🌙 Still Awake?
Every evening, one step closer to Jesus.
📅 August 21
🌳 Fruit Instead of a Facade
📖 Matthew 3:7–10
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance! And do not think you can say to yourselves: We have Abraham as our father.”
Matthew 3:8–9
Many people came to John at the Jordan.
Some heard his message and honestly realized:
“Something in my life needs to change.”
They confessed their sins and were baptized.
But then Pharisees and Sadducees also came.
They belonged to some of the most influential religious groups of their time. They knew the Holy Scriptures, observed religious rules, and were respected by many people.
From the outside, everything looked right.
But John saw deeper.
He recognized that not everyone had come for the same reason.
Perhaps some only wanted to observe.
Perhaps they wanted to find out why so many people were going to John.
Perhaps they hoped that baptism would make them appear religious without truly opening their hearts to God.
That is why John spoke very clearly:
“Produce fruit in keeping with repentance!”
In other words:
“Do not merely talk about change. Let it become visible in your life.”
🎭 Looking Religious or Belonging to Jesus?
A person can look devout and still be far from God.
You can attend church regularly.
You can know the right answers.
You can pray, sing, and memorize Bible verses.
You can even be baptized.
And yet your heart can remain proud, unloving, or unforgiving.
Outward religion may impress other people.
But it does not impress God.
God does not only see what you do on the Sabbath.
He also sees how you treat your classmates on Monday.
He does not only hear your prayer.
He also hears how you speak about other people.
He does not only see the Bible in your hand.
He also sees the thoughts you hold onto in your heart.
This does not mean that worship, Bible reading, or baptism are unimportant.
On the contrary: they are precious gifts from God.
But they must not become a facade behind which we hide an unchanged life.
Jesus does not want only a religious part of your life.
He wants your whole heart.
🌱 What Are the Fruits of Repentance?
A tree does not prove what kind of tree it is by wearing a sign.
You can hang a sign on a bare tree that says:
“Apple tree.”
But if apples never grow on it, sooner or later everyone will notice that something is wrong.
It is the same with our faith.
It is not enough simply to call yourself a Christian.
The question is:
What kind of fruit is growing in my life?
When Jesus is working in your heart, it will become visible over time.
Perhaps you will become more patient.
You will learn to ask honestly for forgiveness.
You will treat people with greater respect.
You will stop talking about others at every opportunity.
You will develop compassion for people who are often overlooked.
You will become more dependable.
You will begin to make decisions not only according to your feelings, but according to God’s Word.
These changes do not make you into someone God can finally love.
God already loves you.
The fruit is not the reason for His love.
It is the result of His love.
An apple tree does not bear apples in order to become an apple tree.
It bears apples because it is an apple tree.
In the same way, we do not obey God in order to become His children.
Through Jesus, we are allowed to be His children.
And because we belong to Him, His Spirit begins to change our lives.
🧬 “We Have Abraham as Our Father”
The religious leaders were proud of their heritage.
They belonged to the people of Israel.
Abraham was their ancestor.
Perhaps they thought:
“We automatically belong to God. Our heritage is enough.”
But John made it clear to them:
No one can live on the faith of their ancestors.
You are not automatically connected to Jesus because your parents are believers.
You do not automatically belong to God because your family has been Adventist for generations.
You are not saved because you attend a Christian school or sit in church every Sabbath.
Your parents’ faith can show you the way.
Their prayers can accompany you.
Their example can encourage you.
But they cannot make your decision for you.
God has no grandchildren.
He wants sons and daughters who personally trust Him.
At some point the question:
“What do my parents believe?”
becomes the personal question:
“Whom do I trust?”
From:
“My family goes to church”
it becomes:
“Do I personally want to live with Jesus?”
A tradition must become a personal relationship.
🪓 A Serious Warning
John also spoke about an axe already lying at the root of the trees.
That sounds harsh.
But his warning did not come from hatred.
It came from urgency.
John knew:
The King is near.
Now is the time to become honest.
God does not allow us to continue indefinitely on wrong paths without warning us.
Not because He wants to get rid of us.
But because sin destroys.
A life without God does not end in freedom, but in loss.
That is why God calls us today.
Not someday.
Today.
Perhaps you say:
“I will take God seriously later.”
After school.
After training.
When life becomes quieter.
When you are older.
But no one knows how much time they have.
And besides, you miss something wonderful when you keep postponing Jesus.
You do not only miss religious duties.
You miss peace.
Guidance.
Forgiveness.
A friendship with the One who knows you better than anyone else.
Jesus is not inviting you to give up your life.
He is inviting you to discover real life.
🔍 What Kind of Fruit Is Growing in You?
Perhaps you do not yet see much good fruit in your life.
Perhaps you keep struggling with the same mistakes.
Then this message is not meant to discourage you.
A tree does not produce ripe fruit in a single day.
Growth takes time.
God is patient.
But a living tree grows.
Perhaps slowly.
Perhaps invisibly.
But something changes.
The decisive question is not:
“Am I already perfect?”
But:
“Am I allowing Jesus to change me?”
Are you resisting Him?
Or are you opening your heart to Him?
Do you justify your mistakes?
Or do you bring them honestly to Him?
Do you compare yourself with people who seem to behave worse?
Or do you ask Jesus what He wants to change in you?
You do not need to build a religious facade tonight.
Your loving Father already knows the truth anyway.
You may honestly say:
“In this area, I need Your help.”
Perhaps tomorrow your fruit of repentance will be apologizing to someone.
Perhaps you will delete something that repeatedly draws you away from God.
Perhaps you will decide not to take part in a hurtful conversation anymore.
Perhaps you will begin spending a few minutes with Jesus every day.
It does not have to be spectacular.
Real change often begins small.
But it does not remain only in words.
It gets hands.
Feet.
Decisions.
And eventually it becomes visible:
Jesus is changing this life.
💭 Think About It
Is there a difference in your spiritual life between what other people see and how you really live?
Are you perhaps relying on your family, your church, or your baptism instead of being personally connected with Jesus every day?
What specific fruit of repentance does God want to grow in your life right now?
🌟 Impulse for Tomorrow
Choose one specific action tomorrow through which your relationship with Jesus becomes visible.
It could be:
You apologize honestly.
You help someone without expecting recognition.
You tell the truth even when a lie would be easier.
You choose not to participate in a conversation where others are spoken about badly.
In the morning, pray:
“Jesus, let one fruit of Your love grow in my life today.”
🙏 Prayer
Dear Father,
You do not only see how my life appears on the outside. You know my heart and know where I am only showing a good facade.
Please forgive me when I have relied on my background, my knowledge, or religious habits instead of trusting You personally.
I do not want to merely be called a Christian. I truly want to live with Jesus.
Change my heart through Your Holy Spirit. Let fruit grow in my life that shows that I belong to You: love, honesty, patience, kindness, purity, and faithfulness.
Show me one specific step I should take. Give me the courage not only to think about it, but to act on it.
Thank You that You do not love me because of my good fruit. You already love me now. And it is precisely Your love that gives me the strength to allow You to change me.
Amen.
🌙 Sleep well.
You do not need a religious facade before your loving Father.
He knows your heart, loves you, and is growing something new in your life.
See you tomorrow.
