Matt 3:7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, Offspring of vipers... (9) And do not presume to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God is able, out of these stones, to raise up children to Abraham.
The Pharisees were the strictest religious sect of the Jews, formed about 200 B.C. They were proud of their superior sanctity of life, devotion to God, and knowledge of the Scriptures. Actually, they were degraded into pretentious conduct and hypocrisy. The Sadducees were another sect in Judaism. They did not believe in the resurrection, nor in angels, nor in spirits. Both the Pharisees and the Sadducees were denounced by John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus as a brood of vipers. John's word in [Matthew 3:9] clearly indicates that the kingdom of the heavens preached by him is not constituted of the children of Abraham by birth, but of the children of Abraham by faith. Thus, it is a heavenly kingdom, not the earthly kingdom of the Messiah. John also told them not to presume to say that they had Abraham for their father, for God was able of the stones to raise up children to Abraham. John's word was a strong indication and actually a prophecy of the fact that the age had changed. Because the age had changed, it was no longer a matter of the natural birth, but of the second birth, the spiritual birth. Although you might have been born a lifeless stone, God is able to make you His living child. Hallelujah, this is just what He has done to us! We need to recall our condition before we were saved. As far as life was concerned, we were lifeless stones. But as far as sin was concerned, we were filled with sin and active in sin. Praise the Lord that on the day of our repentance we believed in the Lord Jesus, and God made us His living children.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Matthew, 1986, pp. 111-113. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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