#iGrowchallenge: Bear Fruit That Leads to Repentance and What is the Fire Jesus is Speaking of?

Thoughts about John the Baptizer....John the Baptizer tells the crowd in Matthew 3 to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance.” The fruit that comes from repentance is humility, and true forgiveness, burdens lifted, and a sense of grace in your life.  

John prepared the way of Jesus by calling people to ‘repent’ or to change their minds about Jesus, to believe in the Son of God, and to change their actions, to turn from their sin, and idolatry, and their fruitless pursuit of other things to bring true peace, and hope, and value and security.   Seems that as we draw near to God this is also a good message daily for us so that we might receive again the Lord Jesus Christ and the Grace that he so freely gives us. 

Also a question from Matthew 3: John the Baptizer warns the crowds in 11-12: "I baptize you with the water of repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, who sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the water of repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals that I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather in his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." 

What does the word 'fire' mean here?  It most certainly refers to judgement. Fire was often the way farmers cleared their land for the upcoming harvest.... they would 'slash and burn' the old to prepare for the new. And that is how John is describing Jesus. He is the farmer and he is the judge. So ultimately all that is not ordained by him or under him will be consumed.  This is a foreshadowing of the last judgement but also a statement about who Jesus is in our world as well. There is no middle ground with Jesus. As an all consuming fire he either burns or he heals. 

John the Baptist also says that Jesus will baptize with Spirit and fire.....so when Christ comes into our lives he burns away the old and brings the new. He saves us and redeems us through his blood.  Though we still have sin in our lives and live under the reality of evil, death, and the devil, God in Jesus Christ has cleansed us and healed us even still.   Thanks be to God!