Fruits Worthy of Repentance

Fruitfulness and Repentance. In John 15:5, Jesus says, “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.” The great prophet John, son of Zacharias, was sent to ‘prepare the way of the Lord’ by preaching a baptism of repentance (Luke 3:3ff). In Luke 3:8 he tells the multitudes “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.” 2 Cor. 7:10 “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation, not to be regretted; but the sorrow of the world produces death.” Repentance is more than just sorrow for sin, it’s an action of rejecting sinful patterns, attitudes, actions, etc. (2 Cor. 7:11) Fruitfulness is a work of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-23) in the hearts of those who have faith in Jesus Christ (John 15:5). They believe God enough to act on His word, repenting of the works of the flesh (Gal. 5:19-21) and walking in the Spirit. (Gal. 5:25) Let us walk in the Spirit and so abide in Christ. Gal. 6:7-8 “Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.”