I believe that every person goes through a transitional season in life where joy, tears, pain, and even heartbreak can take place. This is especially true when relationships are broken, lost, or at times introduced.
If you find yourself wondering why some people have been removed from your life, these are a few of the most common reasons.
Why They May Have Left
1. Your Season Has Changed
The Bible says that when Moses died and manna stopped, it was time for Joshua to step into the Promised Land (Joshua 1:2). In other words, sometimes a person leaving is God’s way of notifying us that we are stepping into a new season.
2. They (Place or People) Have Become Toxic
In Exodus 1:11, we see that Egypt was a place of provision for Israel at one time, but soon it became a place of pain and as a result, they needed to leave. Similarly, there are times when God will remove people out of your life because the connection you have with them is no longer helpful, or the place you are in is causing more harm than good.
3. You Are Being Pruned for More Fruit
John 15:2 says that we are pruned in order to bear more fruit. Sometimes relationships must be stripped away from us in order for us to be more effective in the area where God is leading us into.
4. They Block Your Vision
A great example of this is found in Genesis 13:14, when Lot separates from Abraham. The word “Lot” actually means veil, and I find it interesting that after the separation, Abraham is able to receive God’s direction clearly. Often, the same can happen with us after we lose certain relationships.
5. They Have Become an Idol
Another reason for the loss of a relationship could be that you came to rely on them more than you relied on God, turning them into an idol in your heart. We see in Judges 7:2 that God didn’t use Gideon until people left.
Some people are like crutches we lean on them more than we do God.
When they leave, it’s time to advance, not retreat.
6. God Has Another Plan For Them
Another example is found in Exodus 4:18. Here we see that Moses left his father-in-law’s house because Moses had an assignment to fulfill that required him to leave the house of Jethro (Exodus 4:18).
Sometimes it is no other reason than God leading them in a different direction and we must be at peace with that.
7. God Wants to Bring Someone Else
Lastly, we see in Scripture that the disciples had become familiar and comfortable with Jesus. They loved being able to talk, walk, and eat with Him. However, in John 16:7 He tells them that it is necessary for Him to leave in order for the Holy Spirit to come.
In the same way, at times it is to our advantage that some people be removed so God can introduce others that are meant to take us further in our walk with Him.
Sometimes people are in our lives for a season, while others for a reason.
I hope these reasons brought some clarity to any questions that you may have been struggling with. May God usher you into your new season with grace and blessing.
Many times, unexplainable circumstances, death, or sickness visits us or the people close to us. And the reality is that life is not always good. It’s during these difficult trials that a lot of people lose their faith in God. The question is: what do you do when you can’t make sense of things?
I hope to help you shed some light on how God desires us to go through these unexplainable times.
Seasons In Everyone’s Life
There are seasons where we walk through the valley of the shadow of death (Pslams 23:4), and face the tribulations mentioned in John 16:33, but the Lord says to “be of good cheer,” not because it won’t hurt but because He has overcome the world.
God wants to teach us not only to celebrate our victories but learn to walk through things without them destroying our faith. Hebrews 11:6 says “it is impossible to please God,” not without understanding, but “without faith” (Ephesians 1:18, 4:18).
Truths About Suffering
There are four truths about suffering that I want to share with you.
Sin brought suffering, not God.
God used suffering to bring salvation.
God will end all suffering on the earth.
God uses suffering to refine us and if we do not refuse it, to define us.
Suffering is unavoidable because of sin.
As Christians, we have the promise that one day it will end. While we are here, however, we must learn how God teaches us to deal with suffering. His way will ensure healing and growth.
What To Do When You Don’t “Understand”
Hebrews 11:3 says that it’s “by faith we understand.” The starting point for our “understanding” as Christians is not in trying to understand the situation first, but in trusting God. God is asking you today, through your situation, “Can you trust Me?”
The world tries to understand things before understanding who God is. That’s why their understanding gets darkened and they think things like, “God doesn’t love me”, “God must be mean because He didn’t stop something from happening.”
You can’t dwell with God based on your understanding. You could only do that if He was just like you. But He is not like anything He created. What is the point of worshipping someone like you? Why trust somebody who has your limitations, weaknesses, and strengths?
Proverbs 3:5 says, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding.” Until I settle into the seat of trust, His understanding cannot lead me.
My friend, if you try and understand the “why” and the “how” of every unfortunate circumstance, you will be left confused and clouded, doubting the goodness of God. But, if you settle in God’s truth, His understanding will guide your life.
Trust Him. Trust that He loves you and died on the cross for your salvation. And even if things in this world don’t turn out the way you planned, prayed, or asked, God is still in control and in the end, God will settle the score.
How To Deal With Suffering
We have to enlighten our understanding with the truth of God’s Word.
After Jesus’ resurrection, He enlightened the disciples’ minds by explaining the Scriptures. The problem happens when we take our theology from what we want to happen, instead of from the truth the Bible reveals to us.Instead of your mind creating an idea about God based on the current circumstances, allow the Word of God to show you the truth about who He is.
For example, if you ask yourself, “How do I know that He loves me?” the answer is because He did not allow sin to take its final course. “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son” (John 3:16). Jesus loves you; He never stops loving you. That’s what the Truth says.
What Suffering Produces
If you are suffering, take refuge in the truth of this Scripture found in Romans 5:3-5, “…But we also glory in tribulations, knowing that tribulation produces perseverance; and perseverance, character; and character, hope. Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.”
When you learn to glory in your tribulation, you begin to grow in God more. Not only in your character but in your hope. This hope will be what leads unbelievers to Christ, “be ready to give a defense to everyone who asks you a reason for the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
Word of Advice
The Bible says, “In all this, you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in all kinds of trials. These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed” (1 Peter 1:6-7).
I encourage you when God removes the suffering, praise Him. But if suffering doesn’t end, if there are things you have to learn to live with – I am not saying to stop praying or give up trusting in God, but learn to suffer well. When the apostle Paul pleaded with the Lord three times to take ‘the thorn in the flesh’ away from him, the Lord told him in 2 Corinthians 12:8-10, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I (Paul) will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.”
Sadly there are many false believers who will be expecting to go to Heaven and will be denied entrance. The best way to avoid being one is to make sure you have truly put your trust in Christ alone for salvation.
When you have repented and put your faith in Christ that will lead to a change of life. Follow God and educate yourself with his Word.
Many people follow false teachings from the Bible given by false preachers or they just refuse to obey instructions from God and follow their own minds.
There are many people who throw on the Christian name tag and think by just going to church they will be granted Heaven, which is false. You know there are people like that in your church and especially in the youth today.
You know there are people still having sex outside of marriage, still going to clubs, they still have a continuous willful potty mouth. Hell will be worse for these people than atheists. They are just Sunday Christians and they don’t care about Christ. Am I saying that a Christian is perfect? No. Can a Christian backslide? Yes, but there will be growth and maturity in a true believers life because it is God working in them. They won’t just remain in darkness if they are the Lord’s sheep because God will discipline them and also His sheep hear His voice.
Fake Christians quotes
Laurence J Peter – “Going to church doesn’t make you a Christian any more than going to the garage makes you a car.”
“Don’t let your lips and your lives preach two different messages.”
“Your most powerful testimony is how you treat others after the church service is over.”
“What a heartbreak it would be to live an “almost” Christian life, then “almost” get into heaven.”
Beware, there are many fake Christians
1. Matthew 15:8 These people honour me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me.
2. Isaiah 29:13 And so the Lord says, “These people say they are mine. They honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. And their worship of me is nothing but man-made rules learned by rote.
3. James 1:26 If a person thinks that he is religious but can’t control his tongue, he is fooling himself. That person’s religion is worthless.
4 1 John 2:9 Those who say that they are in the light but hate other believers are still in the dark.
5. Titus 1:16 They claim to know God, but they deny him by what they do. They are detestable, disobedient, and unfit to do anything good.
Fake Christians don’t care about God’s Word
Fake Christians sin on purpose saying, “I’ll just repent later” and disobey God’s teachings. Even though we are all sinners and we still struggle with sin, Christians don’t live a lifestyle of willfully and deliberately sin.
6. 1 John 2:4 Whoever says, “I know him,” but does not do what he commands is a liar, and the truth is not in that person.
7. 1 John 3:6 Those who live in Christ don’t go on sinning. Those who go on sinning haven’t seen or known Christ.
8. 1 John 3:8-10 The person who practices sin belongs to the evil one, because the Devil has been sinning from the beginning. The reason that the Son of God was revealed was to destroy what the Devil has been doing. No one who has been born from God practices sin, because God’s seed abides in him. Indeed, he cannot go on sinning, because he has been born from God. This is how God’s children and the Devil’s children are distinguished. No person who fails to practice righteousness and to love his brother is from God.
9. 3 John 1:11 Dear friend, do not imitate what is evil but what is good. Anyone who does what is good is from God. Anyone who does what is evil has not seen God.
10. Luke 6:46 Why do you call me Lord but don’t do what I tell you?
Fake Christians think that there is another way to get into heaven besides Jesus.
11. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.”
True Christians love Jesus and have new desires and affection for Him.
12. John 14:23-24 Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching. My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them. Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.”
13. 1 John 2:3 We know that we have come to know him if we keep his commands.
14. 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come.
Fake Christians are hypocrites
Even though the Bible says we are to lovingly, kindly, and gently go to our brothers and sisters alone to correct them of their sins, how can you do that, but you’re doing the same thing as them just as much or even more than them? People who do things for show such as give to the poor and other acts of kindness to be seen by others are also hypocrites.
15. Matthew 7:3-5 Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye? Or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when there is the log in your own eye? You hypocrite, first take the log out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to take the speck out of your brother’s eye.
16. Matthew 6:1-2 Beware of practicing your righteousness before other people in order to be seen by them, for then you will have no reward from your Father who is in heaven. Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward.
17. Matthew 12:34 You brood of vipers, how can you who are evil say anything good? For the mouth speaks what the heart is full of.
18. Matthew 7:21-23 “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness.’
19. 1 Corinthians 6:9-10 Or do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived: neither the sexually immoral, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor men who practice homosexuality, nor thieves, nor the greedy, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor swindlers will inherit the kingdom of God.
20. Revelation 22:15 Outside are the dogs, those who practice magic arts, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
Fake Christians are false preachers and false prophets just like the cast of Preachers of LA.
21. 2 Corinthians 11:13-15 For such men are false apostles, deceitful workmen, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. So it is no surprise if his servants, also, disguise themselves as servants of righteousness. Their end will correspond to their deeds.
22. Jude 1:4 For certain people have crept in unnoticed who long ago were designated for this condemnation, ungodly people, who pervert the grace of our God into sensuality and deny our only Master and Lord, Jesus Christ.
23. 2 Peter 2:1 But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.
24. Romans 16:18 For they that are such serve not our Lord Jesus Christ, but their own belly; and by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.
Reminders
25. 2 Timothy 4:3-4 For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths.
In Mark 12 the Bible tells of a time when some men were sent to try to trap Jesus. They asked Him directly about taxes – should the Israelite people pay Romans taxes? They knew that there was no good way out of the question: if Jesus said the people shouldn’t have to pay taxes, He’d be in big trouble with the Roman government. If He said they should pay taxes, then the people would revolt against Him. It seemed like He was trapped in an IMPOSSIBLE situation – two ways to go, and neither was good!
Sometimes I’ve noticed I’ll hit a situation where it’ll seem like there’s no good answer – for example, some difficult situation where I have to make one of two or three choices, and all the options I can take ALL seem like they aren’t good choices, having bad consequences. It can tempt me to be anxious and tempt me to fear whatever step I have to take next. Another phrase for it is called “Being in a ‘bind’.”
And I saw that in this situation where Jesus was being questioned – it seemed like there was NO good exit for Him.
But in Mark 12:16-17 – when I see Jesus’ answer there, that there was a Word from God which was the PERFECT Word for that situation, which was a way out of a situation which looked like it clearly had zero good options:
“Whose image is on this coin? Give to Ceasar what is Ceasar’s and God what is God’s”
The Holy Spirit gave Jesus that Word – the perfect word; Such a simple word which defused what looked like an impossible situation.
And it encouraged me – we can sometimes feel like there’s an impossible situation, but there’s NO situation which God doesn’t have the perfect answer to, and a way for us through it. Nobody ever came to Jesus with a problem where He didn’t have an answer, and Jesus never went to the Father without receiving an answer. And it blessed me to realize – I don’t have to either!
The only reason why I’ve struggled so much previously is because I didn’t go to God to get that answer. But if I go – He will provide. It’s similar to when Jesus was asked about the adulteress in John 8 – another tricky question. But Jesus stooped on the ground and didn’t answer right away. So they pressed Him. What was He doing? I think He was hearing from the Father in that moment!
It’s also similar to when a crowd of people tried to throw Jesus off a cliff. It says He “passed through their midst” (Luke 4:28-30)
How did ALL the people who filled a whole synagogue let one man pass through them? I picture it as He just walked through this big crowd, and God put a restraint on every single person there, they couldn’t touch Him… perhaps they were sort of frozen – like how God kept Lion’s mouths shut for Daniel.
It showed me that God will provide the perfect way out in impossible situations – He will cause things, He will restrain things, He will give supernatural strength we didn’t have before, He will open ways, He will close paths. Things which we can’t even think of!
Isaiah 43:19 “Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert.”
God will make a way where there was no way.
Impossible situations will come – it looks like NO good path forward is there.
But God will provide.
And I see the challenge for me is: Praise the Lord BEFORE I see the way, because God will make a way.
Isaiah 43:21 “The people whom I formed for Myself Will declare My praise.”
What are the seven fruits of repentance and how do you know that you have them? This is the question you may be having as you are reading this.
And if you are such a person who wants to know if your repentance is genuine, then this article is for you and by the end of it, you will know if you are truly saved or not.
With that said, let’s dive into our main topic on the seven fruit of repentance that will help you if you are truly saved and on your way to heaven or not.
What Are Fruits Of Repentance?
The fruits of repentance are simply good works or fruits of righteousness that one produces when one truly repents of their sins and becomes saved.
Without this transformation of the heart, these fruits can’t be produced and in this case, you are just a false convert on your way to hell unless you truly repent.
7 Fruits Of Repentance You Need To Have
Here are the 7 fruits of repentance that every repentant and genuinely born-again Christian shows when they become saved.
Godly Sorrow.
Willing To Forsake One’s Sins.
New Life & New Birth.
Eternal Life.
New Heart.
Baptism.
New Desire For Righteousness.
1. Godly Sorrow
One of the most important fruits of repentance that will show that your repentance is genuine will be godly sorrow for your sins that lead to salvation and the forgiveness of one’s sins (2 Corinthian 7:10).
Godly sorrow simply means feeling sorry and remorseful for your sinful actions and deeds against God because you now realize that sin hurts God.
And it’s this godly sorrow of your sins that will want you to repent and turn away from your sins once and for all because you will now realize that you don’t want to offend the Lord Jesus Christ as sin is offensive to Him.
Without godly sorrow for one’s sins, true repentance that leads to salvation and eternal life cannot occur as this still shows that one is still in love with their sinful lifestyle and has no intention of turning away from it.
The reason why there are so many false converts nowadays in churches is that the people who go to the altar call for repentance are not truly sorry for their sins.
It’s quite amazing that even some people laugh when they go to the altar call to repent when they must be weeping and feeling remorseful for their evil deeds.
And such people can never have real repentance in their lives unless they change their attitude and become serious with God they are offending with their sins. Have godly sorrow if you want to be truly saved as real salvation only comes through godly sorrow that leads to repentance.
2. Willing To Forsake One’s Sins
If your repentance is genuine, you will be willing to forsake your former sinful life to start now following after righteousness and holiness instead.
No longer will your past sinful lifestyle be as appealing and attractive anymore as it was when you were not saved. Living a life of holiness that is above sin is what will become appealing to you now.
Remember, the bible in Proverbs 28:13 states that it’s the one who is willing to repent, confess and forsake their sins that will receive mercy and pardon for their sins.
Sadly, most people only repent but aren’t willing to forsake the old sinful lifestyle that is just leading them to eternal damnation in hellfire as sin only brings death to one’s life (Romans 6:23).
And such people haven’t yet experienced the saving faith of our Lord Jesus Christ as they are not truly pertinent to their sins which is why they return to their old vomit just a few minutes after denouncing them on the altar call in church.
God’s forgiveness of one’s sins will only be made available to those who are willing to turn away from their sins because this is what real repentance is all about.
You can’t say you have genuine repentance in your life if you are still in life with your sins because if you have truly repented of your sins, you will bring forth the fruits of repentance that John the Baptists talks about in Matthews 3:8.
3. New Life & New Birth
Genuine repentance always comes with new birth and a new life one inherits at salvation when one truly repents of their sins.
This new life and new birth in Christ is made possible by the transforming and renewing power of the Holy Spirit that regenerates one’s life to conform to the image of Jesus Christ.
You can’t talk about real repentance without having this new life and birth in Christ Jesus because having a new life is what being born again is all about.
It’s this new birth in Christ that will now make you want to follow after righteousness and holiness of which without, no one will see the Lord or make it for heaven (Hebrews 12:14).
The bible also says in 2 Corinthians 5:17 that if any man is in Christ is a new creature and the old things have passed away and all things have become new.
Implying that as a new creation in Christ, you will have a new life characterized by holiness and righteousness and you will no longer live your old life of sin.
And if you have truly repented of your sins, you will have this new life in Christ that makes you want to live godly in this present evil word by God’s grace that brings salvation to all men and teaches us to deny all forms of ungodliness and worldly lusts(Titus 2:11).
4. Eternal Life
Eternal life is by far the most important fruit of repentance you must have because, without it, you won’t be saved from the coming wrath and Judgment that will come upon all unrepentant sinners.
It’s the most precious gift a saved person has in their arsenal and nothing in this world can equal its value because eternal life is what will make you spend eternity with your heavenly Father in heaven which is full of indescribable joy and happiness not yet available to man
True repentance can’t be without eternal life and if that’s the case then your repentance is fake and a signal that you are not genuinely saved yet with real salvation that always produces fruits of repentance.
If repentance had no eternal life, then it will be futile and useless because in that case, it wouldn’t save you from God’s wrath to come.
And since real repentance always leads to salvation and then eternal life, it, therefore, follows that every truly repentant sinner has eternal life obtained after the forgiveness of their sins at salvation.
So, if you claim to be saved, ensure that you have this eternal life because, without it, you will be eternally doomed in hellfire with the devil and his angels forever.
If you don’t have this eternal life in your life, then you need to closely and carefully examine your Christian life to ensure that you haven’t missed the mark because if you do dear, it’s game over.
5. New Heart
A new heart is also among the most important seven fruits of repentance that will manifest in your life if your repentance is genuine.
Having a new heart, in this case, means that you now have a new Christ-like heart that will make you want to follow after righteousness and live a holy life that is free from sin.
The Lord in Ezekiel 36:26promises to give us a new heart and a new spirit that will make us love and serve Him as well as cleanse us from all the idols that hinder us from serving Him with all our hearts.
It’s this new heart the Lord promises to give us after truly repenting and confessing our sins on the altar call that will enable us to live godly in this present evil world by abstaining from all appearances of evil and worldly lusts (2 Thessalonians 5:17-19).
Naturally, we all have sinful and wicked hearts that make us do bad things we know we must not do due to the sinful nature we all have that we inherited from our first parents when they fell from grace by eating the forbidden fruit.
But after genuine repentance that leads to salvation and thereby eternal life, Jesus will give you a new heart that will be pure and hate sin. Instead of desiring sin, you will now desire righteousness only and no longer walk according to your former sinful lusts of the flesh.
If your repentance is fake, you won’t have this new heart that will make you hate sin and live a life of holiness and purity of heart of which without, you won’t ever see God or go to heaven.
6. Baptism
It’s just a matter of fact that you will want to be baptized to be filled with the Holy Ghost after getting saved by grace through faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, the author of our salvation.
Even God’s word says in Acts 2:38 that true repentance is always followed by baptism in the Holy Spirit that helps us live victorious Christian lives that are above sin.
Without the Holy Spirit that is obtained by baptism in water, you will struggle big time in your Christian life in overcoming evil.
While baptism alone doesn’t save one from sin contrary to what some believe, it signifies that you are now alive in Christ and dead to sin or the old nature that made you sin in the first place.
And this is why you must be baptized after you have obtained mercy and forgiveness of your sins so that you can show to the world that you are now a disciple of Christ.
Secondly, baptism is a commandment from our Lord Jesus Christ as He was baptized in river Jordan by John the Baptist.
If you aren’t willing to be baptized after repenting of your sins, then something is wrong about your repentance that you need to critically examine to see if you are truly saved.
7. New Desire For Righteousness
Wanting to follow after righteousness is another vital fruit of repentance that will manifest if your repentance is genuine.
And this new desire to live a holy life and hate all manner of evil that you once loved will be because of the new heart the Lord has given you at salvation.
If you don’t have this desire to follow after righteousness, then you have not truly repented of your sins or experienced the new birth in Christ to help you live a godly life of holiness.
It’s one of the most important signs that will show if you are truly born again. If you are not saved, you won’t desire to live a holy life, and evil in this case will be more appealing to you.
Sadly, most people claim to be saved but are still in love with their evil ways of unrighteousness but these people are just deceiving themselves, unfortunately.
But if you are truly born again, you will hate and detest the sins you once loved in your old sinful nature and shun them at all costs.
Instead, you will now dedicate your life to living godly in this present evil world which is possible by God’s grace that is more than sufficient for you to do so. Just say no sin, dear.
Conclusion.
These are all the seven fruits of repentance you need to know to help you know if your repentance is genuine or fake.
And if you aren’t exhibiting the above fruits, it clearly shows you aren’t truly saved yet but if you want to be saved and be sure of your salvation, check out this post on how to be saved today.
In closing, if you found this post useful, kindly share it with others so that they can benefit as well just as you have. Thanks and stay blessed.
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