Matthew Series Week 1 - Repentance to Fruit
Matthew 3:1-12
Repentance to Fruit
In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said,
“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
make his paths straight.’ ”
4 Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. 9 And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. 10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Matthew 3:1-12
As we start our new series walking through the book of Matthew, Nick started us in the 3rd chapter where John the Baptist is having a confrontation with religious leaders. They were likely there to observe what was going on and to look good by being there, but John knew they had hard hearts. That’s why he proceeded to call out their religious exteriors contrasting with the lack of fruit within them and their ministries. In v8 he said 'Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.'
“Bear fruit in keeping with repentance.”
What John was calling them to was true heart change that would lead to a fundamental change in their life direction. That is the call all of us have, to repent and confess sin, admitting our failings to love God and love people and understanding that because of that we deserve God’s punishment (v2, 10). This creates in us the humility needed to come to God humbly not depending on ourselves but on Christ alone to make us right with the Father.
Fruit is the result of true repentance, and fruit proves true repentance. It is not the fruit, or the works, that earn salvation, but the true repentance and faith that does, though faith without works is dead. James 2:14-18 really hammers in this understanding of how both are inextricably tied to each other.
'What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. But someone will say, “You have faith and I have works.” Show me your faith apart from your works, and I will show you my faith by my works.'
On the note of true repentance and life changing faith that follows, Paul makes a pivotal distinction with the reality that faith is a gift, not something we can work enough to earn on our own, but an undeserved gift. Ephesians 2:8-10 'For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.'
As Nick pointed out on Sunday, the Bottom Line understanding for us is this: We can’t earn it, we can’t be born into it. Salvation is by grace through faith. But when we receive it our fruit will prove it.
The Gospel Transformation Study Bible has this useful summary of the situation:
“People often misunderstand the order of these elements. Repentance does not begin with changed behavior that in turn brings God’s acceptance. It begins with a change in one’s perspective on oneself, on God, and on the consequences of one’s rejection of God. The change in one’s perspective then brings about a change in behavior (cf. Rom. 12:2; Eph. 4:23–24).”
One thing to remember as an encouragement in all this, is we are not meant to go alone and hold ourselves up through the struggle to overcome our flesh to grow in our fruitfulness as disciples. Jesus empowers us through the Holy Spirit indwelling in us when we come to faith, and He blesses us all with the church, or fellow believers striving to follow Christ together. This applies to large group and small contexts like Sunday worship gatherings, in-home small groups, and small intimate accountability groups, whether intentional where you commit to meet together, or organic through our everyday relationships with family, friends, and neighbors.
'And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.'
Hebrews 10:24-25