Dating God? (Luke 3)

The Fruit of Repentance (Luke 3)
What does it look like to run after God?

My junior year in high school began with a bang. I broke up with my girl friend of 10 months. It broke my heart and I experienced the worst emotional pain I had ever felt. But the break up isn’t the story I want to tell. As my heart began to heal, I began to notice there were actually other lovely ladies on campus other than the one I had “mutually” broken up with.

I started in on the flirting game once again. Talking with this lady and then that lady, getting to know some new girls I had never met before. I remember having 4 or so different girls I was interested in and wondering who I would choose to pursue. As time when on it became very apparent which girl it was going to be. We just got along so well and had so much fun together. Pretty soon the other ladies faded away and my focus of time and attention zeroed in and I was hooked. I was all out running after this girl and luckily she wasn’t running away.

In the book of Revelation the message version of the bible translates repenting as turning around and running after God. This is a pretty great description as the word repentance in the Greek means to turn around, a complete 180. In Luke chap 3 we have John the Baptist all grown up and preaching a baptism of the repentance of sins. Many are coming to be baptized.

John tells them there must be fruit of repentance in their lives, its not enough just to get dunked. If there is no life change then there has really been no repentance. The people begin to ask him what they must do. John gives them some examples; share with those who have none, do not collect more in business then the right amount, don’t extort or falsely accuse people, and be content with your pay.

I think back to that junior year in high school and I realize once we are sold out on someone, once we have decided to run after them with all we have the fruits of our lives will show it. When we repent, turn around and run after God, our lives will show the fruits of the race we have chosen. Our faith must shape out lives.

John also gives the consequences for our lives if we don’t produce the fruit, thus our repentance being insincere. Those trees, which don’t produce fruit, will be cut down and burned. While there is a reference to hell fire here, I also think this has to do with what kind of legacy we will leave behind. If all we do is cheat, extort, save up for ourselves, and constantly chase after more money there will be nothing left behind when we die and no hope at a future.

To have lives of consequence we must repent, run after God, and let our faith shape our lives. I am reminded of the old Albert Finey movie “Scrooge.” We can either have people singing thank you very much when we die because our horrible existence is over. Or we can have people singing thank you very much now because of the fruits of our lives are those of generosity while we are living.

May we turn around and run after God today and let this faith shape out lives as our relational focus turns to God and we pursue him and his will for our lives with all we have with in us.