We are not Righteous, on our own, but by Jesus saving Grace. As Broken as we are, God sees us as Whole, through the work of Jesus.
“Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.”James 5:16
How are we similar to John the Baptist, as Followers of Jesus
John was that voice crying in the wilderness preparing the way for the coming Messiah
“A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.”
Isaiah 40:3 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/isa.40.3.NASB1995
We are in the wilderness of a thirsty and dry land, desiring something more than man’s wisdom, yet lacking any Hope. We as believers, are here to prepare the way, for the one who has now come, and gives hope. His name is Jesus. The hope is “Good News” to the one who believes in Faith.
“Now in those days John the Baptist *came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight!’ ””
Matthew 3:1-3 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mat.3.1-2.NASB1995
“As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way; The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.’ ””
Mark 1:2-3 NASB1995
https://bible.com/bible/100/mrk.1.2-3.NASB1995
Matt 3:3 ; Mark 1:2-3 ; Luke 3:3-6
We are a voice, crying out to a lost and dying world that there is hope, both now and for an eternal future, to ALL who believe, JUST AS YOU ARE, not by anything we can do but accept his word, but by everything that HE DID FOR US.
May we be like John the Baptist, that many will be pointed to Jesus, by both our WORDS and our DEEDS.
Lord, may your spirit continue to lead and guide us, in your power and strength and not our own. Help us to resist the Devil and his lies, and our own self righteous desires. Be our Rock. Amen
From: John MacArthur Study Bible.
Vs 7emptied Himself. From this Gr. word comes the theological word “kenosis”; i.e., the doctrine of Christ’s self-emptying in His incarnation. This was a self-renunciation, not an emptying Himself of deity nor an exchange of deity for humanity (see notes on v. 6).
Jesus did, however, renounce or set aside His privileges in several areas:
1) heavenly glory—while on earth He gave up the glory of a face-to-face relationship with God and the continuous outward display and personal enjoyment of that glory (cf. Jn 17:5);
2) independent authority—during His incarnation Christ completely submitted Himself to the will of His Father (see note on v. 8; cf. Mt 26:39; Jn 5:30; Heb 5:8);
3) divine prerogatives—He set aside the voluntary display of His divine attributes and submitted Himself to the Spirit’s direction (cf. Mt 24:36; Jn 1:45–49);
4) eternal riches—while on earth Christ was poor and owned very little (cf. 2Co 8:9); and
5) a favorable relationship with God—He felt the Father’s wrath for human sin while on the cross (cf. Mt 27:46; see note on 2Co 5:21). form of a bond-servant. Again, Paul uses the Gr. word “form,” which indicates exact essence (see note on v.
6). As a true servant, Jesus submissively did the will of His Father (cf. Is 52:13, 14). the likeness of men. Christ became more than God in a human body, but He took on all the essential attributes of humanity (Lk 2:52; Gal 4:4; Col 1:22), even to the extent that He identified with basic human needs and weaknesses (cf. Heb 2:14, 17; 4:15). He became the God-Man: fully God and fully man.
bible.com/bible/100/rom.1.20.NASB1995
WITHOUT EXCUSE……..”COME TO JESUS, ALL YOU WHO ARE HEAVY LADEN, AND HE WILL GIVE YOU REST”, HE SAID. If you don’t know how to do this, the answer is simple. Jesus said, “pick up your cross, and follow him”. Believe in Faith, that he, Son of God, gave himself, to die for us, in our unrighteousness, that we might become righteousness before God.