Is Your Repentance Sincere – Luke 3:7-14

In its article, Difference Between Honesty and Integrity, Pediaa.com says, “Since honesty and integrity are two qualities that are always associated together many people assume that honesty and integrity are the same. However, there is a distinctive difference between honesty and integrity. Honesty refers to sincerity or truthfulness whereas integrity has a much broader meaning, encompassing honesty as well as moral soundness. This is the main difference between honesty and integrity. Although a person with integrity may be honest, not all honest people may have integrity.”  You could be honest about being wrongly motivated.  Integrity is better.

He said therefore to the crowds that came out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruits in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”  (Luke 3:7-14 ESV)

John the Baptist does not hesitate to challenge those who come to him for baptism with a question about their sincerity.  “Brood of vipers” is a way of suggesting that they are more like the serpent who tempted Adam and Eve to disobey than they are like Abraham, who believed.  Besides, just being an offspring of Abraham physically does not make one so spiritually.  He warned them that judgment was near and they were in danger of destruction.

So when they ask what they must do to prove their repentance he gives concrete examples.  Everyone can share their possessions with those in desperate need.  Tax collectors, Jews who worked for Rome collecting taxes from their fellow Jews and were notorious for cheating people out of their money, must only collect what is owed.  Soldiers must not use their power to get privileges from people nor complain about the wages they agreed to.  Neither is told to quit their job, only to carry it out with integrity.

What does repentance look like for you?  What would be the evidence that you have truly been sorry for your sins?