Message: This chapter was all about repentance without excuse. John the Baptist was preaching a message of preparation for the coming Messiah. He told them that they couldn’t use Abraham as their father to excuse their sin and stressed the importance that their repentance should show up in the form of good fruit and turning away from sin without excuse.
Command: Repent. Turn away from sin and don’t return to it.
Promise: The promise was the Messiah. John was preparing their hearts for his coming.
Warning: John warned against insincerity. They were used to using their lineage to get away with things because their lineage had the favor of God. John warned them that they couldn’t use Abraham as their substitute for repentance. They had to actually repent and the fruit of their repentance would be obedience in turning away from their previous sin.
Application: The main point I pulled from this is that it’s not enough to acknowledge or feel bad for our sin. We have to show the fruit of our repentance in our obedience. When I’m aware of a sin issue or an attitude problem in my heart I can’t just look at it as a weakness. I have to see it as sin and change it.