Matthew 3:8-9 ” Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham.”

In these verses, John the Baptist is speaking harshly to the religious authorities that have come out to the desert, by the banks of the Jordan River, to see what all the commotion was about. He cuts to the chase and uncovers the awful truth about them…they are pinning their hope on the shirt-tails of their distant ancestor, Abraham, and arrogantly presuming that their lineage will get them to heaven. But it doesn’t work that way…for them, or for us today. Repentance needs to be personal, taken seriously, and followed by evidence of said repentance…or as Paul explained in Acts 26:20 about his ministry to the Gentiles, “I preach that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds.”

Author: kezha1

A Christian mother, grandmother, and retired nurse living in Illinois. Called into a ministry of encouraging others to find their ultimate plan and purpose in life through Christ. View all posts by kezha1