Gospel Reflections #584: Behind the work in our hearts

Matthew 7:20 "Thus you will recognize them by their fruits."

We human beings recognize a parent and child by, for example, the similarity of their faces. Surely, it is not only in their outward appearance, but we will also find similarities in the way they speak, behave, and act.

Isaac made the same mistake as Abraham. They pretended that their wives were their sisters in order to protect themselves.

We have been made sons of God through Jesus' redemption and by believing and accepting it.

God's children come to resemble God the Father. We are not blood related to God the Father, but we are spiritually connected.

So we are led by the Holy Spirit to resemble the character of God.

But it is not something we notice, but we are slowly and imperceptibly changed by the power of the Holy Spirit.

And at Jesus' second coming, we will be led into the complete likeness of God and be identified with the Son of God through the fruit of the Holy Spirit.

This is not something we can do by our good deeds or efforts, but by the work of the Holy Spirit, and as long as we do not reject His work, we will be filled with His guidance and be transformed.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This Gospel Reflections page is written by Masae San, who resides in Hiroshima, Japan. Masae is a dedicated student of the Bible with a deep passion for the Gospel of Jesus Christ. She shares her daily reflections on Gospel perspectives to reach out to others and spread the message of God's true love through a Christ-centered approach. We are sharing her insights here so that you, too, can experience the joy that comes from knowing and understanding the true Gospel and the love of God through Jesus Christ.