To sum up last week’s message, in order to be like Christ, we must be baptized by the Holy Spirit, that is externally illustrated and declared in baptism by water. So, how do we continue to grow in the likeness of Christ? Christians become more like Jesus Christ as we have the mind of Christ by filling our hearts with His word and living in obedience to it. Therefore, as we become the righteousness of God in Him through His death and resurrection (2 Cor. 5:21), one of our primary goals is to grow in sanctification.

A key component of spiritual growth in sanctification towards righteousness is how strong our prayer life is. Thus, prayerlessness always leads to disobedience and unrighteousness. Jesus is always our example and He demonstrates even during His baptism that He was praying. Jesus demonstrated the importance of praying constantly as He was conscious of being face-to-face with the Father in prayer. So, as Jesus always prayer we, too, ought to pray without ceasing (1 Thess. 5:17). Consequently, the church, in unity, also devotes itself to a life prayer (Acts 1:14).

Some might ask this question, “If Jesus is God, why did He pray?”

• Jesus was truly man. We, also being man and incomplete, face all kinds of evil and are not immune to spiritual and physical problems. Our life is fragile; therefore, we must pray to God to put our lives in His hands.
• Jesus was born to pray. Jesus was brought forth into this world by the Holy Spirit and led to pray as He trusted and leaned on the Father in his humanity. In the same manner, Christians are born again to pray as we are given a divine nature to be in communion with the divine God.
• Jesus’ relation to the Father. Jesus was one with the Father. Thus, Jesus was the only One in history who was able to explain who the Father was to the world. But Jesus practiced this reality in how He trusted in the Father through prayer because the Father was able. Do we trust in the Father the way Christ did?

As the Father’s adopted children and fellow heirs of Christ, we too, are given a spirit of prayer. It is only by the power of the gospel of Jesus Christ are we given a new heart to call God our Abba, Father, and able to approach the throne of grace confidently as Christ is our Intercessor.

Jesus demonstrated a life that fully depended on the Father when He was on earth. Do we trust and know God in the same manner? As Christ exemplified his unchanging relationship with the Father from eternity in His time here, we need to understand the reality of our new relationship with the Father as a result of being born again. As the Holy Spirit dwells within us, we must continue to be filled with the Spirit (i.e. sanctification) in order to be in prayer unceasingly.

How can we grow in holiness that leads to a prayerful life? Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you (Col. 3:16). When we read and fill our hearts with the word of God are we able to grow in godliness through obedience, and pray according to the will of God.

God can transform and grow our church as we depend on God and pray Scripture as it will transform each member.

Luke’s gospel was written to particularly highlight Jesus’ humanity. In this sense, we can identify with Jesus and see how we can become like Him. Jesus is truly God, but He is also man. It is therefore not only possible to be like Him, but it is God’s Will that we become like Jesus. Based on this passage in Luke, we can draw two ways to be like Jesus.

Jesus was baptized. (Lk 3:21)Why did Jesus have to be baptized by John? John the Baptist even tried to prevent Jesus from being baptized, claiming that he needed to be baptized by Jesus instead. (Matt 3:15) Jesus gave the reason- to fulfill all righteousness. Here, “all righteousness” did not refer to the Mosaic Law. It had to do with the reason why God came to us as man. Jesus was made to be like us in every respect, so that He could make propitiation for our sins. Jesus identified with us in His baptism and death. John preached a baptism of repentance- something Jesus did not need since He was sinless- but Jesus nevertheless wanted to be baptized so He could identify with those He came to save.

Believers get baptized to be like Jesus. Baptism is our external confession of our faith in Christ- that we have been cleansed from sin and born again. It is a symbol of our total identification with Jesus in His death, burial, and resurrection. It is also a symbol of our identification with the church.

Baptism is a believer’s act of obedience. It confesses that he is ready to obey Jesus to the point of death. In the case of those who are saved at the point of death, although they are not able to undergo water baptism, they are baptized by the Holy Spirit. When Jesus was baptized by water, the Holy Spirit, who has always been with Jesus from the beginning, descended upon Him. It is the same Holy Spirit who comes upon us in our regeneration and conversion.

What happens when a believer gets baptized with the Holy Spirit?

• He is placed in the church. The Holy Spirit places us to be a member of a church body. (1Cor 12:13)
• He has fellowship with Jesus. The believer has inseparable fellowship with Jesus. Contrary to our old nature, we hate sin because it distances us from Christ.
• He becomes the bride of Christ. By the Holy Spirit, he knows to whom he belongs, and he desires to be faithful to Him.
• He is spiritually gifted. By his spiritual gifts, he is able to serve the Lord. The Holy Spirit apportions spiritual gifts to each believer individually as He wills, but He gives all believers the gift of spiritual growth. Are you conforming to the image of Jesus and being filled with all the fullness of God?
• He considers Jesus as Lord. By the Holy Spirit, believers understand who is and who will be- Jesus is Yahweh; all things were created through Him, and He holds all things together. (1Cor 12:3) Jesus must be the center of everything. To love Him with all your heart is to place nothing above Jesus and His Word. It is to fear Him and serve Him alone in reverential worship.

Becoming like Jesus begins with baptism. We become immersed into Christ. We must appreciate and constantly remember our baptism. By water and Spirit, we are identified with Jesus. We are with Him; He is with us.

To be continued.

The Christian’s purpose is unavoidably centered around evangelism. We are saved by Jesus and sent by Jesus to proclaim repentance and salvation in Jesus. This is a sign of true conversion. Before we knew Christ, we spent our lives for ourselves in vain, but now, since being saved, we spend our lives for Christ, using all that we have to the lifting up of Jesus. This is our primary purpose, command, and calling. Even in a time like this pandemic with restrictions and social distancing, evangelism is not placed on pause. We must be faithful to evangelize because it is so important, especially today.

Jesus Himself exemplified evangelism. Is this not the reason He came to earth, to reveal and fulfill the gospel? During dangerous times Jesus spoke the message of God (Luke 4:43). Apostle Paul also was not deterred by the danger and threat of the world, even having to run away from the mobs at one point, but he kept working diligently (Acts 9:23-25;14:22). It is through ‘many tribulations’ a Christian enters the kingdom of God. If as a Christian, you want to live a easy life now, then keep silent. However, we seek the future reward and must be faithful in dangerous times as others have done also.

Why we must evangelize?
John the Baptist preached repentance, even pointing out the sin of Herod, who had married his brother’s wife. It was adultery and incest. What’s behind John the Baptist’s passion and continual energy for preaching repentance? Those three things are the gospel, sin’s existence, and John’s calling.

The gospel
The gospel John the Baptist was incomplete, yet it was still good news which told of two things, the baptism of repentance and the coming baptism of Jesus. Through John’s message the people would be ready for the true gospel in Jesus Christ by learning about their sin and need of the Messiah.

The gospel is the good news because it tells of eternal life. Even though the Christian may die, they do not face the judgement for their sin, but pass from death into life (John 5:24). A Christian doesn’t die but falls asleep. Even a vaccine, a healthy body, wealth or whatever measure on earth cannot prevent death. They might extend your life temporarily, but they cannot give eternal life as Jesus does (John 11:25-26). The gospel of Jesus Christ, that He died on the cross for the atonement of your sin, rose again on the third day, is the truth you must believe for eternal life. Only by believing in the gospel of Jesus Christ can you be saved! As a Christian where else can we go? We cannot leave the cross, otherwise we would perish. The gospel is the ground on which we remain.

Those without the gospel respond with fear. Look at how they are reacting to the COVID-19 virus. God responds to man’s problems with love (John 3:16). He has given His Son as the solution, so that we will not die, but have eternal life. Since God has shown His love, we must respond with repentance (Acts 17:30-31). The gospel is what this world needs so we must preach Jesus. It is true, they don’t want to hear the gospel because they are blinded by their sin. Their unwillingness should not deter us because we know only by the gospel they can be saved so have to tell them.

Sin’s existence
John spoke against Herod and his sin. It didn’t matter that Herod was the ruler, sin is real and dangerous. Sin is not a mistake but a transgression of God’s holy law and nature. A. W. Pink illustrates how horrible sin is, saying Jesus came, “not as a judge, but as a benefactor, going about doing good, feeding the hungry, healing the sick, proclaiming the gospel. Did that melt their hearts and win them to God? No, they hated and crucified Him.” God’s goodness never stopped, He has always been faithful, yet they crucified Him. This is proof of sin’s existence and the dark reality of sin.

John preached repentance against Herod to stop Herod’s increasing sin. Without repenting, our sin will continue to grow. No one expected Adolf Hitler as a child would grow up to massacre over six million Jews. Hitler’s sins grew. And sin will not stop on its own. Herod also added to his sin by imprisoning John. Ultimately, he practiced unbelief by refusing to repent after John’s rebuking.

Christian’s cannot be quiet because of sin’s existence. They are the salt of earth whose purpose is to reveal sin’s presence in the world and tell them to repent and believe in Christ (Matthew 5:13). If we avoid evangelism and live silently, then we are not salty anymore and become useless. By our silence, we ignore sin’s existence.

John’s calling
John preached to Herod multiple times and continually told Herod to repent of his sin (Matthew 14:5, Mark 6:20). John the Baptist preached because he knew his calling by God which was given to him at his birth (Luke 1:13-16). He preached and preached again and again simply because he was called to do so. Apostle Paul also knew his calling to testify about the Lord Jesus (Acts 20:24). Do you know your calling? Or do you believe you are here by your own decision? If you are here by yourself, then unfortunately you will leave the faith by yourself. But if you are here by God’s calling, then it compels and commands us to stay true (Romans 8:29-30). Every Christian is planned by God and we are sent (Ephesians 2:10, John 10:27). If you are called, then the circumstances don’t matter, we will follow the call. The future is unknown and sometimes risky, however we are not controlled by our fear, but we can go forward knowing our God has called us, is with us and is in control (Revelation 4:10-11). Therefore it is crucial for us to be faithful every day. We fail to bear fruit because we are not faithful daily.

Conclusion
Remember the gospel, the good news, by only which we are saved, remember sin’s existence and the necessity for repentance, and our calling from God which God has sovereignly ordained. These three things should drive us to speak and evangelize to the world. The Lord warns us in Ezekiel 3:8 to those who remain silent, the blood of the sinner will be on our hands.

The gospel can heal anyone or anything. Many so-called “celebrity Christians” often use their influence to mislead the public. True Christians understand how sin impacts their lives; they know their sins can only be washed away by the blood of Jesus. They reflect on their sin personally and realize that the wrath of God is real. They receive the true Messiah, Who can be seen only by true repentance.

After the people truly repented, they sought out the Messiah. They wondered in their hearts whether John was the Messiah (Lk 3:15). Their need was not for careers or worldly pleasures or possessions, but for the Messiah. They were “pierced to the heart” and wondered “what shall we do?” (Acts 2:37-38). Repentance is a turning to God, a turning from darkness to light, from the dominion of Satan to God (Acts 26:17-18). Are you thirsty for God? Are you hungry for His Word?

True repentance leads people to believe and trust in the true Jesus. “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world” (Jn 1:29). He is a God Who is mighty, much mightier than John the Baptist. “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes” (Dt 10:17).

When we truly repent, we are sealed with the Holy Spirit, protected and secure in Him. The Holy Spirit convicts us. Through Him we believe and understand the truth. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come” (2 Cor 5:17). And with the Holy Spirit, we have no fear of man (Acts 5:29). The Holy Spirit helps us to continually thirst for the Word (Rev 21:5).

True repentance is the only way to avoid God’s wrath. “His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn, but He will burn the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Lk 3:17). God is ready to judge; His winnowing fork is already in His hand. The chaff will immediately be met with fire, but the wheat will be gathered into His barn. However scary this judgment is, we know that God’s wrath is just. And if have truly repented, we know that we will not be harmed.

True repentance and saving faith are two sides of the same coin. Saving faith is more than just accepting facts. It is believing in the Person of Jesus Christ and receiving Him for all that He is. “It means both confessing in Him as Savior and yielding to Him as Lord. In fact, Scripture often uses the word obedience as a synonym for faith” (John Macarthur). If we have truly repented, if we have true saving faith, we can be confident in our salvation. Our salvation will be kept, even in the day of judgment.

This week’s message challenges every believer to ask themselves if we are changed by the gospel of Jesus Christ. To be changed means to repent and grow in continued sanctification. Union with Christ bears fruit in sanctification bears fruit. Therefore, ongoing fruit-bearing is only possible as we abide in the vine, the Lord Jesus; apart from Him, we can do nothing (Jn. 15:4-5).

Last week’s message reminded us of the Christian’s hatred of sin after repentance and possessing the mind of Christ. This marks the beginning of the Christian life. The old man used to love sin, but by the grace of God the old self is replaced with a new inner man that hates sin and loves God. So then how can we examine our hearts if we have hatred of sin as a result of repentance? Do we have a desire to be like Christ? We cannot be passionate about the Lord if we do not mortify sin.

True repentance bears good fruit (Lk. 3:7-8; Jn. 15:2; Jer. 2:21). Before repentance, we only bear bad fruit; that is, the deeds of the flesh. When God gifts the believer to possess saving faith, they are able to trust and obey the word of God with a sincere heart. In verses 10-14, Jesus describes different groups of sinners that approach that make up the crowd: tax collectors and soldiers and the lovers of money (i.e. greedy). Essentially, these groups represent all sinners. The only proper response for any sinner is to repent of unbelief and self.

When Jesus states one must deny themselves in order to follow after Him (Matt. 16:24), only the truly repentant are able to do so by the power of God. If we do not kill the self, we are unable to believe in the gospel of Christ and by no means bear good fruit. Self-centeredness produces only bad fruit wrought by man’s depraved sin nature.

But the result of a changed heart loves God above all (Matt. 22:36-40). Repentance results in a life that transitions from loving self to loving God and others. We love the Lord by obeying His Word and will. In Scripture we see those that are repentant possess a whole other nature the enables them to follow the Lord’s will (Acts 8:1-2; 9:3-6; Phil. 1:8).

Moreover, faith, hope, and love characterize a genuine and sincere Christian. The sincere in faith towards God hope in Him and love Him that leads to a life of bearing much fruit that exhibits change as one gives to those in need, a life of honesty and integrity, and true contentment in Him, which the world cannot ever offer.

Richard Baxter once said Christians are elected to repent. Repentance is essential and the starting point of our salvation. Often repentance is seen as a negative but rather it is an encouraging and refreshing subject.

‘Bear fruit’ implies that there is life. Christians have many names and characteristics, but one key aspect is life. Christians are the only ones that have life, the life of Jesus Christ (2 Peter 1:4). How do we obtain this life? First, realize how wicked you are, that you are spiritually dead (Luke 3:7). If you still consider yourself good, then you cannot repent (Luke 13:8). True repentance confesses their complete sinfulness and inability to stand before the holy God (Luke 5:8). Once acknowledged, then leave everything and follow Christ (Luke 5:11).

Why must we repent? Not only are we sinful, but we are also hopeless. There is no Plan B for salvation. God has already established repentance as the means. In verse 8, John the Baptist knew that his hearers would not like the message of repentance and that they would instead turn to their heritage of Abraham as a means of salvation. Their ancestor and religion was their Plan B. To the Jews, Abraham was a monumental figure, their founding father (John 8:39), and their pride in Abraham was greater than their faith in God.

Repentance has always been the pattern of salvation since the fall of Adam and Eve. From calling Abraham out of his people to commanding Moses to take off his shoes to decreeing fasting and covering of sackcloth in Nineveh, God has required repentance. This is such a wonderful example of God’s mercy and grace, God saving the sinner through repentance.

Many people have a sort of spiritual Abraham, a thing they rely on besides repentance.

• Age: People think they have a long life ahead of them and can repent later (James 4:14). They delay their repentance without realizing that both time and repentance is a gift of God and cannot be obtained whenever they want.
• Family heritage: We trust the faith of our parents or family members instead of our own. Apostle Paul is the classic example of an impressive heritage that was worthless for salvation (Philippians 4:5). Repentance is individual, no one can repent for you (Ezekiel 18:4)
• Religion: Every other religion besides Christianity has one common denominator which is man’s work. They teach that man can achieve salvation. Another flaw is their wrong view of sin. They do not hold the right view of sin and so they cannot repent before holy God. Also, Christianity without love is religion.

Why must we repent?
Because repentance is God’s idea. The aforementioned false ways of salvation are all man’s ideas (Romans 1:23). These false repentance or false salvations do not bear fruit (Luke 13:6). They might look appealing and even look spiritual, but there is no true righteousness. Righteousness is the fruit of repentance. Many in the church claim to believe and repent but they do not bear the fruit of repentance (Hebrews 6:4-6). Only biblical repentance leads to righteousness. A. W. Pink says ‘Repentance is a heartfelt realization of how dreadfully I have failed, all through my life, to give God His rightful place in my heart and daily walk’. Daily walk means being righteous.

We must repent because we are doomed by the wrath of God. The wrath of God is holy and just anger towards evil and is a “fearsome and terrifying thing”. It is not a future wrath but a current and present wrath. “Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees” This does not depict a God who is preparing to chop down the tree, it shows that God is beginning the act of swinging! It is not a future wrath and judgment but current! (John 3:18) Like a geyser ready to erupt, God’s wrath is collecting underneath every day. (Psalm 7:11) Hell is the terrifying and horrible outcome against the unrighteousness of men.

Though God’s wrath is present, God is also patient in His judgment. He shows overwhelming mercy, desiring the repentance of sinners. (2 Peter 3:9) He wondrously offers salvation to undeserving sinners through repentance. So you must repent now! There is no other way and no other time. Repent and turn to Him for salvation and He will powerfully save you from your sin.

Repentance is a change of mind, a change of heart, and change of action. True repentance bears fruit. The first, vital step to saving repentance is to first know who you are.

John the Baptist rightly calls out to men, “you brood of vipers.” We were all, without exception, dead in our trespasses and sins (Eph 2:1). Every single person is totally depraved. Therefore, there is no one who is good, no one who is righteous, no one who seeks for God on his own (Ro 3:10-12). Total depravity does not mean that a person is wholly evil to the greatest extent all the time. Rather, it means that sin is totally distributed through every component of human nature (understandings, affections, and will). It is the human condition of fallenness. We sin because we are sinners (R.C. Sproul).

By God’s standard, you are not good.

1. The law of God says man is not good. Through the law comes the knowledge of our sin (Rom 3:20). “Whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (Jas 2:10).
2. The human conscience convicts us. The conscience bears witness because the work of the law is written on our hearts (Rom 2:15).
3. Man undermines the Scriptures. “The precepts of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart” (Ps 19:8).
4. Man rejects the gospel. Christ died, was buried, and was raised on the third day for our sins (1 Cor 15:3-4). “The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it… We saw His glory” (Jn 1:5, 14). Jesus Christ came to be our substitute, and yet He was unwelcomed. “The word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing” (1 Cor 1:18, 25).
5. Man hates Christ, rejects, and doesn’t believe in Him. Christ only loved us and showed us His grace, did nothing wrong, and yet He was hated, even in his death.
6. “All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:23). The glory of God is for us to be like Christ. Yet everyone, without exception, has fallen short.

Why is the doctrine of total depravity so important? When you reject God and reject the idea that you are totally depraved, you are claiming to be self-righteous. Self-righteousness is damning. You fall into the danger of comparing yourself to others or being satisfied in merely being ethical. Augustine said, “Deliver me, O Lord, from that evil man – myself!” Self-righteousness can also quickly lead to legalism, in which your heart is corrupt, however righteous you may appear outwardly. God sees through the façade and right through the heart.

When you are self-righteous, you reject your need for a Savior. Self-righteousness hinders you from being sorrowful over your sin, and because of it you will be met with God’s wrath. “The wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men who suppress the truth in unrighteousness” (Rom 1:18).

We are doomed because we have failed. We must reflect ourselves in the light of God’s truth to know who we truly are before Him. “Until we really know how damned we are, we can’t appreciate how glorious He is. Until we comprehend how doomed we are, we can’t understand how wondrous is His love to redeem us” (John Macarthur).

The fifth verse of the passage describes man’s heart; that is, man’s heart is filled with sin and death, full of pride, crooked, and rough. Last week’s message taught of man’s sinful heart and separation from God (i.e. ravine) along with man’s pride and turning to idols (i.e. mountain and hill). This week’s part 2 of the series will tackle how man’s heart is crooked and a rough road.

The crooked heart is related to deviation, twisting and manipulation (Romans 1:21-23). In essence, man’s sinful heart distorts the truth of God’s Word. Before sin entered the world, God created all things, including man, without sin; thus, was straight. When Adam and Even disobeyed God’s Word, sin and death entered the world, and man’s heart became crooked. The crooked heart is unable to see Jesus for who He truly is (Mark 6:3-5); therefore, they do not believe in Him. When the truth of God’s Word is not taken straightforwardly, they cannot repent and see the salvation of God. Even though the gospel of Christ is clear as day, the self-deceiving heart does not allow an unrepentant heart to see or hear clearly the gospel. But Scripture gives good news as the crooked will become straight.

The crooked are only able to become straight through God’s divine gift of repentance. God alone is able to grant repentance that leads to life (Acts 11:18). We see this effectual grace taking place in the life of Paul as his crooked heart is made straight and remaining at a street named Straight when meeting Ananias (Acts 9:5, 11). The way of salvation through Jesus is straight and narrow (Matthew 7:13-14).

Moreover, man’s heart is also like a rough road; a hardened heart. This rough road also symbolizes man’s idolatry (Jeremiah 2:25). An idolatrous and stubborn heart is unable and unwilling to receive the gospel of Christ (Romans 2:5). However, again, only repentance granted by God is able to soften the hard and rough heart of sinful man. For by God’s grace (Ephesians 2:8) can a man be saved for it is the power of God unto salvation (Romans 1:16). Pharaoh’s heart, before letting the Jews free, exemplifies the hardness of man’s sinful heart, and that only by the supernatural work of God is able to change the heart to repent and believe. In other words, the rough heart becomes smooth. This illustrates the grace of God that makes the sinner righteous through Christ. As David defeated Goliath with one smooth rock, it is by repenting of our unbelief once by God’s grace are we saved.

In verse 6, Luke mentions all flesh will see the salvation of God. All flesh meaning any man that repents and believes in Jesus Christ for their salvation. The word “see” in this verse is key to understand the repentant heart. This seeing signifies God at work who opens eyes to recognize Jesus Christ, which leads to repentance and faith in Him. It is not enough to be saved by merely recognizing who Jesus is, as the demons also knew who He was, but our response before the Jesus who is alive. The proper response, again, is repentance for the forgiveness of sins and receiving of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38).

Therefore, those that see Jesus Christ continually devote themselves to the apostles’ teaching and to fellowship, to the breaking of bread and to prayer (Acts 2:42). Christians understand without devoting to the aforementioned things, we are unable to see Christ, so we practice daily the joy of being with our Lord as He allowed us to repent and see the salvation of God.