What Must I Do? Part 3-Admit and Confess

"Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance..." -Luke 3:8

So we've been looking at the different instances in scripture where people ask the question of what they must do to have eternal life. Today we'll be looking at Luke 3:7-19 which again I encourage you to read before reading the rest of this post.
In this passage alone we see the question, "what must I do" asked 3 different times. In this case they are asking John the Baptist. John was preparing the way for Jesus, showing people that they need a Savior to save them from the law that they can't keep. Verse three of this chapter tells us he was going throughout all the region around Jordan preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. There are two important Greek words to know:

hamartia- 'sin': (n) any action or attitude that is contrary to the will of God, and the revealed standard of God.
metanoia- 'repented': (n) changing from a sinful state to a righteous standard. Not merely regret, but a change of perspective that results in changed actions.

In John's preaching we see the High Priests, Saducee's and the Pharisee's, tax collectors, and soldiers come along and ask what they must do. John calls them a brood of vipers, but still answers their question. He answers the High Priests, Saducee's and Pharisee's in the same way Jesus did the Rich Young Ruler, "Let him who has give to those who have not." In other words get rid of your idols and gods. Give your life away, and find it. It's about leading a life that showed their repentance was genuine, and becoming humble getting rid of pride, and the things that have a hold on their life. The high teachers prided themselves on the law and knowing scripture and in that moment John shows them that they had broken a commandment, and not from the 10 Commandments so much as the greatest one of all to love your neighbor has yourself. It's the message of self-righteousness and pride vs. Righteousness of God and humbleness. Along with the question of, am I one who says or one who does? More than what we confess but how we live. The next "what shall we do" comes from the tax collectors, John answers basically saying don't steal, again pointing to the 10 Commandments and their lack of keeping it. Next, the soldiers ask, and again John says, don't steal, don't covet, and don't lie about people.
One of the things these "brood of snakes" prided themselves on as well is their kinship and being in the line of Abraham. All the time both to John and Jesus they would walk around saying, "Abraham is our Father." They thought since that was the case that would be enough to get them into Paradise. However, as we touched on a little in the last post that Christianity is about God being our Father. We can't merely cling to our teachers and who we think as being our father and think that's good enough to save us. Abraham is not savior, nor is he the high priest pleading on our behalf to God the Father. John came back at them saying, it doesn't matter who is in your tree if you are living apart from God He'll cut you off and throw you in the fire. This is pointing to the parable of the vine and branches (remember the Abiding series we just finished?) He then talks about the chaff and and wheat and talks about God seperating and throwing in the fire that which is not worth keeping around. What do you think Hell is? Fire! The thing about the vineyard and the chaff is that it's open ended. Will you repent? And if you don't the result is Hell. It is by your own confession and repentance, not Abraham's not the fact that you are learned in the Bible. You can't be good enough either, we've all pretty much blown the law. Admit your need for a Savior and repent of your sins, then go live for Him. Get drowned in His Holy Spirit, and His fire. Die to yourself, become alive in Him, that's what baptism represents.
God bless you as you seek Him today and always.