Repentance and Humility

"John's clothes were made of camel's hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father.' I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham." Matthew 3:4-9

When we rely on our family history or even denominational history like the Pharisees and Sadducees, we claim a relationship with God without the need to personally come to a moment of repentance. This creates a feeling of pride, rather than the humility that should characterize our relationship with God.

Repentance is bowing and admitting that we cannot earn our way into heaven, acknowledging our sin, turning from it, and asking God to forgive us. There is a humility that comes into our hearts that cannot come in any other way. We are sinners and yet God has offered us forgiveness – that’s a humbling place to be, because we have received what we did not deserve. Those who receive mercy and grace can't be proud.

From "Prologue to the World's Best Sermon" Aug. 23, 2009