There can sometimes be a gap between our talk and our walk; between saying something that sounds great and following through to do what we said we were going to do. We all know that … but do we really know it?
Back when I was an IT consultant, getting things done for my clients by and large involved analysing their needs and convincing their senior management of a proposed course of action. Now, I'm not too bad with words, so convincing people of things has never really been a problem for me.
But when I appeared as an expert witness in IT related litigations, convincing the court of something wasn't enough. I had to produce evidence that supported my conclusions. It turns out that proving something is much harder than convincing someone of something. And in a sense, that's what's going on here for John the Baptist:
Matthew 3:7-8 [because] … when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptising, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. (NIV)
Let's be clear. True repentance is more than just feeling sorry—it requires a change in behaviour. Repentance means turning away from sin and back to God. So John's in effect saying : If you've truly repented, where's the evidence? That "fruit" is changed behaviour, a life that looks different because your heart's turned back to God.
Repentance is not just an emotion—it's a decision that leads to transformation. And it's completely meaningless if you don't stop doing what you're sorry for.
That's God's Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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