There is an English idiom that describes what happens when someone either inadvertently or purposefully through words or actions, expose what’s in their heart. When they do so, they are said to be showing their true colors. This simply means to reveal what you truly believe and think and so act in accordance with your real personality, temperament or disposition. Nations, political parties, gangs, organizations and other types of affiliations are often recognized by a particular color. By displaying those colors, or color, you are proclaiming your allegiance to that group or cause. You are giving assent to their beliefs, their way of acting, thinking and speaking. In Matt. 3:8 John the Baptist was exhorting the religious elite to repent because their true colors were showing their lack of spiritual acumen. He was challenging the status quo that said, “if you do these works, you’ll be accepted”. The advent of Jesus would would change the spiritual narrative. It would now be “because you are accepted you will choose to do these things. He told them to “bear the fruits of repentance.” At some point, at some time, we will have the opportunity to show our true colors. We may be able to suppress it for a season, but eventually, it will make its way out through our words or our deeds.
The word for fruit here is “KARPOS”. In the literal sense, it is used to refer to fruit, produce or offspring, and describes something that is created by the inherent energy of a living organism. Figuratively, human actions and words are referred to as fruit growing out of a person’s essential being, character or nature. When we repented, we took on a new life, became a “new creation” according to 2 Cor. 5:17. That also means we took on a new way of acting, thinking and speaking. The excuse that says “that’s just the way I am” is no longer valid. Being a new creation means you have had a change of identity. What was, is no longer relevant because I have put off the sinful nature and taken on the nature of Christ. That change of nature changed Paul from persecutor of Jesus to proclaimer of Jesus, it changed Peter from denier of Jesus to defender of Jesus. Because their nature changed, so did their words, deeds and thoughts. Jesus said in Matt. 7: 16&17 that you would know his followers “by their fruit.” So, to look at that honestly, if a person declares that they are a follower of Christ, they should portray the evidence of that. The manifestation of spiritual fruit is directly proportionate to the spiritual maturity of a believer. A seedling does not produce fruit the way a mature tree will. It is simply that means that their repentance is not reached the level of maturity that it can and must reach. the old saying that you cannot give out what you don’t have is certainly true when it comes to the fruits of repentance. everyone bears fruit, no exceptions. The fruit produced will be consistent with the content of a person’s heart. Reasoning that justifies wrong behavior as “this is how God made me”, directly opposes what the Spirit of God produces in a believer. Gal. 5: 19-21 differentiates between good and bad fruit. To say “this is how God made me”‘ when you are demonstrating anger, bitterness, pettiness or any other type of carnal nature is to say God gave you those characteristics. Can you see how totally invalid that reasoning is? Why would God place in your spirit something that is so contrary to his nature and character? God is not resentful, rude or contentious so why would he place those things in you? His nature is peace, mercy, love, and joy. Only when you exhibit these traits and others mentioned in Gal. 5 can you truly say “this is how God made me”
Repentance is not an emotion; it is an action and how we live our lives is the proof of what’s really inside of us. Am I saying that if someone is still producing fleshly fruit that they are not saved? Absolutely not! What I am saying is that repentance is not a onetime act, it is a process that is not completed until we get to Heaven. The initial step in the process is accepting the finished work of redemption that Jesus completed on the cross. As the process continues, transformation takes place. We should look more like Jesus, talk more like Jesus, act more like Jesus, respond more like Jesus. That is not something we can do in and of ourselves because we are totally incapable of accomplishing that in our flesh. The transformational process occurs when we become totally reliant on the resurrection power of Christ that indwells us and letting that power manifest through us to the world. It is him residing in us that transforms us, that brings out the good fruit as we continue to mature in Christ.
The process is hard on our flesh, the struggle is ever present and real, no one is immune from it. It is arduous, difficult and even painful at times, but according to Matt. 3:8 it is necessary. Necessary above religious activity, necessary above what gratifies and feeds our flesh, necessary above all our natural feelings or thoughts.
Everything Jesus taught was the process of how his kingdom is activated and maintained here on earth. The Pharisees and Sadducees had the perception that their religious status and station meant they had arrived, that they were above reproach. The truth is until we reach Heaven, every one of us bears the responsibility to continually produce the fruits of repentance. The more we produce that fruit, the more powerfully the Kingdom of God is manifested. The world does not need to see a believer who is just like them. What they will respond to is a believer who is manifesting Kingdom nature and producing Kingdom fruit. A truly spiritual, supernatural new creation.
