Topic: Bearing The Right Fruit [13th October 2018 Daily Devotional]
Text: Luke 3:1-14 (KJV)
Key Verse: “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“ (Luke 3:8).
MESSAGE:
The coming of John the Baptist as the forerunner of Jesus Christ marked the end of about four hundred years of “famine” of the word of God as prophesied (Amos 8:11). Isaiah, over seven hundred years before, had also prophesied that John would come “to prepare… the way of the LORD…” (Isaiah 40:3).
And as he came with the word, hungry masses trooped out to hear his message of repentance and baptism. He preached that they must repent and bring forth “fruits worthy of repentance” as a token of genuine faith. A mere lip confession of being the biological seeds of Abraham was not enough guarantee against “the axe” of judgement that was already laid on the root of the trees to cut down anyone who failed to bear the right kind of fruit.
Salvation experience, which begins with genuine repentance and renunciation of sin and faith in the finished work of Christ, marks the beginning of a true Christian life. Genuine salvation produces a positive change of character – an internal transformation that metamorphoses into a visible and undeniable godly lifestyle. A born-again Christian thus becomes “a new creature” after old things have passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17).
Without doubt, genuine repentance produces genuine salvation. Unfortunately, many modern-day preachers have excluded repentance from sin in their sermon, in what they call “positive gospel”. All the prophets, the apostles, emphasised repentance as a precondition for God’s forgiveness. “Repent ye therefore and be converted that your sins may be blotted out…” (Acts 3:19). You can do this by first acknowledging that you are a sinner, confessing yours sins and praying and asking God for forgiveness. He forgives the penitent sinner.
Thought For The Day: The fruits, not leaves, make the difference.
Bible Reading In One Year: Matthew 12:22; Luke 11
DCLM Daily Manna was written by Pastor William Folorunso Kumuyi; is the founder and General Superintendent of the Deeper Life Bible Church situated at KM 42 on the busy Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Nigeria.
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