When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to the place of his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Therefore, produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones! Even now the ax is ready to strike the root of the trees! Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. – Matthew 3:7-10
The words of John the Baptist warn those in the church with position, status, influence, and membership in first century religious leadership.
They are to presume nothing from their status or position or identity.
The words of John the Baptist warn you and I.
The most lethal, corrupt, and poisonous venom comes from the counterfeit ‘believer’ of the early church and today’s church.
When God used the pen of Matthew to tell us of John’s warning to those we know were the self-righteous, and self-regarding hypocrites of the day, the true believer is blessed with this warning and this instruction that we might not fall into the trap of being finger-pointers who never spent a day finger-lifting.
We are to constantly examine ourselves. We are to presume nothing from our status as preacher, elder, deacon, worship leader, or church-goer.
The question before us stands: Are we producing fruit consistent with repentance?
The massive over the top blessing is that when we see the fruit we rejoice and celebrate God’s work in our lives.
When we see no fruit, only a dried-out shell of a soul we are quickened in how to respond lest we end up in the fire.
In repentance we turn away from the empty, the counterfeit, and the slow dying and soul decaying ways we waste our days. We turn to God, engage in the things of God, and reflect the image of God.
Repent, prayer, and good works - - commit yourself to these things and live a fruitful life and prepare for a God-filled soul and mind rich in mercies, grace, and kindness.
The fruitful teach of the mercy, grace, and power of our Lord and Savior. The fruitful show the mercy, grace, and power of our Lord and Savior
Then He said: “Woe also to you experts in the law! You load people with burdens that are hard to carry, yet you yourselves don’t touch these burdens with one of your fingers. – Luke 11:46
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