The Bible has much to say about “confession.” The dictionary gives four ways the word can be used. It is used to tell or inform; it means to admit or acknowledge, as in admitting our sins; to give guidance; to declare a faith. This morning, I was thinking about the various ways the Christian can openly confess our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Let me share with you a quick list.

  1. Day One: The Christian life begins by confessing the Lord Jesus before others.Confession is to be immediate. It is a part of asking the Lord to come into our hearts. Romans 10:9-10 tells us, “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” Matthew 10:32 and Mark 5:19 also reference confessing the Lord.
  2. Every Christian should constantly confess the Lord Jesus before others by word of mouth.Christians should not only confess the Lord Jesus at the start of their Christian life, but they should continue throughout their Christian life. Acts 1:8 and Matthew 28:19-20 are only two of several bible passages that instruct us to confess, to share, the gospel; Dixon says that the word “preached” in Acts 8:4, means “gossiped.”  It is sad but most of us often just keep quiet and our silence is disobedience.
  3. Every Christian should confess the Lord Jesus before others by baptism.The act of baptism doesn’t save us. It is the first way we confess to our family, friends, and the world that we are Jesus’.  This is a New Testament example and emphasis which we are following and not just a Baptist emphasis. All who believed were baptized.  Look up the following references and notice that in every case belief was followed by baptism, and baptism was only administered after believing – Acts 2:38 and 41; 8:12, 35-39; 9:17-18; 10:45 and 48; 16:14-15, 30-34 and 18:8.
  4. Every Christian should confess the Lord Jesus before others by a quiet, consistent Christian life.Our lives should be lived peaceably with all people. We are to show Christ by the way we treat others and what they see in our lives. We confess by what we are and by what we do; and by what we are not and by the things we do not do. The most powerful confession of Christ and testimony for Him is that of a true, Spirit-filled life – in the home, office, job site, school or anywhere we find ourselves. Check out Matthew 5:16 and 1 Peter 3:1-4. A very important part of living this type of life is to keep our fellowship with the Lord intact. Sin separates, it breaks communication with the Lord. I John 1:19 tells us that confession of that sin will result in the forgiveness of that sin.
  5. Every Christian should confess the Lord Jesus by being faithful with God’s people in worship and in service.Hebrews 10:25 says, “Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.” The very act of getting up, getting dressed, walking out of your house on a Sunday, getting into your vehicle and coming to church is a confession to your neighbors that you are a Christian. This act possibly will lead to a conversation with them in which another opportunity for confession is now in front of you. We confess by sharing our testimony of how we were saved. All of this by doing the right thing on a Sunday.

In closing, I’ll share one more verse. “Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost” (I Corinthians 12:3). Pay attention to the latter part of the verse. No one can say (by life or by our mouth) that Jesus is Lord, except by the Holy Spirit. It is the Holy Spirit that enables the Christian to speak a word, to confess the Lord before others. May we be yielded to the wooing of the Lord when he brings us the opportunity to confess him before men.