Bear Fruit Worthy of Repentance

Introduction

Luke 3:8 NKJV

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Have you had a situation where someone has wronged you in some kind of way and then gave you some half hearted apology?

Lets say that someone smashing into your car. Completely damaging your rear fender. Then as you approach the offender they look you dead in your eye ball, shrug their shoulders, and say sorry while rolling their eyes. Then they proceed to walk off as if to say no big deal. How genuine do you think their apology was.

How about someone bumps you as your walking down the street and it causes you to spill your favor cup of Starbucks. Then they look back and casually say “sorry” as they continue to go about their business. How sorry do you think that person is. Now what if that person actually stops, say I’m sorry as they are helping you clean the spilled drink off your clothes then they offer to buy you another drink. Which person was actually sorry for what they had done?

Well when we sin against God, He wants us to have that same attitude toward our sin as that second person had about bumping you and causing you to spill your drink.

God doesn’t want our half heart sorrys. He wants a change of mind He wants a change of heart toward that sin that causes you to not do that particular thing anymore.

A Closer Look

Let us look at our scripture again.

Luke 3:8 NKJV

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

Whats is happening here?

John the baptist, a prophet of God ordained and filled with the Holy Spirit from birth was task with the job of preparing the way for Jesus. So in doing so he began to preach in the wilderness to about a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. He would say “repent for the kingdom of God is at hand.” This was the guy that had the honor to baptist Jesus in the Jordan and witness the Holy Spirit descend of Jesus like a dove.

So as John was baptizing a multitude of people the Pharisees and Sadducees came to see what was happening and John say’s “You brood of viper! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

You would think that this would be the case because the Pharisees and Sadducees was suppose to be the religious leaders, teacher of the faith. They were suppose to be holy and leading people in the path of righteousness. But that wasn’t the case. They were blind guides as Jesus called them. Putting heavier burdens on the people then they themselves was willing to carry. They would impose church rules that caused the people to sin against God.

So the prophet John the baptist said to them “Bear fruits that is worthy of repentance”

in the NIV is says “Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God”

Lets look at what this means in the Greek language in which it was written

Bear = ποιέω = Poieo =to undertake or do someth. that brings about an event, state, or condition, do, cause, bring about, accomplish, prepare, to make, to produce, to manufacture, to yield

Worthy = ἄξιος = Axios = to having a relatively high degree of comparable worth or value, corresponding, comparable, worthy, deserving

Repentance = μετάνοια = Metanoia = change one’s mind, Change of mind, turning about, conversion

So this is to say “Do something or produce something that is as valuable or deserving of God to forgive your sins.” And this something is having a complete mind change or heart change toward that sin that was commited.

So now you say well God I said I’m sorry isn’t that good enough?

Repentance is not a verbal gesture. It is an action!

You just saying Lord I’m sorry please forgive me is like the person who bumped you and said to you “sorry” as they kept walking.

True repentance is an action like the person who bumped you and then stopped to rectify the problem they caused.

In Luke 7:36-50 Jesus forgives the sins of a woman who was a prostitute. She brought and alabaster jar of oil and stood at His feet weeping, she began to was His feet with her tears and wiped them with her hair. Then she kissed His feet and anointed them with the fragrant oil.

After teaching about forgiveness and chastising the Pharisees for doubting Him Jesus forgave her sins.

It was that her actions matched her hearts posture. She bore fruit worthy of repentance.

Let’s talk about fruit. Because Verse 9 says “Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire”

Matthew 7:17–20 NKJV

Even so, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, nor can a bad tree bear good fruit. Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. Therefore by their fruits you will know them.

Matthew 12:33–35 NKJV

“Either make the tree good and its fruit good, or else make the tree bad and its fruit bad; for a tree is known by its fruit. Brood of vipers! How can you, being evil, speak good things? For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good things, and an evil man out of the evil treasure brings forth evil things.

So then, How do you bare good fruit then you ask? Great question!

John the Baptist explains in verse 11

Luke 3:11 NKJV

He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.”

This is be generous. If your sin was thievery or greediness. Be generous to those in need, give to the poor. This action will show God that you have turned from your greedy ways and that you are producing fruit to prove it.

Luke 3:12–13 NKJV

Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.”

This is to be fair and just. Again not to be greedy. If your sin is cheaping people and treating people unfairly, showing favoritism. Be fair, be honest. This shows God that you are producing fruit worthy of repentance.

Luke 3:14 NKJV

Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages.”

This is again to be fair, just, and not greedy. If your sin is bullying, intimidation, robbing people, backstabbing, gossiping, misusing your position or title. God wants to see some sort of action that proves that these behaviors are behind you and that you are truly sorry for what you have done.

This is what it means to bear fruit worthy of repentance. You must match your actions with your hearts posture. You must turn from your evil ways by the renewing of your mind and have your actions follow suit.

God says in Isaiah

Isaiah 1:16–20 NKJV

“Wash yourselves, make yourselves clean; Put away the evil of your doings from before My eyes. Cease to do evil, Learn to do good; Seek justice, Rebuke the oppressor; Defend the fatherless, Plead for the widow. “Come now, and let us reason together,” Says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, They shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, They shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, You shall eat the good of the land; But if you refuse and rebel, You shall be devoured by the sword”; For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.

I pray that we all can get to a place where our actions match our words. Where when we say I’m sorry, we actually mean it and it is evident by our actions. This goes for when we wrong people, our neighbors, our family, our friends, but especially when we wrong God. So that He can cleans us and make us white as snow. Purifying us so we can present ourselves righteous in His sight.