You Reprobate!

Luke 3:7-9 “Brood of Vipers!”

He did not call them reprobates.

John called the people who came to be baptized by him a brood of vipers. In those days being called a viper was an insult. When someone insults us we are offended. We won’t listen any longer. Yet, many of the people who came to John the Baptist knew he spoke truth.

“John said to the crowds coming out to be baptized by him, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not begin to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.””

Luke 3:7-9

Do these words of Luke, written either A.D. 25 or 26 about John the Baptist have any application for us today? John’s message was for people to repent. That’s another word for regret.

To repent is to become aware of the sin filled nature of our hearts. To repent is to ask God for His forgiveness for being an awful reprobate. John called the people a brood of poisonous snakes! Our sins make us poison to God. John’s message of repentance is for us-now, today.

You and I are filled with the poison of sin. (Anger, lies, theft, immorality, hate, drunkenness, love of self…there’s much more…) John used strong language to jar the hardened hearts of the people in those days. What would he call us today? Might he shout, you reprobates! You foul skunks? Our sinful hearts are utterly foul…that’s vulgar, obscene, and filthy. We really are much worse that we realize.

Jesus will take our uncleanness from sin away.

It’s why He came.

It’s what John preached about.

Only Jesus can take away the poison foulness of sin…Today. (fill in today’s date…it doesn’t matter-repent any day-Jesus removes our sins!)

This is good news…that’s why it’s called Gospel.

Next-What should we do then