Walk the Talk

January 5

(Luke 3:7-8a NIV) “John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? {8} Produce fruit in keeping with repentance.”

(Matthew 7:18-21 NIV) ““A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. {19} Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. {20} Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. {21} "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.””

John the Baptist accused those who came out to see him of being a “brood of vipers”… so much for being “seeker friendly”. But John’s calling was not to please a crowd -- it was to call people to repentance. It’s fashionable in Christian circles today to speak of God’s love and grace in a way that requires nothing of those who seek Him. We are saved by grace through faith, so we assume that salvation comes with no strings attached. But salvation calls for repentance, and repentance is turning away from sin and turning toward Jesus. We must turn around and walk in a new and different direction. True repentance requires change. This is the “through faith” part… the “fruit of repentance”. We cannot follow Jesus in faith and continue to live our lives as we always have. Salvation is a gift, but it comes at the cost of our old life. We cannot just say, “Lord, Lord”… we must “walk the talk”. -- Friar Tuck’s Word of the Day