Mat 3:7-12

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

“Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance;

and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham.

“The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

“As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

“His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Warning!
Flee the wrath to come.

John asked the Religionists…brood of vipers… - Pharisees, Sadducees - who had warned them?

In other words, he warned them to truly repent.
Not just make a show of being baptized…joining the crowd.

The axe is laid at the root of the tree.
Judgment was determined and coming.
Those who do not bear good fruit will be cut down and burned.

How do we know if someone has truly repented?

They will bear fruit in keeping with repentance.
They will have different fruit.

John also warned them of the incorrectness of their thoughts and argument.

The Religionists believed that because they were “children of God”, then all was well between them and God.

Such was not the case.
God could raise up children from the stones.

They were to trust not in their heritage and legacy.
They were to confess, repent and trust in the Lord.

So are we.

Too many trust in their family and denominational/organizational lineage rather than in the Lord.

Association/membership within the structures of man has nothing to do with the Kingdom.

John warned them.
He baptized with water for repentance.

The day was soon coming when One would come who baptized with the Holy Spirit and fire.

The last verse of the passage gives insight into timing.
Winnowing fork…
Clearing of threshing floor…
Gathering of His wheat into the barn…
Burn up chaff with unquenchable fire…
This is a vivid picture of the wrath of the Lord yet to come.
The Day of the Lord!

The Lord baptizes those who repent and believe with the Holy Spirit.
The Lord baptizes those who refuse to repent and believe with the fire of His wrath.

The Religionists will experience the wrath of the fire of the Lord.

Repent.
Be not the Religionist.

The Word Podcast - Today’s Episode…
https://dalemoore.podbean.com/