Scripture – “But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”
Matthew 3:7-10 NIV
Observation – John the Baptist was harsh with the people that knew God’s word best because he who is given much, much is expected. He told them if their lives didn’t produce good fruit, love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control, and result in loving God and loving people they would be thrown into hell for eternity.
Application – We should always be kind to everyone and the kindest thing we can to do for people is to speak to them in a very direct way about the realities of heaven and hell. We deceive ourselves, when we refrain from a direct conversation spoken with love about judgement, by saying we don’t want to drive them away, when in reality we are afraid of how they will react toward us.
Prayer – Lord give us wisdom and boldness in how to we talk to nonbelievers about heaven and hell and eternal judgement and forgiveness of sins. Don’t let fear of man be a snare to us. Amen.
What are you doing? Do it better 