John 1:22-23 NKJV

Then they said to him (to John the Baptist), “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,” ’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

And you know what? Essentially this is the calling of all of us who are genuine disciples of Jesus Christ, not in all the same ways in which John the Baptist was called of God, but still we are called to do the same.

The Wilderness

A wilderness is a wasteland, a desert, the wilds, desolate, and uncultivated. And/or it is a way of life that is spiritually lacking, empty, unproductive, and unfit for good use. And with whom should we be sharing the truth of the gospel? Well, we should be sharing it with all people, for we don’t know everyone’s hearts or where they stand in relation to God/Jesus Christ, and whether or not they are of true faith, and whether or not they are living by that faith or if they are just pretending to be those who believe in Christ.

The wilderness can also be representative of this sinful world in which all of us live, not meaning that we all are living in sin, for all of us are not, but that we physically reside in this world which is captivated to sin. And it is representative of the wandering people of God of old who were idolatrous, adulterous, drunkards, revelers, disobedient, sexually immoral, full of lust, and who lusted after what was evil, and who came against God and his commands. So God put them to death. So they did not have eternal life.

Make it Straight

So, when we read about that in 1 Corinthians 10:1-22, we should also take note that these things happened as examples for us, and they were written down for us as examples so that we should not follow in their footsteps, so that we should not lust after evil things such as they did, and make such sins as these our practice, with the same result. And all throughout the New Testament Scriptures we are taught that we must now die to sin and walk in obedience to God’s commands, or we will not inherit eternal life with God.

For if we make straight the way of the Lord, not only by the words that we speak, but by how we live, in practice, we are teaching and we are living what is honest, upright, trustworthy, morally pure, faithful, honorable, decent, righteous, godly, and submissive and obedient to God and to his New Covenant commandments. So we are teaching that to follow Jesus we must deny self, die to sin daily (by the Spirit), and walk in obedience to our Lord’s commands as required of God for salvation and eternal life with God.

Of One Crying

So this is not light and fluffy stuff we are talking about here. It is not making the way of the Lord nice and friendly and comfortable and relaxed so that we don’t feel bad about our sins. It is not speaking to the people the words they want to hear so that they will like us, but it is speaking to them the words they need to hear, so that they will love God, and so they will surrender their lives to him, and so they will deny self, die to sin, and obey his commands, as a matter of life practice, in the power of God, by the grace of God.

When we do this, and we speak truth to the people that many do not want to hear, because it is not the “light and fluffy feel good stuff” that makes them happy, we should expect that we will be hated, forsaken, forgotten, cast aside as unwanted and as unnecessary, ridiculed, called “crazy,” mocked, falsely accused, mistreated, and persecuted for the sake of the truth of the gospel, and for the sake of righteousness. And because we are crying out to the people to believe and obey the truth, or face God’s wrath.

[Matthew 7:13-14,21-23; Luke 9:23-26; John 10:27-30; Acts 26:18; Romans 1:18-32; Romans 2:5-10; Romans 3:23; Romans 6:1-23; Romans 8:1-14; Romans 12:1-2; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10,19-20; 1 Corinthians 10:1-22; 2 Corinthians 5:10,15,21; Galatians 5:16-24; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Titus 2:11-14; Hebrews 3:1-19; Hebrews 4:1-13; Hebrews 10:19-39; Hebrews 12:1-2; 1 Peter 2:24; 1 John 1:1-10; 1 John 2:1-6; 1 John 3:4-10; Revelation 2:1-29; Revelation 3:1-22]

Should I Not Preach Jesus

Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13
An Original Work / July 4, 2013
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love

Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.
I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.
I make myself a slave to ev’ryone
To win their hearts to Christ.
All this I do for my Lord Jesus,
And for the sake of His Name;
Do it for the sake of His gospel,
So that I, its blessings gain.

Scripture notates the sins of others;
Written down for us as examples
To keep us from setting our hearts
On evil as did those of old.
Do not worship other gods of man;
Do not give your hearts to them;
Not partake in immorality.
Do not test your Lord and King.

So, be careful if you think you are
Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.
God has given his word to warn us,
So through faith we will not fall.
No temptation has o’ertaken you
Except what is commonplace.
God is faithful to not let you be
Tempted past what you can bear.
He gives the way of escape.

Make Straight the Way of The Lord
An Original Work / May 17, 2026
Christ’s Free Servant, Sue J Love