John the Baptist came before. He
prepared the way for Jesus. He was not the one but pointed the way to the One
who was coming to take away sin. John
preached of repentance and baptism. He came eating bugs and honey and
clothed in animal hide. He was not adorned in fancy robes and tassels telling
of his position, rather wearing what God had provided and adorned.
John taught repentance to all who
came out to the desert to see him. When the Pharisees and the Sadducees - the
religious leaders of the time, those leading the synagogues and teaching God's
people - came to see him, he tells them to bear
fruit in keeping with repentance (Matthew 3: 8).
Repentance is an important factor
in being in relation with God and bearing his fruit - doing his will. Lacking repentance builds blockages that
only asking for forgiveness can tear down. Repentance comes when we are
willing to lay down pride and accept responsibility and turn to God.
Communication with God is like a
stream, rushing through its path, free flowing and following the grooves of the
earth, while our sin and unrepentance is that of a dam, blocking the water's
flow. With each new dam, our communication is coming to a standstill, while our
hearts are hardened from God and our prayers hindered (1 Peter 3:7).
In order to bear fruit, we must search our
hearts and be open to repenting and hearing God.
We must be full of humility to confess our
failures and short comings and whatever leads us in to sin. Without humility,
our relationship with God can turn in to an elephant in the living room sort of
thing, where issues are not addressed and we distance ourselves from his love
and grace and mercy, cutting ourselves off from communing with him, our life
blood. Our ears close off to the still small voice of the Spirit and our hearts
reject his promptings.
We all have sinned and fall short of the
glory of (Romans 3:23) but He is
faithful and just to forgive if we turn and confess every unrighteousness (1
John 1:9). Jesus died for our sins, paying
our debt before we breathed our first breath. When we trust in Jesus, we are
washed as white as snow, though repentance is still needed.
Praying that whatever your state
of communing with God is, that you would take a moment to ask if there is
anything that needs to be confessed and forgiven. Praying that your heart would
be open to the leading and discipline and grace that is poured out and that you
would be strengthened and renewed and refreshed.
Praying that God's kindness would
lead you to repentance (Romans 2:4) and that his favor would be your desire. Praying
that your prayers would not be hindered but rather powerful and effective as
you surrender yourself to God. Praying that you would be obedient in his
leading and that you would bear fruit, whatever exciting adventures God has in
store for you.
Here's to repentance and bearing
fruit.