Young People's Group

Bearing Fruits Worthy of Repentance

by Mitchell Tan
March 31, 2022

GENUINE RESPONSES TO THE PREACHING OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN

There is power in the preaching of the kingdom of heaven. When it is done well, the gospel of the kingdom can move the hearts of many.

After hearing the preaching of John the baptiser, there were those who responded well to his preaching (Matthew 3:5-6). Many from Jerusalem, all of Judea, and the region around the River Jordan came to him, were convicted of their sins, confessed them, and repented. They were baptised by him.

REBUKING THOSE WHO WERE NOT GENUINELY REPENTANT

“Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
Matthew 3:7b

When John saw the Pharisees and the Sadducees coming together to his baptism, he refused to baptise them and he confronted them. The Pharisees were basically very self-righteous people who judged and condemned others, but they themselves did not practise what they taught. The Sadducees were people who controlled the temple businesses and did not believe in the supernatural things in the Bible like miracles and the resurrection. John saw through their hypocrisy for they were not genuine in seeking repentance. He gave an honest reproof of their spiritual state. He unflinchingly called them a brood of vipers because what came out their mouths were words of “poison”. He was also raising the question of whether anyone had warned them to flee the Lord’s imminent wrath on them. There was a strong sense of urgency and authority in these words. Judgment was coming to them.

STRONG ADMONISHMENT

“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, and do not think 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.”
Matthew 3:8-9

1. TO START BEARING FRUITS THAT SHOWED THEY WERE TRULY REPENTANT

The word “therefore” denotes the idea of a reasoned application with reference to John’s warning of judgment. The challenge from him was for them to bear fruits worthy of repentance before he would think of baptising them. When a person is sincerely repentant, there would be definite expressions in his life. There would be the honest confession of sin and the turning of his heart to the Lord. There would be the desire to want to be cleansed and to change.

2. TO STOP HAVING THE VIEWPOINT THAT BEING DESCENDANTS OF ABRAHAM THEY WERE ALREADY SAVED

The Pharisees and Sadducees still needed to repent from their sins and be saved by the Lord.

PERSONAL APPLICATION

There is the imminent judgment that the Lord will bring upon the world one day. For some of us, let’s not think that just because we have grown up in a Christian family that we are already saved. Let’s genuinely repent from our sins and seek the Lord for His salvation. Let’s seek to bear fruits worthy of repentance.

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