Continual Repentance

Luke 3:3-17
John the Baptist has come on to the scene and is now preaching to the people a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, thereby clearing the way for Jesus to come and preach faith in himself, and usher in salvation (vs. 4-6).  But along with John's message of repentance is a warning that we all should take notice of.  It is mentioned in vs. 8; we must hear his words.  He tells us to "bear fruits in keeping with repentance...And do not begin to say..."  Our repentance is not reserved for a time in the past, whereby we asked for forgiveness for past transgressions and have received pardon and can now move on.  No, our repentance must be continual, on-going for it to actually bear fruit.  Repentance that is left in the past and not currently maintained is deceptive and unable to bear true spiritual fruits.  And the second part of verse 8 helps us determine further which we have experienced.  He mentions claiming Abraham as father, which in those days basically told those around you that you are religious, a chosen one of Israel.  This is the deceptive repentance.  It leads, not to fruit-bearing, but to legalistic religion.  This is his warning to us and a yardstick to help us measure our "conversion" experience and repentance mindset.  Repentance that leads to religious devotion is dangerous and damning.  God could raise up simple, mindless, heartless stones that are religious, children of Abraham (vs. 8).  True repentance does not make a man religious, but makes him continually broken over sin, continually dependent on Christ and leads to life change, which is fruit-bearing.  John did not advise those who had been baptized to then start going to church and bible study and get involved in ministry.  He told them to change their wicked ways, to alter the course of their life and continue in their repentance (vs. 10-14).  Repentance that does not continue eventually fosters pride and independence within the heart, and causes one to look to his legalistic religious acts instead of actual fruits born from within according to the Spirit, out of a broken and contrite heart.  Paul warned of this same thing (Romans 12:3; I Corinthians 10:12).  And John warned them that one was coming who would baptize with fire.  And that fire would burn up the religious chaff and gather together the repentant spiritual wheat (vs. 9, 17).  Our independent religious piety is no determination of our spiritual condition, rather our repentant heart is.  One leads to religious, self-righteous acts while the heart remains prideful and dark, whereas the other leads to continual fruit-bearing from a continual repentant and broken heart.  One depends on our ability to maintain religious rules and standards and therefore embraces religion, whereas the other depends fully on Christ to maintain his righteousness within our wicked heart, realizing he, not religion, is the only answer to our condition.  Are we religious or repentant?