Confession (4)

In Tomb 3 Days & 3 Nights?

There are 3 Different Views that People Hold

Jesus was Crucified on Wednesday

In the Tomb on Wednesday Night & Thursday (1 Day & Night)

In the Tomb on Thursday Night & Friday (2 Days & Nights)

In the Tomb on Friday Night & Saturday (3 Days & Nights)

Resurrected Early Sunday Morning

Jesus was Crucified on Thursday

Jesus was Crucified on Friday

To the Jews, a Part of a Day was Considered the Same as a Full Day

Friday Afternoon, All Day Saturday, and Sunday Morning = 3 Days

Confession

“Confession” = To Openly Admit or Take Ownership of Something

2 Main Types of “Confession” in the Scriptures:

Confessing Sin

Confessing Jesus

Confessing Jesus

Openly Admitting or Taking Ownership of Jesus as One’s Lord/King

An Expression of the Conviction that Jesus is Lord/King

It’s about Being Unashamed of Jesus & His Gospel

It’s Often Called a Confession of Faith

Openly Admitting Allegiance to Jesus & All that He Stands for

Many Times this Topic Comes Up Within the Context of Persecution

Persecution is for the Purpose of Causing the Believer…

To Denounce/Disown Jesus

Confessing Our Faith in Jesus is Being Unashamed of Being His Disciple…

And Being Willing to Boldly Claim Him as Lord/King…

Regardless of the Consequences

1 Timothy 6:12–13 (NASB95)

12 Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

Timothy Made the Good Confession that Jesus Made Before Pilate

What Did Jesus Confess Before Pilate?

That He is the King of the Jews

He is the Messiah/Christ

That is the Confession We All Must Make

Not as a Step, Though it Happens at Conversion

But as a Lifestyle

Hebrews 13:15–16 (NASB95)

15 Through Him then, let us continually offer up a sacrifice of praise to God, that is, the fruit of lips that give thanks to His name. 16 And do not neglect doing good and sharing, for with such sacrifices God is pleased.

“Give Thanks” is a Bad Translation

Literally it is: “Confessing His Name”

What are the Sacrifices that Christians are to Offer…

That Bring Praise to God?

Confessing Allegiance to Him

Doing Good Deeds

Sharing/Fellowshiping with One Another

Confessing Allegiance to God is Worship to Him

When Paul was Before the Roman Governor, Felix…

He Confessed His Allegiance to God:

Acts 24:14–15 (NASB95)

14 “But this I admit to you, that according to the Way which they call a sect I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets; 15 having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked.

“I Openly Admit & Take Ownership of”:

“Serving/Worshiping God According to the Way of Jesus”

“Believing Everything that is in Accordance with the Law & Prophets”

“The Hope of Resurrection”

These are the Things We Must Openly Admit & Take Ownership of Too

Romans 10:1–10 (NASB95)

1 Brethren, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation. 2 For I testify about them that they have a zeal for God, but not in accordance with knowledge. 3 For not knowing about God’s righteousness and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. 5 For Moses writes that the man who practices the righteousness which is based on law shall live by that righteousness.

6 But the righteousness based on faith speaks as follows: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’ (that is, to bring Christ down), 7 or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’ (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead).” 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

This Passage is All about the Jewish People Rejecting Jesus

They were Zealous for God, But Not According to Knowledge

They Wanted to Be Pleasing to God & Live for God…

But They weren’t Doing it the Way God Wanted

Instead of Receiving the Righteousness of God…

By Trusting in Jesus…

They Sought to Establish Their Own Righteousness…

Through Law-Keeping

They Believed They Must Work for Their Justification

But Paul is Trying to Tell Them that Salvation…

Is Readily/Easily Available to Them…

If They would Only Trust in & Confess Their Allegiance to Lord Jesus

Paul Quotes Deut 30:11-14

Deuteronomy 30:11–14 (NASB95)

11 “For this commandment which I command you today is not too difficult for you, nor is it out of reach. 12 “It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will go up to heaven for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 13 “Nor is it beyond the sea, that you should say, ‘Who will cross the sea for us to get it for us and make us hear it, that we may observe it?’ 14 “But the word is very near you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may observe it.

Moses was Trying to Tell the People…

That They are Capable of Obeying the Law

They Don’t have to Go Up to Heaven to Get it…

Or Go Across the Sea to Find it

They have the Law Right There with Them…

In Their Mouth & in Their Heart

Paul Applies this Passage in View of the New Covenant…

Of Grace Through Faith

We Don’t have to Go Up to Heaven…

Or Down into the Abyss…

To Receive the Word of Faith (Saving Gospel of Christ)

Jesus has Already Come Down from Heaven to Deliver it…

And has Resurrected from the Abyss to Complete it

All We have to Do is:

Trust in the Lordship of Jesus Confirmed By His Resurrection

Confess Our Allegiance to Jesus as Our Lord

We Get Antsy this Passage Because it Doesn’t Mentioned Baptism…

As a Means to Salvation

Well it Doesn’t Mention Repentance Either

The Point is Not to Give a Comprehensive List of Requirements

The Point is to Compare it to the Passage in Deuteronomy…

That Mentions the Mouth & Heart

The Point is to Say to the Jews:

“The Righteousness/Salvation You’re So Desperately Seeking…”

“Is Found Simply By Trusting in & Confessing Allegiance to Jesus”

The Original Roman Readers wouldn’t have Read this & Said:

“I Guess We Don’t have to Be Baptized!”

1st of All, They were Already Baptized Disciples

2nd of All, They would’ve have Read the Passage in its Context in Letter

Paul’s Point is this:

Righteousness/Salvation can Not Be Earned Through Law-Keeping

One Must Place Their Faith & Confess Their Allegiance in Jesus as Lord

We can Not Find Righteousness/Salvation Any Other Way

Confession

“Confession” = To Openly Admit or Take Ownership of Something

As Christians, We Must Actively Confess 2 Things:

We Must Confess Sin

We Must Openly Admit & Take Ownership of Our Sin

We Must Confess Jesus

We Must Openly Admit & Take Ownership of Our Faith in Jesus as Our Lord

Neither of These are Simply Steps in a Plan of Salvation

They Must Be a Part of Our Everyday Life as Disciples

Confessing Jesus Passages:

(Philippians 2:11; Romans 14:11 [Isaiah 45:23]; 2 Corinthians 9:13; Titus 1:16; 1 John 2:23, 4:2-3, 15; 2 John 7)

Invitation

Titus 1:10–16 (NASB95)

10 For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, 11 who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not teach for the sake of sordid gain. 12 One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.” 13 This testimony is true. For this reason reprove them severely so that they may be sound in the faith, 14 not paying attention to Jewish myths and commandments of men who turn away from the truth. 15 To the pure, all things are pure; but to those who are defiled and unbelieving, nothing is pure, but both their mind and their conscience are defiled. 16 They profess to know God, but by their deeds they deny Him, being detestable and disobedient and worthless for any good deed.

We’ve Been Studying Confession for the Past 2 Weeks

It’s Essential for Us to Confess Our Sins & to Confess Our Allegiance to Jesus

Paul Told Titus that it’s Possible to Confess to Know God…

But then Deny Him By Our Actions

Confession of Allegiance to God is Important…

But it’s Worthless if Our Actions Don’t Back it Up

Our Good Deeds/Works Prove that Our Allegiance to Jesus is True

Our Actions Ought to Confess Our Allegiance to Jesus…

As Much as Our Words Do

We Need to Obey Our Confession of Allegiance to Jesus