kreilly

Isn't John the Baptist's humble statement, "the thongs of whose sandals I am unworthy to untie," a bit overstated? Are we unworthy to serve Christ? If so, why? If not, why not? Not overstated at all, because of our sin, we are completely unworthy to serve Him. However, His sacrifice has covered over our sin. Also, what else can you do except serve the One who died in your place. There really is no other option once you truly come to that conclusion. How would our lives be different if we were truly filled and flooded with the Holy Spirit? If we were truly filled with the Spirit we would do what Jesus did, think like Jesus thinks, say what Jesus said, and love with Jesus' heart. We may be afraid of "fire-of-judgment" kind of language, but what should our response be to warnings of terrible judgment? We should be thankful that we have been given a warning. It is certainly better than not having one! How good a change-motivator is the warning of future judgment? What other motivators might people respond to in addition to this? Or better than this? I agree with Hanks that many people these days have "no awareness or fear of any future judgment". I think that everyone does have a longing and void in their heart when they don't know God. They know something is missing and try to fill the void with other things. If we are able to help them see that pattern in their life, how they are seeking something that is missing. Then help them identify the missing thing (Christ) and the purpose He provides us, sometimes that might motivate people to seek Him.

I also like what you said about warning of judgment giving us a sense of urgency to share the gospel with others. That's a great reminder!

Why do you think John the Baptist calls people a brood of vipers, a den of snakes? It seems to me like he is speaking to all the people. We are all covered in sin. He seems to be calling all of us out, convicting us of our sinful state. He was not a man to mince words or sugarcoat things. In what way does sharing clothing and food with the poor constitute meaningful repentance? What ways do you find to do this in your everyday life? I think this is like the difference between saying you believe in Jesus and actually following Jesus. Meaningful repentance is always followed up by action which shows the true change of heart. I donate to a number of Christian charities that provide food and clothing while sharing the gospel and supporting needy Christians. Tax collectors were tempted to collect more than was due them. How does this same temptation show up in your line of work or education or home? I think I am tempted to not tithe or donate as much as I possibly could because I would rather use the money to buy things for myself or my family. It is a daily struggle not to fall into the trap of materialism. We cannot worship both God and money. It is one or the other. How does discontent with our lot in life cause us to sin? What would constitute repentance in this circumstance? I think discontent in and of itself can be a sin sometimes. Not always, sometimes we are discontent with some life situation that could be caused by sin and God is calling us to change it. Or maybe God has put a dream in our heart and we feel discontent until we pursue it. But when we are discontent because of our perceived lot in life, we can fall into the trap of blaming God. Our discontentment actually stems from thinking God doesn't know what he is doing and hasn't performed up to our expectations. In other words, we are switching roles and thinking of ourselves as God and He is our servant to do our bidding. That is sinful. The tenth commandment is about not coveting. That is exactly what we are doing when we are discontent. We are comparing ourselves to others' situations and finding our circumstances lacking. We can be discontent about a great many things--not just finances. We are often discontent about traits God gave us-our appearance, intelligence, athletic ability, talents, or maybe about relationships or a job situation. God is not happy with us when we are discontent with the things He has provided for us. It reminds me of when the Israelites left Egypt and were immediately grumbling and complaining about being hungry and thirsty and wanting to go back to Egypt. It is important to remember to be grateful to God for all He has provided and not compare what we have to what others have. When I am tempted toward discontentment, I always try to think of a worse situation I could be in and that makes me feel grateful for what I have. I think gratitude and praise to God is repentance from discontentment.

I get what you're saying. How true! In Matthew 12:43-45, Jesus said, "When an evil spirit comes out of a man, it goes through arid places seeking rest and does not find it. Then it says, 'I will return to the house I left.' When it arrives, it finds the house unoccupied, swept clean and put in order. Then it goes and takes with it seven other spirits more wicked than itself, and they go in and live there. And the final condition of that man is worse than the first."

Why is humbling necessary to form disciples of Jesus? The common people repented when they heard John preach. The Pharisees refused to recognize their sins because of their pride and did not repent. If you are not willing to let go of your pride and humble yourself, you will never repent and become a disciple of Jesus. What kind of cutting, straightening, filling, and smoothing work has God been doing in your life? God has used this time in my life to turn me to reading and studying His word. Through this, He has shown me areas of my life that I need to change. Laziness and gluttony are two sins He has opened my eyes to. Through fasting and exercise, with the support of a group of Christian sisters, He is helping me to overcome these sins.

4. Why did Jesus have to obey parents who were his spiritual inferiors? (2:51) How can our inability to submit to authority be crucial in our spiritual relationship with God? In order to atone for our sin, Jesus had to keep and fulfill the whole law. Part of that was obeying his parents. If we can't submit to Christ, we can't have a relationship with him. . What does it mean that 'the grace of God was upon Him'? (2:40) Why was this necessary for Jesus? Why is it necessary for us? Jesus did set aside His divine attributes when He came to earth; therefore, it was necessary for Him to rely upon the grace of God. We must also rely upon the grace of God to instruct us and guide our footsteps. Jesus did not do anything without first consulting His Heavenly Father. We should do likewise.