From fruitless to fruitful!

Reflecting on Luke 3:7-9

"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance." (Luke 3:8)

John is preparing the way for Jesus, God’s salvation.
But he does not seem very welcoming to the crowds when they come.
Luke doesn’t specify who John calls a brood of vipers.
Matthew specifies that it is the Pharisees and Sadducees (Matthew 3:7).
John says these leaders were sent to question him (John 1:24-25).
The non-religious were coming with open hearts, eager to learn.
As we see next, this included tax collectors and soldiers (Luke 3:12,14).

But these religious leaders were not coming in repentance.
They were not fleeing God’s judgment against unloving immorality.
This is why John calls them a brood (offspring) of vipers (serpents).
Otherwise known as serpent-seed, referred to by God in the original curse.

“I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers; he will crush your head, and you will strike his heel.” (Genesis 3:15)

These religious leaders are not serving Eve (humanity).
They are serving the serpent by striking out at John.
John challenges these religious leaders to change their hearts and minds.
To rethink (literal meaning of ‘repent’) their ways, and to change.
The irony is that these religious leaders thought they were being holy.
They were devoted Torah-followers, true sons of Abraham.
Being religious or belonging to the right group (Israel) were not enough.
Studying the Torah or going to synagogue were not enough.
Their hearts did not reflect God’s heart, God’s character.
They were not living as reflections of God’s goodness and love.
The fruit of their lives was not love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, etc.
This is what they needed to address, what they needed to change.

Paul was at one time a true, orthodox religious person.
He had all the external qualities of a ‘holy person’.
But when meeting Jesus, all those external qualities became worthless.

“If someone else thinks they have reasons to put confidence in the flesh, I have more: circumcised on the eighth day, of the people of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of Hebrews; in regard to the law, a Pharisee; as for zeal, persecuting the church; as for righteousness based on the law, faultless.

But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.” (Philippians 3:4-11)

Paul thought he was holy, until he met Jesus.
Then he saw how hollow and empty his religion was.
He saw true righteousness in Jesus, the fruit of love in action.
And this became his new passion, what motivated him.
He wanted to join Jesus in His God-like love, even to the point of death.
Because now He saw that this is the essence of holiness.

True religion is not external practices or appearances.
Being ‘holy’ is not being ‘holier than thou’.
To be holy (set apart with, like and for God) is to reflect God.
To long for God’s character, and to seek to live it out.
God’s character, what makes God glorious and good, is seen in His Name:

“The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin.” (Exodus 34:6-7)

This is the glory of God, what makes God holy and good.
This is the glory of Jesus, what makes Jesus holy and good.
And this is our glory to, what makes us holy and good reflections.

To repent is to admit the ways we DO NOT reflect this.
To repent is to want to reflect this God-like character.
As we will see, the tax collectors and soldiers were eager to know.
But the religious leaders were there for show, to investigate John.

Is this my heart?
Am I seeking to know how to live out this repentance?
Am I passionately pursuing knowing and following Jesus?
Am I open to the fruit of the Spirit, and taking steps to live it out?
This is what God is looking for, this is what Jesus was calling.
And this is what John was preparing the people for.

Where does the fruit of my heart and life need to be challenged.
As I meditate on the fruit of the Spirit, where am I falling short.
This is what I need to repent of.
And this is what I need to surrender to Jesus, so that He can help me.
What steps will I take today to produce fruit in keeping with repentance?

PRAYER
Lord Jesus, I do not want to be religious, I want to know and follow You. I have not yet already obtained this, but I will press on to take hold of this God-like character, because this is why You have taken hold of me. As  I follow You, may Your Spirit improve the fruit in my life.