Fruits Worthy
of Repentance
Can anyone read the Bible without discerning the
need for sinful human beings to repent?
The word “repentance” seldom appears in the Old Testament, but the prophets
often preached on the necessity of changing one’s mind and behavior. Instead of the word “repentance,” the Old
Testament uses words like “turn” or “return.”
The Lord instructed Ezekiel to tell the Israelites: “As I live, says the
Lord, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked; but that the wicked turn
from his way and live: turn, turn from your evil ways; for why will you die, O
house of Israel? ...But if the wicked turn from his
wickedness, and do that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby”
(Ezek. 32:11, 19). God commanded
the prophet Jeremiah: “Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say,
Return, backsliding
When one come to the New
Testament, he finds the word “repentance” used many times. The noun form (metanoia) is used twenty-four times and the verb form
(metanoeo)
is used thirty-four times. Matthew
introduces the work of John the Baptist with these words: “In those days came
John the Baptist preaching in the wilderness of
Was it necessary for John the Baptist to use such
harsh language in speaking to the Pharisees and Sadducees? I do not know what was necessary, but I know
what John did. John knew the disposition
and character of these sectarian movements among the Jews, and did not mince
words in his denunciation of their attitudes and actions. If more preachers in our day had the courage
of John the Baptist, would churches be so indifferent toward the Bible’s
teaching? Would they continually
introduce doctrines and practices that have no scriptural authority? Would they not be more careful about
maintaining the moral and spiritual purity of the church?
John commanded the Jews to “bring forth fruits
worthy of repentance” (Mt. 3:8). Was
John telling the Jews who came to his baptism that they had not come for the
right reasons? They may have come
because they were afraid of the wrath of God and not in order to obey the
Lord. They may have come to John’s
baptism out of anger that he was not teaching what they expected or
wanted. He encouraged them to show by
their deeds that their repentance was genuine.
But what does it really mean to bring forth fruits worthy of repentance? An appeal to Paul’s letter to the Colossians
may help us understand what is involved in the radical change God demands of
each of us who would become and remain his children.
According to Paul, the Colossians had been “buried
with Christ in baptism, wherein also they were risen
with him through the faith of the operation of God, who has raised him from the
dead” (Col. 2:12). Paul was emphasizing
that the Colossians had heard the gospel, believed it and obeyed the Lord in
baptism. What difference did the
obedience of the Colossians make in their daily lives? Paul’s letter to the Colossians tells what
the Lord expected of those Christians.
“If you then be risen with Christ, seek those
things which are above, where Christ sits on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on
things of the earth. For you are dead and
your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, then shall you also
appear with him in glory” (Col. 3:1-4).
When one has genuinely repented, he will continue to seek heavenly
things. He will strive to so live as to
have God’s approval. That means he will
avoid conduct that is unbecoming to a Christian. The Colossian letter helps us to do good and avoid evil.
Producing “fruits of repentance” will aid us in
avoiding “fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence,
and covetousness, which is idolatry” (Col. 3:5). Paul demanded that those who had been raised
with Christ mortify (or kill) those members that are upon the earth, such as,
fornication, uncleanness and greed.
There simply is no way a child of our holy God can participate in these
forbidden fruits and continue to have God’s approval. They who do such things shall not inherit the
Producing “fruits worthy of repentance” means we
must make radical changes in our thinking and in our conduct. I have read to you where Paul said, in effect, keep on thinking about heaven and not about things
of this earth (Col. 3:1-2). He urged his
brothers and sisters at Colosse to put off the old man and to put on the new
man. These expressions indicate a
complete revamping of one’s life, a total conversion to the cause of Jesus
Christ. In case some of the Colossians might have had difficulty figuring out
what they were to put off and what they were to put on, Paul specifies what
they were to do. “Now also put off all
these: anger, wrath, malice, blasphemy, filthy communication out of your
mouth. Lie not one to
another, seeing you have put off the old man with his deeds” (Col. 3:8-9). Since the Colossians had become Christians,
they were not to behave any longer like the people of the world. Does that message need preaching to
Christians in our age?
Paul does not dwell, however, on the negative
aspects of being a Christian, although these negative considerations are
vitally important. He further instructed
the Colossians to “put on the new man, who is renewed in knowledge after the
image of him who created him” (Col. 3:10). What is involved in putting on the new
man? Paul provides several answers which
we shall examine for a short time.
In Christ there are no differences with respect to
national origin or education or social status.
Paul told the Colossians they were “renewed in knowledge after the image
of him who created him.” In our lives as
Christians, there is neither Jew nor Greek, circumcision nor uncircumcision, Barbarian, Sychian,
bond or free: but Christ is all, and in all” (Col. 3:11). These powerful concepts help us to realize
that in Christ discrimination on the basis of race or color or condition of
servitude cannot be justified. Is that
not a radical change from worldly thinking and behavior? That is one fruit worthy of repentance.
Christians are to put on certain kinds of behavior
that harmonize with one’s calling as a child of God. “Put on therefore, as the elect of God, holy
and beloved, bowels of mercies, kindness, humbleness of mind, meekness, longsuffering;
forbearing one another, and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel
against any: even as Christ forgave you, so you must also do” (Col.
3:12-13). Time will not allow an
extensive examination of these attitudes and activities, but I shall take a
look at some of them.
As God’s children, how important is it that we put
on “bowels of mercies?” That expression
means compassion, tenderhearted mercies.
In our business dealings with our employees or our employers or our
customers, can we understand how much this attitude expresses the will of our
God? A compassionate attitude influences
every act of a Christian--whether in his home, in his business, in his
profession or in his community. Of
course, non-Christians may also be compassionate, but in too many cases they
have pragmatic reasons--not moral reasons--for their compassion. They may be understanding and tenderhearted
because it pays or it is what they enjoy.
Christians are compassionate because they have been transformed by the
power of the gospel and strive to exemplify the very mind of Jesus Christ. They are demonstrating the fruits of
repentance.
Paul urges Christians to forgive one another, “if
any have a quarrel against any: even as Christ forgave you, so you must also
do.” Forgiveness is not one option among
many for Christians. If we refuse to
forgive, we shall not be forgiven. Is
that not what Jesus taught in his Sermon on the Mount? “Forgive us our debts, as we forgive our
debtors... For if you forgive men their trespasses, your
heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if you forgive not men their
trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt.
Christians forgive others--regardless of the
sin--because Christ has forgiven us. But
we cannot forgive and Christ will not forgive until the sinner repents and
seeks forgiveness. We were forgiven when
we believed the gospel, repented of our alien sins, confessed our faith in
Jesus Christ as the Son of God and were baptized into Christ for the remission
of sins (Acts 2:38; Mk. 16:15-16). How
can any Christian refuse to forgive his fellowman in view of the forgiveness of
sins that we enjoy in Christ Jesus?
Could your fellowman ever sin more grievously against you than we have
sinned against almighty God? If God
through Christ has forgiven us, we ought to forgive others.
Forgiveness is especially important in the close
intimate atmosphere of the home. We are
being overly romantic or naive if we imagine that conflicts do not arise
between husbands and wives. The husband
or wife may be inattentive or forgetful or abrasive. We cannot live in such close relationships
without occasionally getting on one another’s nerves. These conflicts are inevitable, but they do
not need to do permanent damage to the relationship. We should have the generosity of disposition
to confess our wrongs to one another and to forgive one another. I have serious doubts that any attitude could
be more helpful in marriage than that of forgiveness. Incidentally, our companions in the home can
see when we have been truly converted to the Lord. I remember a poem that was popular several
years ago in church bulletins. “You
don’t have to tell it; it will show in your face.”
Forgiveness is also vital in our relationships in
the church. Members of all churches have
some difficulties, misunderstandings and conflicts. Churches have been known to have confusion
and even divisions over what preacher to hire, what kind of meeting house to
erect, whether or not to have a kitchen in the church building, etc. If we have the attitude Paul discussed in
Colossians 3, which our Lord enforced in his Sermon on the Mount, we are not
going to allow personal differences to separate us. When harsh words have been spoken or we have
questioned another’s motives because their views differed from ours, we must
ask for forgiveness when we have sinned against our brethren; and we must be
willing to forgive when they have sinned against us. As you can readily discern, forgiveness is a
fruit of repentance.
But are the attitudes and attributes listed in
Colossians 3 and in parallel passages really workable? If we show compassion, kindness, humbleness
of mind, meekness, longsuffering and forgiveness, will not people--perhaps even
family members and fellow Christians--take advantage of us? Some powerful voices have argued that these
attitudes are signs of weakness. Thrasymachus, an ancient political philosopher, insisted
that those who honor moral norms are always at a disadvantage. He stressed the need for power-ethics that
would exclude kindness, forgiveness and humility, unless they contributed to
his welfare. Niccolo
Machiavelli, the Italian prince, hated Christianity because it denied strong
military virtues. Friedrich Nietzsche,
the German philosopher who was so influential on Adolf
Hitler and who is quite popular on many American university campuses, severely
criticized Christianity as the “most malignant form of falsehood... It is
really poisonous, decadent, weakening.
It produces nincompoops, not men.” Nietzsche considered energy,
virility, self-assertion, self-reliance and self-determinism the highest
values. He argued that humility,
meekness, compassion and forgiveness are signs of weakness.
The political naturalism of men like Machiavelli and
Nietzsche have plunged nations into war and allowed tyrants, like Hitler,
Mussolini, Stalin, Saddam Hussein, Moamar Khadify and similar monsters, to abuse and misuse millions
of their own people as well as others.
Life on earth would be impossible if we were to adopt the “dog-eat-dog”
philosophy of the men I have mentioned.
The gentleness, kindness and compassion of the lowly Nazarene did more
to soften the attitudes and behavior of human beings than all the rantings and ravings of Nietzsche, Machiavelli and
Hitler. And Hitler--contrary to the
contentions of the neo-Nazis and the white supremacists-was a madman.
Are the virtues I have read to you from Colossians 3
practical? They are practical, but that
is not the reason Paul recommended them.
Inspiration provides these great principles because they are
right--because they show that we have allowed the mind of Christ to permeate
our lives. “Let this mind be in you
which was also in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5).
If we think like Christ, we shall behave like him.
Colossians 3 urges us to put on, in addition to all
the qualities we have been studying, the supreme virtue: Love. Paul calls it
“the bond of perfectness.” Humility, forgiveness and all the other
virtues are really meaningless unless they are motivated by love: love for God
and love for our fellowmen. In his great
chapter on love, Paul listed three essential elements of the Christian life:
faith, hope and love. He added: “But the
greatest of these is love” (1 Cor.
Peace and gratitude are also blessings and
responsibilities that belong to the one who has been transformed through the
gospel of Christ. “And let the peace of
God rule in your hearts, to the which you are called;
and be thankful” (Col. 3:15). When the
love of God flows through a person’s heart, he is going to seek peace and
pursue it (1 Pet.
Paul commanded the Colossians: “Let the word of
Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another
in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to
the Lord” (Col. 3:16). The truly
converted will take advantage of every opportunity to learn God’s word so that
it may dwell in him richly in all wisdom.
If every member of the body of Christ really understood this great
truth, would we have any difficulty in getting every member to be present at
every service? Sunday and Wednesday
Bible classes, gospel meetings and Vacation Bible Schools provide many
opportunities to become better students of the word. If we have really experienced that radical
change called “conversion,” attending services and studying the Bible will be
fruits of repentance.
Those who have put off the world and put on Christ
will also desire to teach and admonish one another in psalms, hymns and
spiritual songs. These activities
clearly refer to the public worship services of the church. How could we teach and admonish one another
unless there were some kind of worship service? You and I cannot afford to be absent from the
worship of the Lord’s church. We need
spiritual growth, comfort, and encouragement that come from such corporate
fellowship. It gives us wonderful
opportunities for showing our gratitude to God.
We are to worship with grace in our hearts to the Lord.
Paul’s final admonition in this section of
Colossians 3 urges Christians to do all in the name of the Lord, giving thanks
unto God and the Father by him (Col. 3:17).
Christians must be men and women who give their lives to the Lord. Like Christ, we must do always those things
that please him (John
Winford Claiborne
The
International Gospel Hour
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