Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourself, “We have Abraham as our father,” for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! (Luke 3:8)
There’s no point in saying “Jesus changed my life” if your life hasn’t really changed. Anyone can pray a prayer at a youth camp or an altar call and feel like they’re a brand new person.
True salvation is evidenced not by “feeling brand new” in our heart (though that’s a nice bonus), but by becoming brand new in the real world.
This doesn’t mean that if we aren’t instantly changed in every area that our salvation is a sham. Rather, it means that instead of using Jesus as a free pass to live like we used to, we follow Him as an empowering example to live like we should.
–Pastor Phillip
