Your Life is Your Witness

Dr. Ralph Earle was Chuck's New Testament prof. at 
Seminary. His life was his witness, for not only did 
he know the Word of God, but he lived it out. 

Scripture:

Luke 3:7   John said to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? ⁸ Bear fruits worthy of repentance. Do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our ancestor’; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. ⁹ Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Observation:

John begins his preaching ministry as the crowds begin to gather. He uses illustrations from the wilderness where he is preaching. The Jews certainly understood the concept of a viper - who was see as the instrument of Satan, all the way back to the garden. To call the people themselves a “brood of vipers” was very disparaging, and certainly would have made the religious officials angry. 

John’s baptism was one of repentance, for these who were known as the “people of God,” were not living and/or acting like God’s people. This was the great concern and the reason they needed to repent. Far too many of the Jews were living in dependence upon their lineage as God’s people. John put that idea to rest — that God didn’t have to bless them — because God could raise up children to Abraham from the surrounding stones, should God so desire. 

The ax can be used at any time to cut down the trees that do not bear fruit. There was to be no promise of security just because they were Jews by birth. They were to be Jews by action. 

Application:

John’s preaching here coincides with what we will hear later from Jesus. If we were to translate this into our contemporary context, John would be preaching to the Church, calling her and her members to repentance. 

Individually and corporately we are to bear witness to the presence of Christ among us. Any church or tribe ought to be careful to think that just because they are the Church that they are necessary for God’s work. If the Church does not bear witness to presence of Christ, if there is no fruit, then the ax is waiting. Just because we have the name “Christian” doesn’t mean that we are a Christian. We have to look, sound, and act like a Christian. If God can raise up children to Abraham from stones, God can raise up a new Church that is alive with Christ, bearing much fruit. 

Every life must be a living witness to the presence of Christ. We are all called to be fruit-bearers, and if we are not, then maybe we ought to repent. John’s was a water baptism, but we who have been water baptized, are invited into a Holy Spirit baptism. These people needed a fresh washing and reminder to turn away from the life they had begun to follow. We are in need of a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit, to revive us again into the people of God that we have been called to be. Only by a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit will we be able to be God’s children, living a life that testifies to the presence of Jesus Christ. 

As we embark on this new year, I believe that many are looking for something new and different. This past year, 2020, took a lot from us, and yet it gave much to us as well. This is a good time to seek anew a fresh infilling of the Holy Spirit and pray that God will use us as living witnesses to the presence of Christ, bearing fruit in all that we say and do. 

Prayer:

Come, Holy Spirit. Amen.