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bear fruits worthy of repentance

ezra

ezra

Member
Matthew 3:8
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

this was brought up in a discussion in a different post . it caught my attention as Christians do we fully understand this? maybe we do maybe we dont. maybe we just dont put much thought into it of course repentance means to tun from repentance is just step 1. it does not help unless we follow through fruits worthy. my main thought is a fruit tree bears fruits so would it be a fruit tree with out any fruit? so where is our evidence of change
New Living Translation
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. something to think about
 
We are told what some of the fruits are
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV

22. But the fruit of the spirit is love joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23. gentleness, self-control, against these there is no law

There are others we are told about too.
 
Tessa said:
We are told what some of the fruits are
Galatians 5:22-23 NKJV
22. But the fruit of the spirit is love joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness,
23. gentleness, self-control, against these there is no law
There are others we are told about too.
Click to expand...
How about the entire sermon on the mount? (Mat 5:1-7:29)

Here's a few:
Rom 12:9-13:1 [Let] love [be] without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
[Be] kindly affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to one another; not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit, serving the Lord; rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; distributing to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality.
Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse.
Rejoice with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep.
Be of the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion.
Repay no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men.
If it is possible, as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men.
Beloved, do not avenge yourselves, but [rather] give place to wrath; for it is written, "Vengeance [is] Mine, I will repay," says the Lord.
Therefore "If your enemy is hungry, feed him; If he is thirsty, give him a drink; For in so doing you will heap coals of fire on his head."
Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Rom 13:5-8 Therefore [you] must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience' sake. For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God's ministers attending continually to this very thing.
Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes [are due], customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor. Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

1 Cor 5:9-13 I wrote to you in my epistle not to keep company with sexually immoral people. Yet certainly [did] not [mean] with the sexually immoral people of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or idolaters, since then you would need to go out of the world. But now I have written to you not to keep company with anyone named a brother, who is sexually immoral, or covetous, or an idolater, or a reviler, or a drunkard, or an extortioner--not even to eat with such a person. For what [have] I [to do] with judging those also who are outside? Do you not judge those who are inside? But those who are outside God judges. Therefore "put away from yourselves the evil person."

1 Cor 6:18 Flee sexual immorality. Every sin that a man does is outside the body, but he who commits sexual immorality sins against his own body.

Gal 6:6 Let him who is taught the word share in all good things with him who teaches.

Eph 5:1-4 Therefore be imitators of God as dear children. And walk in love, as Christ also has loved us and given Himself for us, an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling aroma.
But fornication and all uncleanness or covetousness, let it not even be named among you, as is fitting for saints; neither filthiness, nor foolish talking, nor coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks.

There are many more.
 
ezra said:
Matthew 3:8
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

this was brought up in a discussion in a different post . it caught my attention as Christians do we fully understand this? maybe we do maybe we dont. maybe we just dont put much thought into it of course repentance means to tun from repentance is just step 1. it does not help unless we follow through fruits worthy. my main thought is a fruit tree bears fruits so would it be a fruit tree with out any fruit? so where is our evidence of change
New Living Translation
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. something to think about
Click to expand...

That's a great point, Brother.

It reminded me of another oft misunderstood verse, that's similar in a way.
James 2:18
18 Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works.../

Discussions about this verse always turn into a, we don't have a works based salvation...(which is true), but that's not what it's about. Everyone says they have faith. There are no atheists in foxholes...but how many of us actually step out in faith? Risk embarrassment? Try to do something that we know we can't do. That puts the ball in the Lord's court.
Works of Faith, not works of giving or charity.
 
Edward said:
Works of Faith, not works of giving or charity.
Click to expand...
I don't think that's correct.
Please consider:
Mat 25:31-36 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy[fn] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."

and:

Mat 25:41-43 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me."

and, finally:

Mat 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

What Jesus meant by "the righteous" was those who gave water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, shelter to the stranger, and who visited the sick and the prisoners. Those are most definitely "works of charity and giving."

iakov the fool
 
ezra said:
Matthew 3:8
Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

this was brought up in a discussion in a different post . it caught my attention as Christians do we fully understand this? maybe we do maybe we dont. maybe we just dont put much thought into it of course repentance means to tun from repentance is just step 1. it does not help unless we follow through fruits worthy. my main thought is a fruit tree bears fruits so would it be a fruit tree with out any fruit? so where is our evidence of change
New Living Translation
Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. something to think about
Click to expand...

I think John was talking about godly grief. You say you're sorry. Excuse me. Forgive me. The words come out of the mouth from the heart. That's the fruit worthy of repentance. Paul calls it godly grief.
2 Corinthians 7:9
As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting; for you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.
2 Corinthians 7:11
For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter.

Peter says the baptism of repentance is an appeal to God for a clear conscience.
1 Peter 3:21
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
 
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main thing if we say we have repentance then there should be evidence ..we are all guilty to some degree ..we ask forgiveness and he forgives 1 john 1:9 then 1 john 1:7 should show. if we have a apple tree in order for it to be a apple tree it must bear fruit. if not then its just a tree .we want evidence it will have apples yes Godly sorrow brings about repentance ...sometimes if not careful we will go through the motion action lights/ camera :eek2
 
Jim Parker said:
I don't think that's correct.
Please consider:
Mat 25:31-36 When the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the holy[fn] angels with Him, then He will sit on the throne of His glory. All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats. And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.

Then the King will say to those on His right hand, "Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world: for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me."

and:

Mat 25:41-43 Then He will also say to those on the left hand, "Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels: for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me."

and, finally:

Mat 25:46 And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.

What Jesus meant by "the righteous" was those who gave water to the thirsty, food to the hungry, clothing to the naked, shelter to the stranger, and who visited the sick and the prisoners. Those are most definitely "works of charity and giving."

iakov the fool
Click to expand...

I guess that came out wrong. I didn't mean do not help people or do good works, just that we are to step out in faith and the works done then, in faith (by God because He responds to faith) is what we are to be doing. God can't let you walk on water unless you get out of the boat first.

But of course we are to help people whenever possible.
Sorry about the poor wording.
 
ezra said:
main thing if we say we have repentance then there should be evidence ..we are all guilty to some degree ..we ask forgiveness and he forgives 1 john 1:9 then 1 john 1:7 should show. if we have a apple tree in order for it to be a apple tree it must bear fruit. if not then its just a tree .we want evidence it will have apples yes Godly sorrow brings about repentance ...sometimes if not careful we will go through the motion action lights/ camera :eek2
Click to expand...
Not only that. But when you steal or lie, it hurts those around you, and you become untrustworthy. When you give to somebody in need and tell the truth, your a man of integrity and it makes you feel better about yourself and that empowers you to do more.

Nobody wants to live in guilt or regret and apathy is a lousy attitude to be stuck in. Bearing fruit of repentance restores ones dignity and honor, and we become beacons of light able to show others the way.
 
MarkT said:
I think John was talking about godly grief. You say you're sorry. Excuse me. Forgive me. The words come out of the mouth from the heart. That's the fruit worthy of repentance. Paul calls it godly grief.
2 Corinthians 7:9
As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting; for you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us.
2 Corinthians 7:10
For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation and brings no regret, but worldly grief produces death.
2 Corinthians 7:11
For see what earnestness this godly grief has produced in you, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what zeal, what punishment! At every point you have proved yourselves guiltless in the matter.

Peter says the baptism of repentance is an appeal to God for a clear conscience.
1 Peter 3:21
Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a clear conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
Click to expand...
I think guilt and grief does one of two things. It either puts you in apathy where your lethargic or it lights a fire that wants to make things right.
My Dad taught me a truth worthy of note and it is this.
Talk is cheap. Dont just tell me your sorry, but also show me your sorry. It's not so much what you did wrong as it is how you handle it to make it right.

Sin is missing the mark. It's doing something the wrong way. Saying sorry doesnt hit the mark, it simply acknowledges you missed the mark.

Repentance is acknowledging you missed the mark, and then trying again to hit it. This "trying again" and landing an area somewhere on the target is considered fruit. Your aiming for the bullseye and missed, but you still hit the target. It's about improvement and growing as a marksman. In fancy terms. We call this sanctification.

We see John the Baptist tell those he is calling to repentance what to do... how to hit the mark.
 
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