Bear fruits in keeping with repentance.
Luke 3:8a (ESV)
What are works suitable to repentance, or fruits keeping with repentance? John the Baptist calls the crowds to produce works suitable to repentance. The things that immediately come to mind are confession, prayer, meditation on the Scriptures, typically religious stuff, but that's not what John called for. When asked, "What should I do?" John responded, "The person who has two tunics must share with the person who has none, and the person who has food must do likewise." To the tax collectors he said, "Collect no more than you are required to." And to the soldiers he responded, "Take money from no one by violence or by false accusation, and be content with your pay." These are the works suitable for repentance.
I think that perhaps we are far too "religious," and neglect to understand that what God really wants is for us to live out our faith in very practical but counter-cultural ways that reflect the love and truth of Christ where we live and work, rather than where we worship.
Father, teach me what it means to live out my faith and repentance in the real world rather than in the church world.
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