Therefore bring forth fruit worthy of repentance! (Matthew 3:8)
John the Baptist was severe on the Pharisees and Sadducees who came to be water baptized of him, because he knew they did not have true relationship with God; their faith was just an outward show and many of them were hypocrites. He rebuked them saying...."You offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Unless a person brings forth fruit worthy of repentance, his confession of sins and acceptance of Christ as Savior holds little value. How dramatic was the conversion of Zacchaeus, the corrupt chief tax collector of whom we read in Luke Chapter 19. Jesus met him and he was a changed man. His testimony went thus..."Behold, Lord, half of my goods I give to the poor. If I have wrongfully exacted anything of anyone, I restore four times as much."
And Jesus responded...."Today, salvation has come to this house, because he also is a son of Abraham.
Bringing forth fruit worthy of repentance is what God expects in our lives too. May the Holy Spirit of God help us all in this.
