8 You must do the things that will show that you have really changed your hearts and lives. And don’t think that saying, ‘Abraham {\cf2\super [49]} is our father’ will help you. I tell you that God can make children for Abraham from these rocks here!
8 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.
8 Bear fruits that are deserving and consistent with [your] repentance [that is, conduct worthy of a heart changed, a heart abhorring sin]. And do not begin to say to yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I tell you that God is able from these stones to raise up descendants for Abraham.
8 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.
8 Produce fruit that shows you have changed your hearts and lives. And don’t even think about saying to yourselves, Abraham is our father. I tell you that God is able to raise up Abraham’s children from these stones.
8 So then, produce fruits worthy of repentance. And do not begin to say, 'We have Abraham as our father.' For I tell you that God has the power to raise up sons to Abraham from these stones.
I began telling people that they should change their hearts and lives and turn back to God. I told the people to do things that show that they really changed their hearts. I told these things first to people in Damascus. Then I went to Jerusalem and to every part of Judea and told these things to the people there. I also went to the non-Jewish people.
And only some of Abraham’s {\cf2\super [78]} descendants {\cf2\super [79]} are true children of Abraham (God’s people). \{This is what God said to Abraham:\} “Isaac will be your only legal son.” {\cf2\super [80]}
So people get God’s promise by having faith. This happens so that the promise can be a free gift. And if the promise is a free gift, then all of Abraham’s {\cf2\super [42]} people can have that promise. The promise is not only for those people that live under the law \{of Moses\}. The promise is for any person that lives with faith like Abraham. Abraham is the father of us all.
“Son of man, {\cf2\super [270]} there are Israelite people living in the ruined cities in Israel. Those people are saying, ‘Abraham was only one man, and God gave him all this land. Now, we are many people, so surely this land belongs to us! It is our land!’
And don’t think that you can boast and say to yourselves, ‘Abraham {\cf2\super [39]} is our father.’ I tell you that God could make children for Abraham from these rocks here.
The Jewish teachers of the law and the Pharisees {\cf2\super [95]} thought to themselves, “Who is this man (Jesus)? He is saying things that are against God! Only God can forgive sins.”
If a man locks the door of his house, then you can stand outside and knock on the door, but he won’t open it. You can say, ‘Sir, open the door for us!’ But the man will answer, ‘I don’t know you! Where did you come from?’
And if you are sitting in the most important seat, then the person that invited you will come to you and say, ‘Give this man your seat!’ Then you will begin to move down to the last place. And you will be very embarrassed.
You must give their fields, vineyards, olive fields, and houses back to them, right now! And you must give back the interest you charged them! You charged them one per cent for the money, grain, new wine, and oil that you loaned them. \{You must give that back to them!\}