Finally, we need the fruits of repentance! At least we need to manifest four fruits. The first one is to shut up! When the Lord was about to come, He called Zachariah, John’s father. When he gave him revelation, he became speechless and he had to give a name to his son that no one in his family had ever been given, John. This represents a change of mind, a change of direction! When we repent, we shut up!
Many people leave the Lord’s way! When they come back, we need to see their fruits. What is the first fruit? The first one is shut up! Someone is taking his own way, another way and suddenly is enlightened. Right away this person repents and comes back to fellowship. But in the meeting this one starts saying the same old things as before. Has he really repented? The first fruit of repentance is to be quiet! So what does this person need? This person needs to hear!
The Lord made the disciples become quiet in order to hear His speaking. Peter became quiet and began to listen to the Lord (Matt. 17:5). Paul became quiet and blind and began to listen to the Lord (Acts 22:11, 14). John touched the Lord and became like a dead person in order to listen to the Lord (Rev. 1:17). In these days the Lord needs to make us silent so that we can hear what the Spirit says to the churches!
What is the next step? The next step is to follow the Lord with those who call on the name of the Lord out of a pure heart (2 Tim. 2:22). Who wants to be silent before the Lord? Who wants to hear the Lord? Who wants to follow the Lord? Those who follow the Lord, serve. The four fruits of repentance are being silent, hearing, following and serving in coordination with the saints.
We need to put the practices of our flesh to death (Rom. 8:13). Let us allow the Lord to speak to us, enlighten us in the meetings, in these messages, and in our fellowship. Do not allow the flesh to direct our speaking! Put to death your flesh! Let us hear what the Lord has for us. Let us be with the Lord and finally, let us serve the Lord.
Second Corinthians chapter 6 shows us the fruits of repentance of the church in Corinth regarding the ministry of Apostle Paul. They deviated from the way of the Lord and problems came, but the Lord used the word of the apostle Paul to bring them back. They received Paul’s word and they manifested fruits of repentance. Chapter 7, verse 10 says, “For sorrow according to God works repentance unto salvation, which is without regret; but the sorrow of the world works out death.”
Let us consider what this verse means to us. The word of the Lord comes to us to expose us. Seeing ourselves in the Lord’s light will make us sorrowful. Where should we take this sorrow? We need to take it to the Lord. Let us learn to take all our sorrows to the Lord. If we take sorrow to the world, we will have condemnation and death. If we are sad, we should go to the Lord. If we go to murmur to someone who is in the world, we will touch death. Especially when we are sad because of being enlightened about our living, we need to give it to the Lord.
Repentance begins in the mind and touches our emotion. Repentance is in the sphere of the soul. Because of God’s great kindness, His words enter into us, touch our mind, involve our emotions and the result is sorrow. Where should we go? We must learn to listen to the Lord’s voice! Do not go the world, but to Him! “For sorrow according to God works repentance unto salvation, consolation, encouragement … because “behold this very thing, your being made sorrowful according to God, what earnestness it has worked out in you” (v. 11). That sorrow in your heart according to God encourages your spirit to call on the name of the Lord, seeking to have fellowship with Him. The Lord desires to bring us into His fellowship so that we may gain more of His life.
What a protection we have! We are becoming one with what the Lord is doing, one with His word, one with His ministry, and one with His burden. What a blessing the Lord is giving us! “Indeed what defense, indeed what indignation, indeed what fear, indeed what longing, indeed what zeal, indeed what punishment! In everything you have commended yourselves to be pure in the matter” (v. 11).
We need to forget what is behind! What a blessing it is to fear the Lord. What an honor the Lord is preparing for us! What a place the Lord has prepared to exhort us, to correct us, to bring us back, and to love us! The Lord is not making us sorrowful to condemn us but the Lord makes us sad to save us, to call us, and to make us rise up!
May this be our testimony: “What longing for the normal church life! What longing, indeed what zeal, what a desire to consecrate myself to the Lord. What longing to give my future to the Lord, everything I have to the Lord. What a zeal for the work of the Lord, what a zeal to stand up for the gospel, for the work of the Lord! Oh, how much love He has! Jesus is Lord!”
May we all receive the Lord’s call to repentance in this last step for the Lord’s appearing! Let us open out hearts to every word. Let us be focused so that every word of the Lord would be able to penetrate into us. Let us pray to the Lord! Let us have a moment of prayer with the Lord! Let us pray two by two so that everyone can pray and open their hearts to respond to the Lord’s speaking! Do not be quiet now, just in your flesh but say “Amen” to the Lord! Jesus is Lord! Called unto repentance!
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