Today’s Reading, Luke 2-3
Focal Scripture: Luke 3:8 “Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones.”
Getting what you expect is important. It doesn’t matter if you order a meal from a restaurant or if you pick up something from the store. You have an expectation that if you order a steak you get a steak. When you order cleaning supplies from Amazon that is what is delivered. Because if you don’t get what you ordered it puts you behind. You can’t complete the takes that you need to get finished.
In today’s reading John calls out the people who claim to know God but don’t have any fruit. This means their lips say they belong to the Lord but their fruit doesn’t demonstrate that, in how they act and live. After John calls them out he tells them not to say they have Abraham as their father. Why, because God can raise up children for Abraham from the stones they were surrounded by in that moment. This means you can say whatever you want but your fruit tells the truth about your commitment.
So what does this mean for us in today’s context? It means you might give lip service about your relationship with Jesus but your fruit (actions) will give proof. To put this practically you can’t say you love God but treat others terribly and gossip about people behind their backs. It means your attitude and actions will show if you have been changed by the gospel.
Yes, we are saved by grace through faith alone. However, that salvation will produce clear and identifiable fruit. It seems that Christianity is the only place where we don’t use commons sense in matters like this daily. If you claim Christ but live like the world you miss the heart change of the gospel. If you say you follow Jesus and are not convicted by your sin, you don’t have a changed heart.
It is time we start telling people in a loving way if their fruit doesn’t match their verbal declaration. If someone says they are a believer but has speech that is awful (cussing, talking about others, etc) they need to be corrected. Because either, they don’t know what the gospel does to a heart or they don’t have a changed heart. Fruit is the indicator of the inward change. If you don’t love the word, something is wrong. If you can sin with no conviction, you haven’t been changed.
I know this is a difficult topic. It will create some hard conversations. However, people need to be discipled about biblical fruit or people need to hear the true gospel and get saved.
Our fruit reveals our hearts. It’s time we examine ourselves and help others see the biblical expectation. This is not judgement, it is loving. We must spur one another on in truth and love.
Tomorrow, I plan on reading Luke 4-5
