Scripture Reading: Matthew 10:32-39

Confess...

Intro.

1. The gospel plan of salvation includes a “good confession.”

2. There are additional confessions expected of us.

3. To confess (homologeo): lit, “to speak the same thing” (homos, “same,” lego, “to speak”); “to assent, accord, agree with” (Vine).

I. CONFESS FAITH IN CHRIST TO BE SAVED, Rom. 10:9-10.

[“to declare openly by way of speaking out freely, such confession being the effect of deep conviction of facts” (Vine).]

A. “Confess the Lord Jesus” / Confess Jesus is Lord, Rom. 10:9.

1. Master, Ruler (power, authority), cf. Acts 2:33-36; Psa. 110:1-3.

2. Confessing a decision to submit to His rule in your life, Lk. 6:46.

a. Confession that acknowledges who Jesus is.

b. Confession that pledges allegiance to Jesus as Lord.

B. The Good Confession: An Honest Acknowledgement of One’s Personal Conviction that Jesus is the Christ, 1 Tim. 6:12, 13.

1. “Good” (kalos) – Beautiful, chief, valuable, honest, worthy.

2. Timothy’s confession was honest, and “before many witnesses.”

3. Jesus made this confession before Pilate, Jno. 18:33-37.

a. “Are you the King of the Jews?” (18:33) … Yes (18:34-37)

b. The good confession openly agrees that Jesus is King.

C. We Cannot be Saved without this Confession, Rom. 10:10.

II. CONFESS JESUS BEFORE MEN: LIVE A LIFE THAT CONFESSES JESUS, Matt. 10:32-33 (Lk. 12:8). Now, our profession is to live for Christ.

A. Live by Faith, Gal. 2:20; 2 Cor. 5:7.

B. Christ is in You, Rom. 8:8-10.

1. Kill the flesh, 8:10; Gal. 5:24 (bear fruit of the Spirit, 5:22-23).

2. United with Christ; Live with Christ; Ruled by Jesus, Rom. 6:5-11.

C. Commit to a Life of Obedient, Sacrificial Faith, Heb. 11:13.

1. Embrace God’s promises, Gal. 3:14, 29; 2 Pet. 1:3-4.

-Live by faith, pressing toward the promise of God (eternal life).

2. This world is not our home, Heb. 11:13.

a. Strangers: Alien here; Citizenship is in heaven, Phil. 3:20.

b. Pilgrims: Resident foreigner. (cf. Psa. 39:12)

c. We don’t put down roots here, Matt. 6:19-21, 24.

d. Abstain from the world’s sins; Live honorably, 1 Pet. 2:11-12.

3. Our hope is heaven, not earth, Heb. 13:14-16.

D. By Confessing Christ before Men, He Will Confess Us before the Father, Matt. 10:32.

1. But, if we deny Him before men, He will deny us before the Father, Matt. 10:33 (“to disavow, reject, refuse").

2. Why we must not be ashamed of Christ, Mk. 8:38.

III. CHRISTIANS CONFESS SIN TO BE FORGIVEN.

A. When We Sin, We Must Confess Our Sin to the Lord, 1 Jno. 1:7-9.

1. “to confess by way of admitting oneself guilty of what one is accused of, the result of inward conviction” (Vine).

2. Not: Catholic confessional to a priest to be absolved.

B. We are Taught to Confess our Sins to One Another, Jas. 5:16.

1. We confess our sin to those we have sinned against.

a. Confess sin to God, 1 Jno. 1:9; Acts 8:22 (pray God); “Pray to the Lord for me,” 8:24.

b. Confess sin to brethren:

1) To correct a sin, Matt. 18:15.

2) To reconcile a dispute, Matt. 5:23-25.

2. Not every sin demands a public confession. Confess sin to whom we sin against, and to the extent our sin was public (known) – to seek forgiveness.

3. We can certainly ask for public prayers; Not the same as a public confession of sins.

4. Objective: Obtain forgiveness (from God, those we sin against).

Conclusion

1. Confessing Christ begins at conversion. It continues throughout life.

2. It will include confessing our sins to the Lord, and to each other.

By: Joe R. Price

Posted: November 6, 2017