Where's the Fruit?

*Where's the Fruit?*

"Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance." Matthew 3:8

Like a young child, the early church at Corinth was doing a lot of things
wrong. There were divisions, they were suing one another, they were
misusing spiritual gifts, and they were spiritual weak. But the most
egregious of the errors was tolerating a sexually immoral brother in the
church. Paul told them in 1 Corinthians 5 in no uncertain terms that not
only was the sin wrong, but the church was wrong and had sinned
by tolerating it - "And ye (the church) are puffed up, and have not rather
mourned" (v.2). Paul describes them as being puffed up or proud of their
tolerance.

He writes to the church again in 2 Corinthians 7 to commend them for their
repentance and for dealing with the brother who had the problem. And he
draws an important distinction between regret and repentance. "For I
perceive that the same epistle hath made you sorry, though it were but for a
season. Now I rejoice, not that ye were made sorry, but that ye sorrowed to
repentance: for ye were made sorry after a godly manner" (v.8-9). Being
made sorry (regret) is one thing, but sorrowing unto repentance is totally
different.

Regret often means, "I'm sorry for all this trouble, I'm sorry I got caught,
I'm sorry you got hurt or you feel that way" while repentance always means,
"I'm sorry for my sin, and I purpose to turn from that path and follow God
in obedience and holiness." Regret is just a verbal statement, but
repentance is a result of a change in heart and mind and is
always accompanied with fruit. That's why John the Baptist rebuked the
Pharisees and Saducees that came to be baptized. They may have had some
regrets but they did not show any evidence or fruits of repentance. And
lest we think this only applies to the unconverted and baptism, the apostle
wrote the same thing to the Corinthian believers.

Paul also described the evidence or fruits of repentance that we are to
exhibit and look for - "For behold this selfsame thing, that ye sorrowed
after a godly sort, what carefulness it wrought in you, yea, what clearing
of yourselves, yea, what indignation, yea, what fear, yea, what vehement
desire, yea, what zeal, yea, what revenge! In all things ye have approved
yourselves to be clear in this matter" (v.11). Godly sorrowing to
repentance is done speedily, eagerly and diligently (carefulness), it pleads
for forgiveness (clearing), it causes a holy displeasure at one's self for
the sin committed (indignation), it brings a fear of falling into sin again
so that you fearfully avoid the sin (fear), it stirs up an earnest desire
and longing for holiness (vehement desire), it makes us jealous about our
relationship with God so that nothing is allowed to get between us (zeal),
and it vindicates or justifies us (revenge). In all things, it shows that
we are declared innocent and pure (clear) by God. Are you exhibiting these
fruits of repentance or do you just have regret over wrongdoings?

The wrong path never turns into the right path. The only way to get off the
wrong path is to turn around (repent), go back in the opposite direction on
the wrong path, until you get to the point where you got on, and then take
the right path.

*To do so no more is the truest repentance. (Martin Luther)*