Volume 5 4th Trailhead – 2nd Trail – 2nd Track – 1st Checkpoint – 2nd Path – 1st Station

Welcome to the Luke 3:5 station! This is your DJ Eric speaking. The verse is set in the context of John the Baptist preaching the baptism of repentance as recorded in Luke 3:1-6.

At this point, I would like to bring your attention to what Bible Study Tools has to say about Luke 3:5.   The way is made for the gospel into the heart by:

1.    Taking down high thoughts and bringing them into obedience to Christ; and

2.    Levelling the soul and removing all that hinders us in the way of Christ and his grace.

Then, preparation is made to welcome the salvation of God.

According to StudyLight, there were four things that John the Baptist taught in order to prepare the heart for Jesus:  He taught that people are to:

1.    Expect Him;

2.    Feel their need of Him to save them from their sins;

3.    Repent of all sin;

4.    Hearken to Him and believe, love, and obey Him when He came.

     With regards to taking down high thoughts and bringing them into the obedience to Christ, it brings to mind 2 Corinthians 10:5-6.  In that passage of scripture, we are advised to take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ.  This leads to Romans 5:19 again.  It is through the obedience of Jesus that sinners, who accept Him as Lord and Saviour, have been made us righteous. It has nothing to do with what we do or don’t do.  In fact, when we try to do what we deem is right, we end up being a frustrated nut.  This is demonstrated in Romans 7:19; “The good that I want to do, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”

We are righteous or acquitted because of what Jesus has done.  Christ crucified has set us free from the penalty of sin.  What follows is how we live out the righteous life that Christ has died to give us.  As the apostle Paul said in 1 Corinthians 6:12 and 1 Corinthians 10:23, “All things are permissible but not all things are beneficial, constructive, and edifying.”

In Galatians 5:13, the apostle Paul taught us to “Let not the freedom that Christ has purchased for us become an opportunity or excuse for the sinful nature.”  1 Peter 2:16 mirrors the same teaching by saying that we are to “Not use the freedom as a cover or pretext for evil.”  I read that to mean that even if a believer does evil, for reasons best known to that person, that believer remains righteous.  However, that believer would destroy his otherwise joyful life on this side of heaven.  There are consequences to sin.  Just take a look at Lot.  Despite his choice to live in Sodom which resulted in him getting into a lot of trouble that required one bail-out after another, God considered him righteous.  This is stated in 2 Peter 2:7.

The Apostle Paul issued warnings to the righteous against living unrighteously in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, Galatians 5:19-21, and Ephesians 5:5.  Those who do so will not get to inherit or enjoy the Kingdom of God.  Romans 14:17 tells us that the Kingdom of God is righteousness and peace and joy in the Holy Spirit.  The righteous who live unrighteously will not get to enjoy the righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit.  It is akin to having been given a gift and yet not enjoying it.  Believers are given the gift of righteousness and yet not benefiting from it because of unrighteous living. I am of the view that Ephesians 5:5 summarizes it by saying that the person places a higher value on unrighteous things than the righteous things of God.

Romans 5:17 says that “Much more surely will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through Jesus Christ”. The word “receive” in that verse is λαμβάνοντες (lambanontes) in Greek (#2983). It entails active use. Therefore, by habitually living an unrighteous lifestyle, the believer is not actively enjoying the gift of righteousness. 

      The blessed Holy Spirit does three things to a believer:

1.    Conviction of righteousness (John 16:8);

2.    Teach all things (John 14:26); and

3.    Assist to remember everything that Jesus said (John 14:26).

It is by these things that a believer enjoys the inheritance of righteousness, peace and joy; the Kingdom of God. One things is for sure; the blessed Holy Spirit will not teach anyone to sin!  As much as it is a given, James 1:13 states the obvious when it says to “Let not the one who is tempted say that he is being tempted by God”.  Therefore, when the righteous sins, that one gives heed not to the blessed Holy Spirit but the sinful desires.

            Sin is attractive when attention is given to the sensual pleasures it brings while forgetting the accompanying devastating damages that far outweigh the apparent gratification. In the words of Romans 6:21, “So what benefit did you get at that time from the things of which you are now ashamed? [None!] For the outcome of those things is death!”

With all that in mind, the essence of Luke 3:5 is:

“Prepare the heart to welcome the Salvation of God”.