A Public Confession of Christ
1. Jesus Calls Us to Confess Him Before Others
Matthew 10:32–33 (NKJV)
“Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.
But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”
This scared me as a young man……Public confession of Christ changed my life.
John 21:15-18 So when they had eaten breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter,
“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me more than these?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Feed My lambs.”
16 He said to him again a second time,
“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
He said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.”
He said to him, “Tend My sheep.”
17 He said to him the third time,
“Simon, son of Jonah, do you love Me?”
Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time, “Do you love Me?”
And he said to Him, “Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.”
Jesus said to him, “Feed My sheep.
Peter denied Jesus three times and Jesus came back and asked Peter three times do you love me. How great was Gods. love for Peter and the purpose that he had for him to build the kingdom!
2. Salvation Involves Confession and Belief
Romans 10:9–10 (NKJV)
“That if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
The Nicene Creed
We believe in one God,
the Father Almighty,
Maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible and invisible.
And in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
begotten of the Father before all worlds;
God of God, Light of Light,
very God of very God;
begotten, not made,
being of one substance with the Father,
by whom all things were made.
Who, for us men and for our salvation,
came down from heaven,
and was incarnate by the Holy Spirit of the virgin Mary,
and was made man;
and was crucified also for us under Pontius Pilate;
He suffered and was buried;
and the third day He rose again,
according to the Scriptures;
and ascended into heaven,
and sits on the right hand of the Father;
and He shall come again, with glory,
to judge the living and the dead;
whose kingdom shall have no end.
And we believe in the Holy Spirit,
the Lord and Giver of life;
who proceeds from the Father [and the Son]*;
who with the Father and the Son together is worshiped and glorified;
who spoke by the prophets.
And we believe in one holy catholic** and apostolic Church.
We acknowledge one baptism for the remission of sins.
We look for the resurrection of the dead,
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
Verbal confession of Christ brings salvation- 1 John 4:15 (NKJV)
“Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God.”
Belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God brings the Born again experience 1 John 5:1 (NKJV) Whoever believes that Jesus is the Christ has been born of God
Effective evangelism comes with sharing your testimony of Christ becoming real in your life. Philemon 6 (NKJV) That the sharing of your faith would become effective by the acknowledgement of every good thing that is in you in Christ.
3. Examples of Public Confession in the Bible
Peter's Confession: Matthew 16:16 (NKJV)
“Simon Peter answered and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’”
Jesus replied Flesh and blood has not revealed this unto you but my Father in heaven…
The Ethiopian Eunuch: Acts 8:37 (NKJV)
“Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.’”
Straight after this the Ethiopian Eunuch was Baptized which was another public confession
4. Confession of Sin
1 John 1:9
Confession of the promises of God: The Bible says we will have what we say
Matt 7:7 Ask and you will receive, seek and you will find, knock and the door will be opened unto you.