Pam Padgett ... teacher
I had a great-aunt who was very active in the Baptist church
throughout her life, frequently attending services and volunteering
to do things at the church such as cleaning the church building.
When she was in her 80's there was a family reunion which I
attended. At one point, this great-aunt got up and asked for
everyone's attention.
She then told with great joy that she had recently been born again!
She had thought for years that she was born again, and knew that
other people had thought this as well. But she hadn't really been
born again until now.
Now she was born again!
Sitting next to me was one of this great-aunt's daughters. As her
mother spoke, she leaned over to me and said she didn't know why her
mother kept saying this, that of course her mother had been born
again years before. She mentioned how her mother was "always" at
the church doing various things.
(This daughter couldn't understand what her mother was
doing and saying. I don't think she was born again so
this seemed foolish to her ... But the natural man
receiveth not the things of the Spirit of God: for they are
foolishness unto him: neither can he know them, because they are
spiritually discerned. 1 Corin. 2:14)
My dad and sisters had also attended this family reunion. I
later said to them how wonderful it was to hear what Aunt Eunice had
shared. None of them seemed to have noticed what she said.
But it caused me to rejoice to hear what she shared, what God had
done, and the joy she now had as a result. It was as though she
couldn't keep from telling this, even when others didn't believer
her. Because of God (not anything she had done) she was now born
again!
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Also, in the parable of the tares, when the good seed brought forth fruit, the tares became visible ...
Matthew 13:24 Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is likened unto a man which sowed good seed in his field: 25 But while men slept, his enemy came and sowed tares among the wheat, and went his way. 26 But when the blade was sprung up, and brought forth fruit, then appeared the tares also.
As this aunt brought forth fruit, sharing what God had done in her life, truth about her daughter was also seen ... that she was not born again, didn't have the Holy Spirit ...for she couldn't understand what her mother was saying and doing and wanted her to stop speaking and doing these things.
We may have various things in common with other people, and it seems
that we are like them. But when we bring forth fruit from God, those who
are not of God become apparent. For what we share from God makes no sense to them, and they often despise what we say and try to stop us or to have no more to do with us.
But God helps and keeps those who belong to HIM even in the midst of persecution.