Revealed in Scripture

This is what I got from reading the word of God a few days ago. I hope it encourages and challenges you!

Matt 3:1 In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, ² and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” ³ For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’”^[a]

⁴ Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. ⁵ Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him ⁶ and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

Okay stop now at verse five. Take note, these people were coming to get baptized and they were confessing their sins while they were getting baptized. Okay continue... 

⁷ But 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 wrath to come?

Hold up now! That wasn't a very nice thing to say to some people who want to get baptized!

⁸ Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance, 

Now it makes a little more sense to me. Obviously the Pharisees and Sadducees were just coming to just get baptized, but they weren't feeling the need to repent. They were just going through the motions, without having their heart changed! Why wouldn't they feel the need to repent?

⁹ and do not think to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

I guess they were thinking that since they were children of Abraham that they were fine with God. They were "saved". Every time I see something in the Bible about the Pharisees and Sadducees, I think about religious people today. What if the verse said something like this:

and do not think to say to yourselves, "We have been saved and grew up in the church, we were once on fire for God.' For I say to you that God is able to raise up "Christians" from these stone". 

In other words, God doesn't need you. He doesn't want people who are just going to have the appearance of being "good". He wants people whose hearts, minds, and souls are completely His. God calls for complete abandonment.

¹⁰ And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. Therefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 

If we don't bear fruit, we are good for nothing. If our words don't have action, they mean nothing. We can say we love God, but unless our actions show it, we will be thrown into the fire.

¹¹ I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.^[b]

So often, I realize that I don't have a clue of how Holy God is. Have you ever gone into a museum and touched something and then got yelled at for it? Jody just got too close to an artifact at an art museum and got a tap on the shoulder for it. Those people are pretty much saying "Wo! Don't you realize how much this artifact is worth? There is no way you'd be able to pay for it if you ruined it. You aren't worthy enough to touch it"

Do you realize we aren't worthy enough carry God's sandals for him? That is how Holy He is. We are nothing. We can't do anything for God. We can't even approach God. He let's us approach Him, but we are never worthy enough to. 

I take that for granted all the time. Just like a painting I have at my own house. I can touch it, move it, even brake it if I want. I don't value it like I do a painting at the museum. I most of the time do the same with God. I don't value Him as if He was Holy and Sacred. I think of that I can just approach Him anytime I please to, just like a painting at my house. If I don't want to talk to Him or am too busy to, I don't have to.

¹² His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

He is coming. Even though the wheat the chaff come from the same plant, they are two different things. One is useful, the other is worthless and will be burned. Even though there are a lot of people who call themselves Christians, only the ones who show fruit of repentance. 

Read verse 11 again. John baptized into repentance. But you also need baptized by Jesus. He is the only one who can give you the Holy Spirit and passion to bear fruit.