John The Baptist Prepares The Way... (punishment, believe, sin, Holy Spirit)

[Verna Perry]

...But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of vipers!" he exclaimed. Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'Were safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God's judgement is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
"I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I am not worthy even to be His slave and carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with His winnowing fork. Then He will clean up the threshing floor, gathering the wheat into His barn but burning the chaff with never ending fire."

Matthew 3:7-12.

[Meerkat2]

Originally Posted by Verna Perry

...But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of vipers!" he exclaimed. Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'Were safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God's judgement is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
"I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I am not worthy even to be His slave and carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with His winnowing fork. Then He will clean up the threshing floor, gathering the wheat into His barn but burning the chaff with never ending fire."

Matthew 3:7-12.

How will Jesus separate the wheat from the chaff? What is the wheat and what is the chaff?

I believe that everyone has wheat and chaff in themselves that needs to be separated - and this is not talking about separating "christians" from "non-christians"

Heb 4:12 For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

[eyewrist]

Originally Posted by Verna Perry

...But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. "You brood of vipers!" he exclaimed. Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don't just say to each other, 'Were safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.' That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones. Even now the ax of God's judgement is poised, ready to sever the roots of the trees. Yes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.
"I baptize with water those who repent of their sins and turn to God. But someone is coming soon who is greater than I am - so much greater that I am not worthy even to be His slave and carry His sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. He is ready to separate the chaff from the wheat with His winnowing fork. Then He will clean up the threshing floor, gathering the wheat into His barn but burning the chaff with never ending fire."

Matthew 3:7-12.

I was lead to purchase a Jewish Bible and these same verses are slightly different:
Yochanan (John) saw many of the P'rushin (Pharisees) and Tz'dukin (Saducees) coming to be immersed by him, he said to them, "You snakes! Who warned you to escape the coming punishment? If you have really turned from your sins to God, produce fruit that will prove it! And don't suppose you can comfort yourselves by saying 'Avraham is our father'! For I tell you that God can raise up for Avrham sons from these stones! Already the axe is at the root of the trees, ready to strike; every tree that doesn't produce good frut will be chopped down and thrown in the fire! It's true I am immmersing you in water so that you might turn from sin to God; but the one coming after me is more powerful than I---I'm not worthy even to carry his sandals---and he will immerse you in the Ruach HaKodesh (Holy Spirit) and in fire. He has with him his winnowing for; and he will clear our his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn but burning the straw with unquenchable fire!

[eyewrist]

Another point I have observed is that the Holy Spirit and the Fire are two separate things. I was lead to believe they were one in the same... but this is not true...Hmmm