When John the Baptist arrived on the scene causing quite a stir amongst the locals back in his day, he confronted a group of Pharisees and Sadducees with this question: “Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?” (Matt. 3:7).

I should also point out here that this message was not being directed to 'unchurched heathen folks' either.

So exactly what ‘wrath’ was coming, when was it coming, and what would this ‘wrath’ even look like? Surely he was not talking about all the plagues and judgements that would be unleashed as spelled in in the Book or Revelation during the ‘great tribulation’, was he? In hindsight, John uttered those words some 2000 years ago and we are still waiting for this ‘tribulation’ event to unfold.

His next statement to them was “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance.” (8). I point this out here because this past week, we’ve been looking at what ‘repentance’ looks like when it comes to ‘turning away from our wicked ways’. (2 Chron. 7:14). And there is a great promise of our ‘land being healed’ if/when we do this.

Would you please now underline verse 10: “Even now ...the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

I’m pretty sure John nor Jesus were about to begin a land-clearing logging business along with erecting lumberyards throughout the Middle East.  

John seems pretty matter-of-fact in suggesting that true ‘repentance’ will bear ‘fruit’, or evidence. And let me say again, that ‘repentance’ is not just saying you are sorry, over and over as you seek forgiveness. Nowhere in scripture do you see the message of Jesus admonishing us to keep coming back to Him for forgiveness every time we sin because we are imperfect, flawed humans and will always sin on ‘this side of heaven’. Now that is not to say that “IF...we sin...”, that we can’t come and find forgiveness. (1 John 2:1; 1 John 3:6)

His message was clear from the beginning...”Repent...the kingdom of God is here!” It was the same message His disciples preached as well, before He was crucified and after He rose from the dead and returned to heaven. (Mark 6:12; Acts 2:38; 17:30) And let’s not forget His words of “Go...and sin no more or something worse will come upon you.” (John 5:14; 8:11)

So when John exhorts us to produce ‘fruits of repentance...or else’, the message is clear: true repentance produces genuine change. It means when you turn away from something, like sinful behavior...you won’t do it anymore. Would you please read that last sentence again? And what did Jesus warn would happen to those who failed to ‘repent’? (Luke 13:1-5)

When a ‘believer’ admits they continue to ‘struggle with a particular sin’, they are saying, in effect...they continue to stumble or fall in this area of sin; which means they have not repented or turned away from this sin. They may feel miserable, and convicted, and cry and beat themselves up for the ongoing struggle, and even have prayed and cried out to God for forgiveness. But they have yet to truly repent. And please don’t let this add condemnation to you if you happen to be one of those people. Friends...I have some really good news for you...you don’t have to keep struggling with that same sin over and over. The power of God’s truth and Spirit are still available today...to set you free from that. (John 8:32-36; Luke 4:18; Acts 26:18). That is... if you want...to turn...and be free of it.  Do you want to be made well? (John 5:6)