Matthew 3:7-12 Jesus Christ is Our Repentance

Trying to answer the question, "How is Jesus Christ our All-in-all?

The Text

Matthew 3:7–12 (CSB)
⁷ When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

⁸ Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance.

⁹ And don’t presume to say 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.

¹⁰ The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

¹¹ “I baptize you with water for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is more powerful than I. I am not worthy to remove his sandals. He himself will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

¹² His winnowing shovel is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn. But the chaff he will burn with fire that never goes out.”

The Devotion

John 1:12–13 (CSB) But to all who did receive him, he gave them the right to be children of God, to those who believe in his name, who were born, not of natural descent, or of the will of the flesh, or of the will of man, but of God.

1 John 5:1 (CSB) Everyone who believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God, and everyone who loves the Father also loves the one born of him.

If we are command by God empowered by God to turn to God and be with God, don't think for a moment that you and I can obey God without God. It is impossible.

John 15:5 (CSB) “I am the vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in me and I in him produces much fruit, because you can do nothing without me.

I saw a disturbing poll just the other day. It was on the Internet so it must be true. Evangelicals were asked a basic question, "What is more prevalent problem im the church: the carnal 'Christian' who claims faith and yet goes on continuing to sin or is it is the legalistic 'Christian' who claims to be believes but strives to gain favor with God?" What do you think our brothers and sister said? You guessed it! "Oh the carnal Christian. There are church pews that are filled with those who come rolling in on the Sunday morning fresh from the strip clubs the night before."

The church never thinks that legalism is an issue within the church because why? Here is the unsaid reason, "At least people are doing good things and not bad things." And do not misunderstand me: that is a good thing when it comes to the order and chaos of our lives. But does doing good things earn you any favor with God? We all know the correct answer but how do we live and think and give mercy to one another.

We all thing that legalism is not an issue but Christ called legalists, "brood of vipers", "hypocrites", "whitewashed tombs", "vipers", and the Almighty God proclaiming "woe to you". (Matthew 23)

We, as mankind, give a free pass to legalism. In the eyes of Jesus Christ, the legalist and the carnal man are one and the same. They are both dead in their sins and trespasses. They are both in need of a Savior. They are both in need of repentance. They are both in need of the Holy Spirit. They are both in need of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.