Two is not One

Luke 3:7-9: Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Luke 3:16: John answered, saying unto them all, I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire:.

1. In the Bible, the word and represents the mathematical function of addition.
• If you throw away either side of an addition problem then you change the answer.  Any time that you ignore either side of an and, in the Bible, you use the method of Satan to change what the Bible says.
• Deuteronomy 4:2; Proverbs 30:6 and Revelation 22:18 all warn us against adding to God's word or taking away from it.
• There were four (4) times that the word and appeared in the verses which are the basis of this message.
2. Our first and was in the phrase: Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father.  This means: 'do not trust in the claims of religion but live a life which proves the salvation which you claim.'
1. Notice the word and within our phrase.
• The two sides of this phrase are actually backward from the order in which they occur.
• First, we must stop trusting the claims of religion.  The only way to do that is to put your trust in the person who is 'God in human flesh' and named Jesus Christ.  This requires an ongoing personal relationship.
• Secondly, we must allow that relationship to change our personal life.  That is what is meant by our first part which says; Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance.  The word therefore means that fruits worthy of repentance is a direct result of changed life which comes from our ongoing personal relationship with Jesus Christ.
• There is a dirty little secret which American preachers try to hide.  A lot of Americans claim to be saved but are not sure of their salvation and keep asking the preachers for assurance.  First, unlike here, Americans let people make a profession in secret and don't publiclytell the church about their profession like is done here.  Secondly, they preach that assurance of salvation comes from a religious act instead of from Jesus Christ through our ongoing personal relationship like the Bible says.  Both of these problems because they deny the demand which John the Baptist made to Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance.
• When we ignore either side of an and; in the Bible we change the message of the Bible and cause problems for the people that we are supposed to be teaching God's truth to.
2. Ephesians 2:8-10 tells us the same thing, as our Bible reference, only using different words.
• Ephesians 2:8-9 is one sentence starting with the word for.  Ephesians 2:10 is a second sentence which also starts with the word for.
• We have two reasons why what was said earlier in this chapter, of Ephesians, is true.  Religion teaches us to leave out the second reason and only quote Ephesians 2:8-9.  This is part of the source of problems in America.
• If you read all of Ephesians 2, and consider the true context of these verses, you will see that leaving out Ephesians 2:10 allows preaching Ephesians 2:8-9 out of context.  This is the method of Satan for perverting the message of the Bible.
3. Back in Luke 3:7-9, our second and added the phrase And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees.
• This phrase is symbolic of saved people who are cut off from the blessings which only come from our ongoing personal relationship with Christ.
• The doctrine of this phrase is a separate lesson.  However, the basic lesson is that if you are not letting God use your life then you will not get the blessings which only come from doing so.
4. Back in Luke 3:7-9, our third and added the phrase every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
1. This phrase is a precursor to the parable taught by Jesus in Luke 13:6-9 (He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground? And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it: And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.).
• This parable is a symbolic lesson on what God will do to His people who do not produce spiritual fruit.  God wants give them an early death.
• Notice that the worker's prayers saved the tree.  You need to be thankful to God for a pastor who prays for you, especially when you are not doing right.
• Notice that the first solution was to dung it.  If you aren't producing fruit you are daring God to put a lot of dung into your life.
• Notice that if the dung doesn't take care of the problem than the next step is an early death.
2. Our phrase is, in Luke 3:7-9, is also a precursor to the lesson taught by Jesus in Matthew 21:19-20, Mark 11:13-14 and Luke 11:20-21 where Jesus cursed the fig tree that had leaves but no fruit.
• This tree is symbolic of saved people with religious works, such as church attendance, but with no spiritual fruit for God.
• Again, this tree is symbolic of all of God's people who are trusting in their religious works instead of letting God use their life to produce religious works.
• Once more we see an early death, which matches the phrase, in our basic reference of Luke 3:7-9 where we read: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
• The phrase cast into the fire is not symbolic of going to hell but is symbolic of the punishment that some will receive at the judgment seat of Christ for not producing spiritual fruit for God.
5. This brings us to the second of our original references where we read: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and with fire.
1. The he is Jesus Christ.
2. The word baptize means 'identified with'.
3. True Biblical salvation is being 'identified with the ongoing personal relationship that is through the Holy Ghost'.
4. The and means that Jesus Christ has baptized with fire all truly saved people.
• That is, He has 'identified all truly saved with fire'.
• This is not optional.  However, God gave us a free will.  This means that we control the fire.  We can make it like a coal covered with ash or we can make it like a bonfire which gives light and heat to all around us, or we can make it anything in between.
• The question is how hot will you make your fire and why should you do so?
6. Psalms 19:7 and Psalms 93:5 say: The testimonies of the Lord are very sure.
• Ian found a wife on the mission field better than any wife he would have found at home.
• Tata found a wife on the mission field better than any wife he would have found at home.  He also learned the language far faster than any other Filipino, built a mission work faster than other Filipinos, and has non-preacher missionaries helping him build the work and helping finance it.
• You've heard my testimonies of how God has blessed me on the mission field in ways that God never blessed me at home.

If you really want God's blessing you need to turn up your fire and go to the mission field.

• Those who are praying about a mission field need to make it public to the church.  God will bless and help after the announcement that He won't bless and help before the announcement.
• Those who are willing to go to the mission field, but aren't sure where need to also say that publicly to the church.  God also will bless and help after the announcement that He won't bless and help before the announcement.
• Those who aren't sure but truly want God's blessing need to tell God: Here am I Lord.  Send me.

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