But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. (Galatians 5: 22-23)
*emphasis mine*
She seems to have a heart for God, somewhat... she seems concerned about her husband's soul. She knows that our salvation is not based on works or rituals...
I don't know her and I see fruit! I see that she realizes that the old religion she has known does not rely on faith, but on works. She has faith. She may not know what to do with that yet, but she is trying to express what she knows to be true. Also I see that she has love for her husband and desires for him to know Jesus. Love and faith... both fruit.
I can only brooch this subject on the basis of my own experience. It is my opinion that when folks have been exposed to a false christianity that their salvation experience is more of a series of events, a journey, than a singular point in time. I grew up in church and experienced much of what you are describing in your friend. I have been to the altar to get saved and rededicate my life so many times I'd hate to try to count them. The altar was to me what a confessional is to catholics. I grew up on a false doctrine, false beliefs and fear of hell... but not of God. Yet, I know that all along God was there, nudging me toward truth. The process of my salvation meant leaving the church and coming to hate the false religion I had grown up on. I had to come to a point where I realized what I had been taught was not of God... but the problem was, I didn't know any other way. I knew what I had believed was wrong, yet I was ignorant as to what was right. I had never seen it, had not heard it taught, and had no idea how to search it out of the scriptures for myself. When I decided to live by faith, I found myself back in a church that taught the same things I grew up on. It wasn't right, but it was what I knew and it was comfortable.
I believed the story of Christ, like I believed a movie that was based on true events. I didn't KNOW what Jesus had done for me. I didn't realize what it meant for Him to be spit on and beaten by the people who were suppose to hold Him up as King and love Him. I didn't know what He had truly suffered on my behalf. It took being treated wrongly by somebody who was suppose to love me for me to recognize what Jesus had done for me. Somewhere in the midst of that situation I BELIEVED! Praise God! and I was saved!!!
This is how God brought me out of religion and brought me into a relationship with Himself. I have seen similar events take place in the lives of other 'religious' people and I think it is a common experience for folks who were raised on false doctrine.
Honestly H_N, I find it remarkable that you are in a position to watch this woman and nurture the fruit that she is showing...
