Matthew 3:8 - Evidence of Living in the Spirit.

Mat.3:8: Evidence of Living in the Spirit.

CONTENT; What's in the verse; Translations; Paraphrase; Word 
Study:  

Mat 3:8 (KJV)  Bring forth therefore fruits meet for repentance:

Mat 3:8 (TEV)  Do those things that will show that you have 
turned from your sins. 

Mat 3:8 (NLT)  Prove by the way you live that you have really 
turned from your sins and turned to God.  

CONTEXT; What's around the verse; Overview; Topic:

Overview
John predicted Messiah's appearance, and preached baptism as a 
sign of repentance (3:1-12). Christ was baptized to identify Himself 
with John's righteous message (vv. 13-17). The Spirit then led Jesus 
into the wilderness, where He overcame temptation and demonstrated 
His commitment to God (4:1-11). Thus prepared, Jesus began to preach 
(vv. 12-17), called His first disciples (vv. 18-22), and demonstrated 
His God-given authority by miracles of healing (vv. 23-25). [The 
365-Day Devotional Commentary] 

SECTION HEADINGS

John the Baptist prepares the way for Jesus  (3:1-12)
John Prepares the Way--Mark 1:1-8; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:19-28
The Preaching of John the Baptist
The proclamation of John the Baptist  (3:1-12)
Thunder in the Desert!  (3:1-17)

CROSS REFERENCES; What's in verses elsewhere.

Isaiah 1:16-17 (KJV)  Wash you, make you clean; put away the 
evil of your doings from before mine eyes; cease to do evil; [17] 
Learn to do well; seek judgment, relieve the oppressed, judge the 
fatherless, plead for the widow.  

Acts 26:20 (KJV)  But shewed first unto them of Damascus, and at 
Jerusalem, and throughout all the coasts of Judaea, and then to the 
Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, and do works meet for 
repentance.  

Romans 2:6, 7 (KJV)  Who will render to every man according to 
his deeds: [7] To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek 
for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:  

2 Cor. 7:10 (KJV)  For godly sorrow worketh repentance to 
salvation not to be repented of: but the sorrow of the world worketh 
death.  

Galatians 5:22-23 (KJV)  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, 
joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, [23] 
Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.  

Ephes. 5:9 (KJV)  (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all 
goodness and righteousness and truth;)  

Philip. 1:11 (KJV)  Being filled with the fruits of 
righteousness, which are by Jesus Christ, unto the glory and praise of God.  

2 Peter 1:4-8 (KJV)  Whereby are given unto us exceeding great 
and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the 
divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world 
through lust. [5] And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your 
faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; [6] And to knowledge 
temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; [7] And 
to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 
[8] For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye 
shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord 
Jesus Christ.  

COMMENTARY / APPLICATION: Moving From The Head To The Heart
What is God teaching here? What does it teach about Jesus?

The test of conversion is a transformation in the life. [SDA 
Commentary] 

John compared people who claim they believe in God but don't 
live for him to unproductive trees that will be cut down. Just as a 
fruit tree is expected to bear fruit, God's people should produce a 
crop of good deeds. God has no use for people who call themselves 
Christians but do nothing about it. Like many people in John's day who were 
God's people in name only, we are of no value if we are Christians in 
name only. If others can't see our faith in the way we treat them, we 
may not be God's people at all. To be productive for God, we must 
obey his teachings, resist temptation, actively serve and help 
others, and share our faith. How productive are you for God? [Life 
Application SB] 

According to Gallup surveys, confirmed by other polls taken over 
the past fifteen years, 33 percent of all Americans over age 
eighteen indicate they are evangelical or "born again" Christians. That 
translates into 59 million Christians, or one in every three adults, who 
experienced a turning point in their lives as they made a personal 
commitment to Jesus Christ. 
This information should grip us with terror. It means that the 
greatest revival in history has so far been impotent to change society. 
It's revival without reformation. It's a revival which left the 
country floundering in spiritual ignorance. It's a change in belief 
without a corresponding change in behavior.... 
How did the building blocks of the gospel become glued together 
with the cement of self-centeredness? The American gospel has evolved 
into a gospel of addition without subtraction. It is the belief that 
we can add Christ to our lives, but not subtract sin. It is a 
change in belief without a change in behavior. It is a spiritual 
experience without any cultural impact. It is revival without reformation, 
without repentance.... 
The proof of religious conversion is to demonstrate that we have 
both added a relationship with Christ and that we have subtracted sin 
(repentance). And we multiply proof to a weary world by what we do - our 
deeds, our obedience. What we do must confirm what we say. Our deeds 
are the proof of our repentance.... 
A changed life is one that has added Christ and subtracted sin, 
that attracts a world weary of worn-out words. Obedience is the 
proof. (From Walking with Christ in the Details of Life by Patrick 
Morley) [Inspirational SB re Jude]