Do you know what it looks like when the gospel enters your heart? Luke 19-20

Luke 19:8-9 (NASBStr)

Zaccheus stopped and said to the Lord, “Behold, Lord, half of my possessions I will give to the poor, and if I have defrauded anyone of anything, I will give back four times as much.” And Jesus said to him, “Today salvation has come to this house, because he, too, is a son of Abraham.

The gospel is available to all and will be evident in all when applied to the life via faith.   The above story of the small tax-collector, Zaccheus, is an example of this truth.    Zaccheus had "heard" about Jesus and had scurried up a tree to see Jesus, because his natural stature had prevented him from seeing over the crowds.  It is no doubt that during his life he had often climbed onto something to see.   God had made him short but he had learned to compensate for that.   However, he was not able to compensate for his sin.  He was a sinner and everyone knew it.   In fact, because he was such a well known sinner, the religious leaders objected to Jesus going to his house.   Yet, Jesus came just for that reason ... to save sinners.    When Zaccheus recognizes the power of Jesus and his authority he immediately realizes his sin and demonstrates a change of heart.   The passage tells us that he was very wealthy and that he was a chief tax-collector.  That means, by what we know of that world, he was a very corrupt man.    Yet, when coming to Christ he tells Jesus he is ready and willing to give half of his wealth to the poor (a group a tax-collector would not have any familiar relationships with) and, IF he had defrauded anyone, he was willing to pay back four-times the amount.    Here is a man who has gotten the gospel.  This is what the gospel does and should do.  It should change the way we do business and the way we think about how we live our lives.    Zaccheus was not only willing to come to the aide of others, something he would never have done, he was willing to go back and make restitution where he should.    This is a change in thinking based upon a change of relationship.   That is the affect of the Gospel of Christ.