Matthew 3:7-12
But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them,
“You offspring of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?
Therefore produce fruit that proves your repentance, and don’t think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that God can raise up children for Abraham from these stones!
Even now the axe is laid at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.
“I baptize you with water, for repentance, but the one coming after me is more powerful than I am—I am not worthy to carry his sandals!
He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clean out his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the storehouse, but the chaff he will burn up with inextinguishable fire!”
COMMENT & QUESTIONS
John warns the Pharisees and Sadducees against presuming that they will be safe because they are offspring of Abraham.
What are some false securities that we pretend will keep us safe?
We might trust our safety in our riches and financial security. We might trust in the social status that we have attained. We might trust in our education and intellect. We might trust in our social circle. We might trust in the fact that we simply attend church on a Sunday. We might trust in our religious upbringing. But none of these things save our souls
PRAYERS
Pray that we will produce good fruit for God For those who trust in physical security rather than trusting in God