GOD IS LOVE Devotion 23 of 34 "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."( 1 John 4:15) CONFESSING JESUS IS THE SON Confession is more than making a statement. It is the acknowledgment of something believed and embraced with the heart. Commitment is inherent in confession, so that what is confessed reveals the focus of the individual. Confession is the acknowledgment of something that has been embraced, and upon which one depends. The original word literally means "to say the same thing as another, i.e. to agree with, assent." In this case, confession is not saying the same thing as one of our peers, or what is required by a religious institution. This is acknowledging agreement with what GOD has said about Christ Jesus: "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased" (Matt 3:17). And again, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye Him" (Matt 17:5). And again, "Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee" (Heb 1:5; 5:5). This confession is the acknowledgment of full agreement with God concerning Christ. We see Him as God's Son, He is beloved to us, and we are "well pleased" with Him. Confession is the acknowledgment that we have seen and embraced what God has said of Jesus. – Tomorrow:
"He that loveth not knoweth not God; for God is love . . . God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him." (1 John 4:9,16)
Again, this statement does not mesh with sectarian approaches to the Gospel. Neither will it support an institutional emphasis. We must remember that this is a precise statement, inspired by the Holy Spirit. It is not our business to reduce the power of this statement by trying to fit it into the perceptions and creeds of men. It is far better to labor to believe what it is said. The power of God's Word is, after all, found in its affirmation, not its explanation.
It should be obvious to us that confessing "Jesus is the Son of God" is more profound that at first appears. It is not a mere step in a preconceived "plan of salvation," as is supposed by some. Too, that Jesus "IS the Son of God" is equally a concise and far-reaching statement. It is not to be viewed casually, or in a mere academic manner. We know this is the case because of what the confession evidences. "Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God" (1 John 4:15). Other versions read, "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God" (NKJV), "If anyone acknowledges that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him and he in God" (NIV), "God abides in those who confess that Jesus is the Son of God, and they abide in God" (NRSV), and "Everyone who says openly that Jesus is the Son of God, has God in him and is in God" (BBE). The strength of this statement is projected in every translation of it.
The person who confesses Christ Jesus to be "the Son of God" has actually been taught by God. That is, God has revealed the Son to such a person. When Jesus asked His disciples, "who do you say that I am?" in a flash of insight Peter responded, "Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus proceeded to reveal the circumstances of that "good confession." He told Peter that he had been "blessed . . . for this was not revealed to you by man." How, then, did Peter come to this knowledge? Jesus continued by saying the revelation was "by My Father in heaven" (Matt 16:15-17, NIV). Earlier Jesus had revealed why this revelation was necessary: "no man knows the Son except the Father" (Matt 1:27, NKJV). And again, "No man can come unto me except the Father that has sent Me draw him" (John 6:44). Confirming Divine tutelage is involved in coming to and confessing Him, Jesus continued, "It is written in the prophets, 'And they shall all be taught by God.' Therefore everyone who has heard and learned from the Father comes to Me" (John 6:45, NKJV).
The significance of confessing Jesus is further revealed in what He Himself said about it. "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven" (Matt 10:32, NKJV). The Spirit further says, "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" (Rom 10:9-10).
Do not miss the gravity of these promises. They are absolutely unequivocal. "I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven!" "You will be saved!" "Confession is made unto salvation!" This cannot refer to a heartless statement, or mere intellectual assent to something considered to be of little consequence. Promises of this magnitude can only be related to an activity of great significance before God. If you are in doubt concerning the significance of any God-ordained duty, consider the promises attached to it.
Our initial confession of Christ is associated with our baptism into Him. This is confirmed in the conversion of the Ethiopian eunuch. When he asked Philip what hindered him from being baptized, Philip replied, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." Although Philip did not spell out precisely what was to be believed, the eunuch sensed what was involved from Philip's preaching. Thus he responded, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37, NKJV). One can only imagine what manner of contemporary answers would be given to the response "If you believe with all of your heart." The eunuch's answer was precisely correct. He commanded the chariot to stand still, and "they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch, and he baptized him" (Acts 8:38).
It ought to be added that the confession of Jesus as the Son of God is not limited to our entrance into Christ. The text in Romans 10:10, for example, was addressed to those who were already baptized into Christ (Rom 6:3-4). Those who live by faith will always make much of confessing Jesus to be the Son of God. After all, if God Himself confessed Him to be His Son several times, what person requiring the Son as his Savior would think one time was enough for him?
PRAYER POINT: Father, in the name of Jesus, help me to coordinate the confession of my mouth with the testimony of my life.