Prove by The Way You Live That You Have Repented And Turned To God
Faith Without Works Is Dead
MATHEW 3:8
“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,
”Matthew 3:8 NKJV
https://bible.com/bible/114/mat.3.8.NKJ
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Words without action are empty and pointless.
John the Baptist called people to more than simple words or ritual. He called them to repentance; he called them to change their ways, to turn away from sin toward God.
The Greek word for repentance is “metanoia”, which is from guilt, to make “another decision” to turn around, reform, change, reverse one’s behaviour.
Many from “Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to John and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.”
Matthew 3:5-6 NKJV
But when he saw many of the corrupt religious people and leaders coming to his baptism-“the Pharisees and Sadducees, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 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. And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Matthew 3:7-10 NKJV
My brethren, just like the Pharisees and Sadducees, Christians today are called to bear fruits worthy of repentance. Like trees that do not bear good fruit, they shall be cut down.
It’s not that by one’s work he is saved, but he who comes to God in heart felt repentance and truly believes receives the gift of the Holy Spirit to lead him in his walk with God.
Jesus said, ““If you love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you.”
John 14:15-18 NKJV
The Holy Spirit has come not just for your salvation, but that He can operate through your body to save many.
He has purpose for you within His church, “For as the body is one and has many members, but all the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, whether slaves or free—and have all been made to drink into one Spirit. For in fact the body is not one member but many.”
I Corinthians 12:12-14 NKJV
We sinful humans cannot be right with God in our own strength. We cannot live right without the help of the Holy Spirit to lead and guide us through the trials of daily life and in our individual calling, and every believer has a calling.
Indeed, every Spirit filled believer falls into at least one category of the five fold ministry of Christ and is gifted to serve accordingly.
“And He Himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ, till we all come to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to a perfect man, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ; that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting, but, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
Ephesians 4:11-16 NKJV
The Good News is, the Holy Spirit available to all who believe on Christ Jesus and is our guarantee of salvation (2 CORINTHIANS 1:22; EPHESIANS 1:14).
But the truth is, without the Spirit, one cannot be saved.
Therefore, as Peter told us, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. For the promise is to you and to your children, and to all who are afar off, as many as the Lord our God will call.””
Acts 2:38-39 NKJV
My brethren, Paul said, “I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are evident, which are: adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lewdness, idolatry, sorcery, hatred, contentions, jealousies, outbursts of wrath, selfish ambitions, dissensions, heresies, envy, murders, drunkenness, revelries, and the like; of which I tell you beforehand, just as I also told you in time past, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.”
Galatians 5:16-26 NKJV
Have you received the gift of the Holy Spirit? Do others see change in you? What fruits are apparent in your life?
Having been baptised for the forgiveness of one’s sins, there are still some boxes to tick.
To receive God’s forgiveness, one must forgive all people (MATHEW 6:14-15).
My beloved, having received the Spirit, one must walk in the Spirit, putting one’s faith to work in Christ as the Spirit leads.
“Thus also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”
James 2:17 NKJV
But when one chooses to let go of the things of this world and actively serve, Christ anointing will come through him or her and with it, the signs and wonders of God.
That applies to every believer including you.
Therefore, just as “These twelve Jesus sent out and commanded them, saying: “Do not go into the way of the Gentiles, and do not enter a city of the Samaritans. But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. And as you go, preach, saying, ‘The kingdom of heaven is at hand.’ Heal the sick, cleanse the lepers, raise the dead, cast out demons. Freely you have received, freely give.”
Matthew 10:5-8 NKJV
Today, we see “mans” old church being dismantled, but the five fold ministry of Christ is rising, and with it, we see the signs and wonders of Christ as His glory fills this earth in these last days.
Christ ministry changes lives, from the way we think, one step at a time until that we become Christ like in nature and come to understand the perfect will of God.
Anxiety/ depression fade away and with it all shame; addiction is simply cast out, and curses are broken. The sick are healed, and the dead are raised as they turn to Christ and the demons are forced to flee, for by His stripes we are healed (ISAIAH 53:3-5).
Furthermore, with Christ comes peace where there was no peace, which surpasses all understanding as it guards the hearts and minds of His people in this ever darkening world (PHILIPPIANS 4:6-7).
We see joy in the Lord within the chaos of this world which is our strength (NEHEMIAH 8:10).
The good news is, a life in Christ is available to all regardless of their past. Not by works or money or abilities or knowledge, but by faith in Jesus Christ.
“I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.”
Romans 12:1-2 NKJV
All glory to God forever and ever! Amen.
