After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus' ministry is validated by God the Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind.
If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right -- and wrong -- for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son.
If you were transported back to John's time and heard his message, would you repent?
· At Jesus' baptism, God confirmed Jesus' divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God;
And the firmament shows His handiwork.
Day unto day utters speech,
And night unto night reveals knowledge.
There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard
(Psalms 19:1-3).
For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
· Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
There is none righteous, no, not one;
There is none who understands;
There is none who seeks after God
(Romans 3:10-11).
· Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this affirmation to the Lord:
Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven,
Whose sin is covered.
Blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity,
And in whose spirit there is no deceit
(Psalms 32:1-2).
· As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
· day-to-day repentance,
· the Lord to reveal Himself to others through you,
· your activities for the day.
· Finally, offer this closing prayer:
Now hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
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