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Bearing Fruits of Repentance

"Bear fruits that are deserving and consistent with [your] repentance" Luke 3.8

These are the words spoken by John the Baptist, to those who were approaching him to take baptism. Baptism is a decision made by people in repentance of their sins, past life of sin. This verse made me think what are the fruits that are being referred here? Here are they -
  • Character reflecting the changed heart
  • A heart abhorring sin
  • Christ like heart - love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, Gentleness and self control (Galatians 5:22)
It is a natural phenomenon that a Mango tree shall bear the fruit Mango. Here is what the Bible has to say -
"Does a fountain send forth [simultaneously] from the same opening fresh water and bitter? Can a fig tree, my brethren, bear olives, or a grapevine figs? Neither can a salt spring furnish fresh water." James 3:11,12
Unfortunately with us, human beings things doesn't seem to work that way. Our behavior is not consistent with what we say, "who we are". We have the classic examples of the so called successful companies, which have misled the share holders by wrong accounting practices. If we have to carefully search into our hearts and confess, we are not in a position to declare that we are bearing the fruit, we ought to bear.

I am wondering what could be the reason? Two things come to my mind when I look into my heart -
  1. The seed that is sown in me - The seed determines the kind of fruit that can be expected. It is the nature of the seed that can make all the difference. By nature, I inherited the sinful nature from Adam. This was the seed that was sown in me as part of my natural birth. This is the case with all of us, the human race. But God out of His love and grace, intervened into our lives and planted a different seed.
    "It is the incorruptible seed of the word of God. You have been regenerated (born again), not from a mortal origin (seed, sperm), but from one that is immortal by the ever living and lasting Word of God." 1 Peter 1:23
  2. The choices that I make - God granted every human being the freedom of choice by His sovereign will. God will not force us in our decision making process. He will lead and guide us if we are interested to obey Him. Now, even though I have the right seed sown in me, my choices determine the fruit that I bear.
Now, the tricky part is "Choices made by the individual", because many times we are in moral dilemma in our choices and we end up in helpless situations. Not only we, but the Apostle Paul too has the same confusion. We can read in his own words: Romans 7:19 -
I fail to practice the good deeds I desire to do, but the evil deeds that I do not desire to do are what I am [ever] doing.
But thanks be to God through Jesus Christ, who is the hope for us and who intercedes before father on our behalf.
"He replied to him, Leave it alone, sir, [just] this one more year, till I dig around it and put manure [on the soil]. Then perhaps it will bear fruit after this" Luke 13:8,9
Questions to Ponder:
  1. Are you bearing fruits of repentance?
  2. What is it, that is preventing you from bearing fruits?
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