CONFESSION OF CHRIST.
Rom_10:6-10.
When the German Army, during the Franco-Prussian War, was proceeding towards Paris, they passed through many villages. At one of these villages the inhabitants went out to resist their progress armed with crude weapons of various descriptions. It is said that an old woman came out with a crutch, which she swung in the air. "Go back! they will think you mad," her fellow-villagers exclaimed. "I don’t care what they think," said she, "as long as they know whose side I am on." Bravo! Isn’t that fine! We could do with a little of that fearlessness in Christian living. Do all our relatives, friends, and neighbours know on whose side we are?
I. The Duty of Confession. Note the twofold emphasis on heart and mouth in Rom_10:6-10.
1. Heart (Rom_10:6, Rom_10:8-9, Rom_10:10).
2. Mouth (Rom_10:8-9, Rom_10:10).
They ought never to be separated. The mouth without the heart might be hypocrisy; whilst the heart without the mouth might be cowardice.
II. The Subject of Confession.
1. My Sins; but only to the Lord. Sins (1Jn_1:9), Transgressions (Psa_32:5), Iniquity (Lev_26:40).
2. My Faults; to Brethren or Sisters in the Lord. (Jam_5:16).
3. My Saviour: to All (Mat_10:32). Whenever we confess our Lord, we receive His "Blessed art thou." We always benefit by and through confessing Him.
4. The Deity of Our Saviour (1Jn_4:15). Why be hesitant in confessing this essential aspect of His Being?
5. The Lordship of Our Saviour (Php_2:11). Observe in Rom_10:9, in the R.V.: "If thou shalt confess… Jesus as Lord." More confess Him as Saviour without going on to confess His Lordship.
6. The Second Advent of Our Saviour (2Jn_1:7, R.V.). "Many deceivers who confess not that Jesus Christ cometh in the flesh."
III. Methods of Confession.
1. By Writing Letters. A young convert felt that she ought to speak to a railway porter on the matter of salvation, but she was very nervous. She wrote very prayerfully a letter, then just as the train was moving, handed it to him through the open window. This broke the ice, and she became bolder.
2. By Carrying or Exposing a Bible. Directly Captain Hedley Vicars got right with God, he felt he must confess Christ to his brother officers, but he was timid. However, he secured a Bible, put it on a small table in his tent, and in that way made known his new-found Saviour and Lord.
3. By Word of Mouth. This is pre-eminently the method of confession. The eminent Sir Robert Peel, at dinner was saddened by the improper language of the gentlemen. Calling his carriage, he arose and said, "Gentlemen, I must ask you to excuse me: I am still a Christian."
4. By Saying Grace at Table. This was the author’s first confession of Christ at his home, where grace before meat was never practised.
5. By Baptism. This is another mode of confession. (See a Study of Baptism in this book).
6. The Life: and, of course, we must confess Christ by our changed lives.
IV. The Fruits of Confession.
1. Forgiveness. "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins" (1Jn_1:9).
2. Cleansing. "If we confess our sins-and to cleanse us from all iniquity" (1Jn_1:9).
3. Assurance. "Let the redeemed of the Lord say so" (Psa_107:2). Dr. Fullerton knew a lady who did not get assurance of salvation until she confessed Christ.
4. Salvation. "With the mouth confession is made unto salvation" (Rom_10:9-10). This word "salvation" is a big one, meaning much more than pardon or justification It includes all the blessings that are ours in Christ Jesus.
5. Preservation. It is far, far safer for a young convert to nail at once his colours to the mast, than to endeavour to be a secret disciple. People then know what you are.
6. Healing. Bodily healing is declared in Jam_5:16 to follow confession.
7. Benediction. Whenever we confess Christ we become conscious of the Master’s "Blessed art thou" (Mat_16:17), and the knowledge that we are pleasing Him is truly a reward.
Autor: James Smith