The Confession of John the Baptist

At this hour this morning I would like to ask you this. If you are asked by other people around you: Why are you different from what you once were? Or, how do you think about yourself now that you have become a Christian? I hope that you would be able to make confession of Christ and say, even as John did so long ago, three things about yourself as a Christian. I would hope that you might say this: First – I confess that am not a great religious person; I am simply a voice speaking of what Christ has done for me. (Verses 19-24) 2nd – Even though I am not worthy of Christ and His grace, I publicly take my stand for Him in baptism. (Verses 25-31) And 3rd – I confess that I have also very much needed the baptism of the Holy Spirit, which I received at my conversion, because without Christ's power in me, I would not be able to live the Christian life. I pray that our study in the next few minutes will contribute greatly to excite our thoughts and prayers as we gather to observe His death in just a little while.