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The Fruits of Repentance, July 7
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye make clean the
outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full of
extortion and excess.
Matthew 23:25
.
When John was preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and the Pharisees
and Sadducees came to his baptism, that fearless preacher of righteous-
ness addressed them: “O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee
from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance”
(
Matthew 3:7, 8
). In coming to John, these men were not actuated by right
motives. They were corrupt in principles and practice; yet they had no sense
of their true condition. Filled with pride and ambition, they would not hesitate
at any means which would enable them to exalt self and strengthen their
influence with the people. And baptism at the hands of this popular young
teacher might, they thought, aid them in carrying out these designs more
successfully.
Their motives were not hidden from John, and he met them with the
searching inquiry, “Who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?”
Had they heard the voice of God speaking to their hearts, they would have
given evidence of the fact by bringing forth fruits meet for repentance. No
such fruit was seen. They had heard the warning as merely the voice of man.
They were charmed with the power and boldness with which John spoke; but
the Spirit of God did not send conviction to their hearts, and as a sure result
the word spoken did not bring forth fruit unto life eternal.
None are farther from the kingdom of heaven than self-righteous for-
malists, who are perhaps filled with pride at their own attainments, while
they are wholly destitute of the Spirit of Christ, and are controlled by envy,
jealousy, and love of praise and popularity. They belong to the class that John
addressed as a generation of vipers, children of the wicked one. They serve
the cause of Satan more effectively than the vilest profligate; for the latter
does not disguise his true character; he appears what he really is.
Nothing short of an amended life—fruits meet for repentance—will meet
the requirements of God. Without such fruit, our profession of faith is of no
value.—
The Signs of the Times, July 7, 1887
.
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