THE NEED FOR REPENTANCE

As we read the story of Hosea (Hosea 1-3) we feel his pain. He obeyed God and married Gomer. But his heart was broken because of his adulterous wife. Strangely, that was what God wanted. Hosea felt God’s pain when His people, Isreal, abandoned Him and went to serve idols. Because of his pain, Hosea understood the deep things of God. Gomer left her husband to follow lovers. At a time, Gomer, felt some guilt about her sinful ways. She wanted to go back to her husband “as at first” but she did not go. She had remorse but did not repent!

True repentance is not just some feeling of regret. In the Bible, the word “repent” in Greek is Metanoia. It means “to change your mind” resulting in a change of action. You totally turn away from sin and you turn towards God! Paul declares, “I preached that they should repent and turn to God and demonstrate their repentance by their deeds” (Acts 26:20). Concerning salvation, repentance means to change your mind especially regarding sin and the Lord Jesus Christ. You have “second thoughts” about your former mindset. There is a new way of thinking about God, sin, grace, holiness, justice and about doing God’s will. True repentance is prompted by “godly sorrow,” and it “leads to salvation” (2 Cor 7:10). Selah!

“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance… So, produce fruit that is consistent with repentance [demonstrating new behaviour that proves a change of heart, and a conscious decision to turn away from sin]” (Matt 3:8; NKJ; AMP). John the Baptist, a prophet and a forerunner of Jesus Christ, was known for his call to repentance and baptism in the Jordan River. He is addressing the religious leaders of the time who came to him to be baptized. They are often described as hypocritical and resistant to true repentance. Genuine repentance begins in the heart, leading to a sincere turning away from sin and towards God, resulting in visible fruit. Repentance is not merely a verbal declaration but must be accompanied by a change in behaviour that reflects a transformed heart. Repentance is not a one-time event but a continual process of aligning your life with God’s will, producing ongoing spiritual fruit.

“The people asked John the Baptist, “What shall we do then?” 11 He answered and said to them, “He who has two tunics, let him give to him who has none; and he who has food, let him do likewise.” 12 Then tax collectors also came to be baptized, and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” 13 And he said to them, “Collect no more than what is appointed for you.” 14 Likewise the soldiers asked him, saying, “And what shall we do?” So, he said to them, “Do not intimidate anyone or accuse falsely, and be content with your wages” (Lk 3:10-14)

When the people asked about repentance, John’s answers were practical and specific. True repentance manifest in:

*Relationships: you forgive quickly, pursue reconciliation and you desire peace with all men. 

*Speech: you speak truthful, edifying words—not gossip, not slander, or rough talk.

*Finances: you are wise and generous with your money, and fair in business deals.

*Work ethic: you work honest hours, you put quality effort, you refuse to exploit people, and you respect authority.

*Sexual purity: you honour marriage and flee immorality.

*Serving God thru Compassion, helping the needy, the poor, and the vulnerable.

True repentance means to openly acknowledge sin without excuses. When King David repented from his sin of adultery and murder, he openly confessed it to God: “For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. 4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,

And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge” (Ps 51:3,4).

True repentance means to completely turn away from your sin, and turn towards God, in your mind, heart, will, speech and actions. “Let the wicked forsake his way, And the unrighteous man his thoughts; Let him return to the Lord, And He will have mercy on him; And to our God, For He will abundantly pardon” (Isa 55:7). True repentance leads to Restitution and reconciliation. Whenever possible, you must correct the wrongs, like Zacchaeus who repaid fourfold the money he stole (Lk 19:8). The former thief now works to give (Eph 4:28).

True repentance means accepting and confessing the truth that you have sinned and only in Christ there is mercy, forgiveness and cleansing of the conscience. “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:8,9). The result is that there is a changed conduct, visible obedience to God’s Word, a new godly character and persistent spiritual growth. True repentance manifests as active Love for others, humility, and a willingness to be taught. A repentant heart welcomes correction instead of resisting it. “Let the righteous strike me; It shall be a kindness. And let him rebuke me; It shall be as excellent oil; Let my head not refuse it..,” (Ps 141:5). True repentance manifests as serving God thru witnessing, sharing your testimony, preaching God’s word and helping people. Good works cause others to “glorify your Father in heaven” (Matt 5:16). Encourage yourself! Stay humble! Celebrate progress, repent of setbacks, and keep walking!   

True repentance manifests as spiritual fruit. “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control” (Gal 5:22-23). These nine qualities are family traits of those who are filled with the Holy Spirit. These fruits grow together; are not “slices” or decorations. They manifest in real-life situations, not just in theory. The fruit God is looking for is the life of Christ expressed thru ours. “Filled with the fruit of righteousness that comes through Jesus Christ—to the glory and praise of God” (Philip 1:11). Why Fruit Matters to God? By our character and deeds, we prove that the message we preach is true. Fruits demonstrates the power of the gospel to save sinners. It protects the community from hypocrisy. It Glorifies God: “By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit” (Jn 15:8). God desires spiritual fruit in our lives! Continuous transformation is not only possible; it is expected. Selah!

UNFRUITFULNESS BRINGS GOD JUDGEMENT

“I will surely consume them,” says the Lord. “No grapes shall be on the vine, Nor figs on the fig tree, And the leaf shall fade; And the things I have given them shall pass away from them” (Jer 8:13). These are words of divine judgment and the removal of blessings. Jeremiah warns the people of Judah that persistent disobedience and idolatry, refusing to repent of sin, leads to God’s judgment. God will remove the material prosperity. These words show the authority of God! The absence of grapes and figs means no wine, no joy, no celebrations. The fading of the leaves suggests a complete lack of life and strength. God removes His blessings, including the Promised Land. God blesses the faithful and curses those who are rebellious against Him. He gives and takes away according to His righteous purposes. Selah! We are created to bear fruit. “So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them. 28 Then God blessed them, and God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply; fill the earth and subdue it…” (Gen 1:27,28). God’s loving discipline is a wake-up call to repent and come back to Him! Bareness is not neutral. It invites God’s judgment, removing what hides spiritual decay. Yet the same God who judges can in His mercy restore and multiply fruit!

THE PARABLE OF THE BARREN FIG TREE (Mk 11:11-26)

Jesus was hungry. He expects to see figs on the tree that has mature leaves, but He finds no fruits. He curses it. The tree dries from its roots. This story is difficult to explain. Many say that Jesus was selfish to curse a tree that had no fruits for Him to eat. It was not even the season for figs. The cursing of the fig tree is a miracle of destruction. In all other miracles Jesus heals and delivers, but this is a different type of miracle. This is a prophetic parable of judgment over Jerusalem which was destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD. To make His point, Jesus could have cursed a Jew, but He decided to curse a fig tree. His judgment was restrained. What are some of the lessons?  

God warns against hypocrisy. As Creator of the universe, God has the right to expect fruits from the trees on this earth. He is disappointed at unfulfilled potential. His disappointment turns to judgment. The mature leaves are a symbol of hypocrisy. Jesus condemns the hypocrisy more than the lack of fruit. It is dangerous to pretend that you are fruitful when you are not. Like the activity in the temple courts during Passover, the fig tree was putting on a good show. And that made worse. It’s one thing to lack fruit out of season. It’s another thing to pretend that you have it. Many people look like this tree, leaves but no fruit. Our leaves are like that of great champions, leaders in the church, winners in business with perfect families. But the root may be withered. There are no fruits of holiness and no intimacy with God. Our religious activities, the leaves, may fool many people. What’s worse, our leaves may even fool us. And our churches can do the same. A church’s leaves may look impressive: great attendance, big accounts, successful outreaches, active pastors, and impressive music. But what will the Lord find upon close inspection? Will He find only leaves? Or will he find figs, too? God’s warnings are not empty threats!

God warns against spiritual bareness. A barren tree has lost its purpose. God judges it. Jesus inspects the tree and He is immediately disappointed. All leaves, no fruit. All expectation, no satisfaction. While the rest of the nations—the other fig trees—are not yet in season, this one tree is “in leaf”. God wants to see fruits on His people so that they become a blessing to all the nations. A lack of fruitfulness is a sign of God’s curse for their rebellion. “Take heed to yourselves, lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them, lest the Lord’s anger be aroused against you, and He shut up the heavens so that there be no rain, and the land yield no produce, and you perish quickly from the good land which the Lord is giving you” (Deut11:16,17). Jesus enters Jerusalem. The Passover celebration, the crowds, the singing and dancing, it’s all only a show. Jesus enters God’s house of prayer and finds it “a den of robbers” (Mk 11:17). Lots of action, noise, but no righteousness, no love for God and man. These are all leaves and no fruit! Upon inspecting the fruitless tree, Jesus pours out divine judgment. The fig tree cursing is not just about Israel. It’s about us, the people of God throughout time. Selah!

As Gentiles who are saved in Christ, we are grafted into the trunk of tree (Rom 11:19-23). Dear believer is Christ, do not be proud. You do not support the root, but the root supports the tree. Unbelief made God break Isreal branches away. Faith keeps you in the tree. God can cut off anyone because of Unbelief. The barren fig tree is a symbol of ceremonial legalistic religion without truth and faith. Unbelief sees the Bible as only a book of laws, rules and regulation. True Christianity lives by faith, repentance, forgiveness and fruitfulness.   

Sin is defined as any plan, thought or action done against God. The root of sin is unbelief. The Holy Spirit exposes sin as Unbelief in Jesus Christ (Jn 16:8,9). The problem with sin is not merely wrong behaviour but rejecting God’s revealed remedy. This puts faith in Christ at the very centre of the moral universe. Sin means rejecting God’s light in Christ because sinners love darkness. Unbelief treats God’s testimony about His Son as false (1Jn 5:10). Jesus said: “That is why I told you that you will die in your sins. For unless you believe that I am He, you will die in your sins” (Jn 8:24). It is not enough to be religious, to believe in God. Unbelief in Jesus Christ takes the sinner to hell! Selah!

Jesus looks towards to future with hope! The next day, Peter is amazed that the fig tree is dried. Jesus ignores his comment and speaks about something else. He talks about the power of God, prayer, faith and forgiveness. These are very different topics from the look of the dry tree, that was a picture of His judgment. It is good to study and admire the Creative mind of Jesus. We need to have such a mind who knows when to ignore the past, acknowledge the present and look to the future with hope. A creative mind knows the perfect timing of things. Jesus knew when to change the subject and to move on. Also, a creative mind does not dwell on the negatives. From the dry fig tree Jesus turns to God, and prayer and faith. He changes the view of the disciples. From the sad, limited view of God’s judgment Jesus tell them to look at the bigger, better things of the glorious future. Like Jesus, we need to use the sad present to look by faith at the glory ahead; to use negative to create positive, and the simple stories to explain the profound. Jesus tells them that Prayer to God has unlimited power because all power belongs to God. Faith is the key that opens the door of prayer. Jesus gives three reasons why the unlimited power of prayer can be limited by us: The Will of God limits our prayers, because we cannot pray outside His will. Doubt limits the power of prayer. Unforgiveness limits the power of prayer. May we repent of our ignorance of God, doubt and unforgiveness. Then we can fly as eagles in the open sky of prayers answered. “The fear of the Lord is clean, enduring forever; The judgments of the Lord are true and righteous altogether. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, Yea, than much fine gold; Sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover by them Your servant is warned, And in keeping them there is great reward” (Psalm 19:9-11). Worship the Lord!