Confessing Christ

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, ²as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
³“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”

⁴And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. ⁶John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

– Mark 1:1-8 (NIV)

To confess Christ as our Lord and Savior is to embark on a profound journey of transformation. It is not a declaration that we come before Him in a state of perfection, having already attained holiness or rectified our standing before God. Rather, it is an admission of our need for Him—an acknowledgment that we are sinners in desperate need of His grace and forgiveness.

When we come to Christ, we come with hearts ready to repent, to seek forgiveness for our transgressions, and to adopt a posture of openness, allowing the Lord to make His way into our lives. This is where the Holy Spirit intervenes, entering our lives not because it is convenient or because we feel good, but because we are in need of divine interception.

“A Voice Calling in the Wilderness”

The scripture reminds us of a powerful image: “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him’”. This call to prepare the way for the Lord does not mean we must first gather our lives together before Jesus can enter. No, rather it means to give Him room to move within our lives. We must stop blocking the doorway to our hearts, disengage the locks, and perhaps even hand over the keys to Him.

Beyond Self-Help and Self-Righteousness

In today’s world, there is a tendency to reduce Christianity to a form of self-help or self-righteousness, as if following Christ is merely about becoming better people through behavior modification. While a transformative change in behavior is certainly a fruit of true faith, it is essential to remember that Christianity is fundamentally about the One we worship.

Knowing Christ intimately in our lives allows Him to address the complexities of our broken nature and circumstances. It is not simply about what we do, but about who He is—and how His presence renews and reshapes us from the inside out.

The Invitation to Transformation

Confessing Christ as Lord and Savior is an invitation to transformation—a call to let go of our self-reliance and allow Jesus to reign in every corner of our existence. It is about making space for Him to work within us, guiding us through His Spirit, and molding us into His likeness.

So let us open our hearts, surrender our pride, and embrace the fullness of life that comes from walking with Jesus. For in Him, we find the true path to wholeness, purpose, and eternal joy.