Matthew 3, "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 and escape from the wrath and indignation [of God against disobedience] that is coming? Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance [let your lives prove your change of heart]; And do not presume to say to yourselves, We have Abraham for our forefather; for I tell you, God is able to raise up descendants for Abraham from these stones! And already the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. I indeed baptize you in (with) water because of repentance [that is, because of your changing your minds for the better, heartily amending your ways, with abhorrence of your past sins]. But He Who is coming after me is mightier than I, Whose sandals I am not worthy or fit to take off or carry; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. His winnowing fan (shovel, fork) is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear out and clean His threshing floor and gather and store His wheat in His barn, but the chaff He will burn up with fire that cannot be put out." (Amplified Bible)
As I read Matthew, the first thing that jumps out at me, is the call to be true. There is so much in this book and I want to talk about it all. But if the first thing that gets my attention is the call to not be a hypocrite, then this is where I must start. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the spiritual leaders of the time. The Pharisees knew the Torah (first five books of the OT) by memory. Can you imagine, being able to quote all of the gospels by memory, from any point; to know how many birds are mentioned and what kind; to know each healing and to quote exactly what is written. This is what they were able to do. They knew the word of God, but there was something wrong. John called them a "brood of snakes". What was it that brought such a response? Why were they so despised by our Lord and His true followers? Their heart was not in their worship. They had not really changed their lives, for their actions were telling on their true beliefs. They did everything right, but their was no love found in them.
Jesus did not come to enforce laws, but to fulfill them. He came to bring life, and true life is what He offers. Many people are turned off from becoming a Christ follower, because of those whom call themselves Christians. Rules are placed in front of them; Pleasures are taken away; Labor is what we (Christians) offer to those whom are looking for freedom. I even almost cringe when someone asks me if I am a Christian, for Christians do not usually have a good name. I prefer "Christ follower." Most do not think of love and what Jesus truly is, when they hear Christian. They think, hypocrite, loveless, judgmental, the list goes on and on. When we turn our lives over to Christ, yes we will change what we are doing. We are never told, "your sins are forgiven, go and keep living the same life." No, we are told to live differently. But if our hearts are still hard, nothing has really changed. It is all about a change of heart. The change in behavior will change if our hearts change. The question is, why do you change. Have you accepted Christ as your Savior? If so, have you changed in your behavior? Have you changed because you want to love your Lord, or have you change because you are following the rules? Trust me, there is a big difference. John calls the rule followers a brood of snakes. Are you a snake, pretending to be a sheep?
Non of us are perfect. Everyone knows that I am far from perfect, but I am truly in love with my Lord. I am a Christian, I am a Christ follower. If you have not accepted Christ as your Lord, why not? Is it because of His followers? If so, I am truly sorry. If this is the case, please stop looking at the fallen ones, for none of us are perfect. Look to the true Savior, the one who is perfect, and you will see the light. Read His word. Study and see who He really is. Fall in love with your Lord, so you can learn to love His children...
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