×
NewsDay

AMH is an independent media house free from political ties or outside influence. We have four newspapers: The Zimbabwe Independent, a business weekly published every Friday, The Standard, a weekly published every Sunday, and Southern and NewsDay, our daily newspapers. Each has an online edition.

Bring forth fruits

Columnists
Last Saturday I was in a shop and the attendant who was helping me drew my attention to a woman that had walked in. He said he would tell me her story after she had left.

Last Saturday I was in a shop and the attendant who was helping me drew my attention to a woman that had walked in. He said he would tell me her story after she had left.

Sermon of the week with Erasmus Makarimayi

I thought she was a celebrity or some very prominent person in society. He went on to tell me that he felt sorry for the man that married her because she used to be a notorious prostitute in their neighbourhood.

My conversation with him did not last long because I don’t want to hear about people, more so their past. I want to hear your story and what God is doing for, through and with you.

In fact, I abruptly cancelled my shopping and chose another shop. I left him with this: “Where were you when she would go out with every Tom, Dick and Harry in the shebeen, night club and all over the show?”

We all have a history and the devil will salivate at the past of some of those that label others. Society is made up of people that are living in sin, those that are about to commit sin and those that have reformed.

There are murderers, thieves, armed robbers, prostitutes, womanisers, fraudsters, homosexuals, serial rapists and others that have decided to lead an upright life. Some people have reformed not because they have accepted Christ, but have just made a decision to be upright.

Some of you are married to notorious womanisers and prostitutes. Some have really changed yet others are still in it. The challenge for those that have reformed is that society and sometimes the churches, have not forgiven them and are looked upon in derision.

In-laws may not fully respect you. At work you are not given responsibility and the church does not consider giving you responsibility, even to lead a cell group. Single mothers also fall into this group of mistrusted individuals.

For Christians, if you have genuinely repented and accepted Jesus Christ as Lord and Saviour, don’t worry about people’s sentiments, but be concerned about God’s opinion of you.

The Bible makes it clear that we have all sinned and fallen short of God’s standard. Psalm 14:2-3 clarifies thus: “The Lord looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand and seek God. They are all gone aside, they are all together become filthy: there is none that doeth good, no, not one.” Ecclesiastes 7:20 supports: “For there is not a just man upon earth, that doeth good and sinneth not.”

Our hope, however, is that through Christ we are forgiven and should forsake sin and become the righteousness of God through Christ by grace.

Let me correct those that want to continue in sin because they misinterpret the Scriptures and say since we are all sinners, they can continue to fool around.

Paul warns people in Romans 6:1-3 — (Message Bible) “So what do we do? Keep on sinning so God can keep on forgiving? I should hope not! If we’ve left the country where sin is sovereign, how can we still live in our old house there? Or didn’t you realise we packed up and left there for good?

“That is what happened in baptism. When we went under the water, we left the old country of sin behind. When we came up out of the water, we entered into the new country of grace—a new life in a new land!”

Some of the wicked and abominable things that you did are so deep that you would not want anyone to know in your new walk of life. If indeed you have repented then prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Matthew 3:8, Amplified Bible, admonishes: “Bring forth fruit that is consistent with repentance (let your lives prove your change of heart).”

If you have left prostitution, drugs, alcohol, theft etc, let it be for good. You don’t have to tell us you have changed, but your fruits will tell us. Your conduct at that wedding, party, workshop or trip will tell us.

Those of you that want church positions, the church will delay in appointing you. Trees don’t even tell us that they are fruitful, we just see the fruits. 1 Timothy 5:22, (Amplified Bible) advises: “Do not be in a hurry in the laying on of hands (giving the sanction of the church too hastily in reinstating expelled offenders or in ordination in questionable cases), nor share or participate in another man’s sins; keep yourself pure.”

When you repent, really repent and walk upright. Let the past be the past.

Don’t be held and directed by your past sins. Give us fruits of righteousness. You are going somewhere.

Scripture quotations are from the King James Version of the Bible, the Amplified Bible, Message Bible.

Feedback: [email protected] Follow Pastor Makarimayi on www.twitter.com/PEMAKARIMAYI and Facebook