On the third Sunday of Advent, John the Baptist warns his followers that the life of faith does not end with forgiveness, it begins here (Luke 3:7-14). When we are baptized and receive God’s forgiveness, we are given the choice to walk a new path that follows the steps of Jesus. When we begin with forgiveness, we can take the sacrificial journey toward Christ in the knowledge that good works are blessings for our neighbor and not justification before God.