“FRUITS MEET FOR REPENTANCE”

     Repentance from sin is the grand call of GOD to every man. And the first step of meeting this grand call is to behold Jesus Christ as “the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev.13:8. To read of His life and character, His miracles and His love, and from this revelation, step out in faith that Jesus is truly “the Son of God!” It was He who came to take the punishment of the sins of men upon Himself just as a devoted father would lay down his life for his family. The truth, “as the truth is in Jesus” draws such gratitude from the heart that to not share that gratitude with others is unbearable. All deserve to know just how much they are loved by a GOD who is willing to forgive every sin. “As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us”—through the life, death, and resurrection of jesus Christ (Ps.103:12). Great value is then placed on the words of Paul: “knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee to repentance.” Rom.2:4.

     The more we focus on His goodness and come to understand what sin is, and what sin does, the more adoration wells up in our heart for His deliverance from all that opposes our dreams in life. But little understood in the church (because it is rarely spoken in the church) is the fact that everything we love about Jesus, everything He accomplished on our behalf, His display of miracles, His love that drew the hearts of sinners, prostitutes, tax collectors, and children, and His supreme victory over death's dominion, thus providing salvation and hope for eternal life—all was based on His obedience to the Ten Commandments. Without His perfection of obedience none would have been saved. This was the thrust of Paul’s words, “And if Christ be not raised, your faith is vain; ye are yet in your sins.” I Cor.15:17. This key doctrine deserves to be understood, that our faith in “Christ and him crucified” may be fortified and “bring therefore fruits meet for repentance.”

     In fact, the proof of His living a sinless life is found in His conquering the domain of death. The Bible says, “The soul that sinneth it shall die,” and, “the wages of sin is death.” The dominion of death exists to confine every sin: to hold in the abyss of non-existence all that threatens the happiness and security of life. That is the sole function of death. It has no other purpose. So, when Jesus Christ was forced into the grave at the hands of lawless men, having never united His will with sin, either by thought or deed, the grave had no legal right to hold Him: it had to set Him free; for death can only hold sin, of which Christ had none! The Apostle Peter said that, “it was not possible that He should be holden of it” (Acts 2:24). And as Christ is the “Everlasting Father” of the human race (Isa.9:6) and the “first fruits” of this victory over sin and the grave, all His children are now to follow His path of resurrection from the dead (I Cor.15:20,22,23). Every man from Adam to the last is to be raised from the grave.

     But the Bible describes that not everyone will be granted the gift of everlasting life, for the message of the Gospel gives them opportunity to choose to share in Christ’s victory over sin and its resulting death. This simple teaching, restoring man’s freedom to choose GOD’S gift to restore the eternal life that was lost through sin lies at the heart of the message of salvation and is the most glorious doctrine ever given to men. The Bible calls this, “the power of His resurrection.” Phil.3:10.

     But there is a danger for every Christian: a snare that has been laid to entrap the church of Christ into a false sense of security, and thus lead Christians to their eternal doom. When the Spirit of the LORD led John the Baptist to declare to the scribes and Pharisees to “bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance,” these men (who were viewed as unquestionably pious men) stood in an unrepentant spirit. They went through the ceremonies and sacrifices. But their pride in the god of their own devising shut the door on the call to humility before “the holy scriptures.” The meekness of Moses and of David meant nothing to them. They had no “hunger and thirst after righteousness.” It is just as when Peter said to a man who only desired for his personal gain, “for thy heart is not right in the sight of God.” Acts 8:21.

     Biblically, “the book of life” did not contain the names of the scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, and lawyers who almost unanimously denied Jesus Christ. The words of Christ are clear on this fact that stands to this day: “he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” Jn.3:18.

     We find this same lost condition today in the church as is prophesied in Revelation: “And all that dwell upon the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life of the Lamb slain from the foundation of the world.” Rev.13:8. This is where the church is heading under the auspices of the pope of Rome. The entire book of Revelation centers around Rome, for Rome is prophesied as the last king of the Earth until the coming of Christ (Dan.ch.2&7). And the saints are called to divorce from the sins of Rome “before the great and the terrible day of the LORD come.” Joel 2:31.

     GOD is preparing a people for the closing scenes in which a revival of religious tyranny will spread as a cancer over the entire world. And the theme of Christ’s last warning and appeal is simple: “And I heard another voice from heaven, saying, Come out of her, my people, that ye be not partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins have reached unto heaven, and God hath remembered her iniquities. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and double unto her double according to her works: in the cup which she hath filled fill to her double. How much she hath glorified herself, and lived deliciously, so much torment and sorrow give her: for she saith in her heart, I sit a queen, and am no widow, and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come in one day, death, and mourning, and famine; and she shall be utterly burned with fire: for strong is the Lord God who judgeth her. And the kings of the earth, who have committed fornication and lived deliciously with her, shall bewail her, and lament for her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, Standing afar off for the fear of her torment, saying, Alas, alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city! for in one hour is thy judgment come.” Rev.18:4-10.

     What GOD began in the Reformation of the church was never completed: the complete separation from the sins of Rome. As the Jews failed to fulfill GOD’S purpose, so today’s Christianity has likewise failed. The lust of men who have determined to remain in sin will never be persuaded to repent. And as Jesus gave the perfect words, in the perfect tone of voice, with the perfect expression of face, in the perfect timing of their need, and yet, was rejected and condemned to death by the religious and secular leaders, so the saints of Christ will receive identical treatment when the LORD speaks His last warning and appeal through His chosen ones to an apostate religion claiming fidelity to Christ (Rev.13:15). And as Jews and Romans united to crucify Christ, so Jews and Romans will unite today to remove Christ in the person of His saints.

     But the LORD always provides the remedy for our every need, that none need face the LORD Jesus Christ among the ranks of those condemned to die “the second death.” Paul provided clear counsel to prevent anyone from being in a lost condition: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh death.” II Cor.7:10. And Solomon gave the best academic summation of repentance: “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Prov.28:13.

     But the finest words of all came from the LORD Himself: “If the wicked restore the pledge, give again that he had robbed, walk in the statutes of life, without committing iniquity; he shall surely live, he shall not die. None of his sins that he hath committed shall be mentioned unto him: he hath done that which is lawful and right; he shall surely live.” Eze.33:15,16.