Bring forth fruit worthy of repentance

Luke 3:8

Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
As people coming out of sinful lifestyles the scriptures teach that you and I are supposed to be walking in a different direction. For the Apostle Paul said, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.” (2 Corinthians 5:17) Believers are to walk in the newness of life that Christ Jesus has provided for all mankind. For He meant in what He said, that if any man wants to follow after Him they must take up their cross and deny themselves. That means even if you’re in a backslidden condition each person must renounced that ungodly lifestyle; deny by their own merits it is not enough, and that you need Christ. Nobody is above the standards that which the Lord has setup throughout the bible, for you and I must abide by them if we want to have fellowship with God. The problem I have with this modern-day Christianity is that it teaches that you can play with sin and denounced that Christ has brought you out from darkness. It also teaches that you can live in the world and still retain your citizenship in the kingdom without counting the cost.

There has to be a turnabout in our lifestyles. The scriptures are very clear; we are not supposed to be led by the works of flesh. Because Paul clearly stated in Galatians that,” they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.” In other words, if you don’t have interaction with the Spirit of God you will not make it into the kingdom of Heaven. It is that simple. It’s common knowledge that the world and church has collaborated together to the point that it is hard finding the genuine faith anymore. The deceptions are so great in some places, that some in the body of Christ has lost the fear of the Lord.

I was reading the other day about a gospel artist who was being embraced as saint again and was being welcome back by this minister of the gospel as coming back home. But the question has been asked where the fruit repentance? Where is the change of heart? He looked clean on the outside by what about the inner man? For the brother did and said some things that he has not publicly repented before the body of Christ. He said that people are born into homosexuality, he came out of the closet, he also began performing in clubs and opening for R & B acts and host of many other things. I know it may seem like I am finger pointing but truly I am not. Because as believers in the Messiah we have the responsibility to weight every action against the word of God. Just because you go to an alter and cry then afterwards sing a couple of songs that does not mean transformation. If you are in a backslidden condition and have a ministry you need repent to those whom have supported your work in the Lord. We have to present a good product before the people of God because nobody likes a false advertisement. There was a man in the bible called Zacchaeus (whose name mean innocent) he was tax collector that took more than what he should have but after meeting the Lord he repented of his sin publicly and vowed to restore the money he took from others. Since he offended his brothers publicly, he repented and confessed his faults to all, so that fellowship could be restored to the Lord and his brethren. Because as a thief the torah required him to pay back the things in which he unlawfully took. (look at Levt. 5:20-24) James said, Therefore, openly acknowledge your sins to one another, and pray for each other, so that you may be healed. (jas. 5:17) This gospel singer has yet to show this type of fruit but yet he is going on as if not missing a beat for he has a new CD coming next year.

Just because you have gifts and talents does not excuse ungodly behavior. Though they come without repentance it doesn’t mean the Lord will continue working with you. You can still function in your gifts and callings but it will be without the Lord backing you. For if we dont get right with Him, He will reject your ministry and along with your salvation. I know this stuff is not taught in body alot these days. But the Lord will get tired and move on as He did it with King Saul, Judas, Ananias and Sapphira. You see, when you are in Christ Jesus you will be tempted on every side to go back to a lifestyle that you were living at one time. But throughout the scriptures we are reminded ” … To put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness (Eph 4:22-24) That takes alot of work and self-denying but we can do all things through Christ Jesus. For God has given us a way to live in righteousness through the work of The Holy Spirit. For He will teach and guide us into all truth and give us the power to walk in holiness. God is not a hard task-master but a loving Father who expects His children to walk a differently from the world. For you cannot love the world and love the Father at the same time. John declared that, “Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him”.

Just because these leaders have a lot of followers don’t mean they are walking in truth. When you walking and teaching truth it will not attract popularity or the big crowds but most of the time it will do the exact opposite. Just look at the testimony of Jesus and His Apostles, for when they did tell people the truth look at response of the masses. For many withdrew back from following after them or outright rejected their teachings altogether. But look at how many follow after the false product. In the bible there was a man by the name of Hannah the prophet who had his own personal agenda working. He wanted a platform and favor among elites of Israel so he taught the people to trust in the opposite of what God plan for the Jews. For He was going to judge them for their sins. Hananiah taught the people that God was going to provide the easy way out and that He was going to deliver them out of the hands of the king of Babylon. Because of that, God sent Jeremiah to pronounce upon him, “Hear now, Hananiah; The Lord hath not sent thee; but thou makest this people to trust in a lie. Therefore thus saith the Lord; Behold, I will cast thee from off the face of the earth: this year thou shalt die, because thou hast taught rebellion against the Lord.
When a christan is walking in known apostasy they must take the appropriate steps of getting right before the Lord and allow Him to restore them to the correct path again. Because if not, that person ungodly lifestyle will cause confusion and led others in the body to sin. For it will tell others that is okay to forsake the teachings of the Lord and live a life in the flesh. God said this in the book of Jeremiah, “I have seen also in the prophets of Jerusalem an horrible thing: they commit adultery, and walk in lies: they strengthen also the hands of evildoers, that none doth return from his wickedness: they are all of them unto me as Sodom, and the inhabitants thereof as Gomorrah. When leaders commit evil the in the sight of the Lord it will cause out right sin in a society with no moral compass. Therefore you and I have to conform to the image of the Son of God, so that before all, our fruit will be blameless and nobody will able to gainsay against you and I. As I said before, I am not fingering point at this particular person but you and I must weight each other’s fruit to make sure whether they are of God or not. For Jesus said in His own words, Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.” (Matthew 7:13-  20) Let us all therefore judge ourselves and walk blamelessly in the sight of the Lord.