Our Faith and Our Confession (Ever-Increasing Faith, part 20)

Intro

Text - 2 Cor 4.13-14

2 Corinthians 4:13–14 NKJV

13 And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, “I believed and therefore I spoke,” we also believe and therefore speak, 14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.

Title - Ever-Increasing Faith (Part 2)

Subject - Faith and Confession

Opening Questions

what do we know about the confession?

kumpisal - RCC

admission of sin or guilt

biblical definition

grk homologia/homologeo - to speak the same thing

to acknowledge something to be true and real

a confession is a declaration of what one believes

Interesting ideas about confession

a confession is really faith that is “heard” (with some exemption)

“we beleive, therfore we speak”

your relationship with God was established when you confessed before God

confession of your sins

confession of your faith in the Son of God

Romans 10:8–10 NKJV

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 preach): 9 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. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

therefore - a person that is truly “saved” should have no problem confessing his/her faith to others

Problems with people’s confessions today -

negative confessions - fears, worries, negative expressions

emotional confessions - instead of “faith”

so-called “positive” confessions - benefits only the emotion and the flesh

The Main Point

A person that is truly saved must have a confession of what he/she believes to be true.

God desires it - that we declare His truth in the hearing of those around of us!

it benefits us -

it reminds us of God’s truth by which we live

it elevates our faith to expect greater things from God as our understanding of His word deepens

Confession is faith that is heard

because we confess what we believe in our hearts

believing takes place in the heart

confession takers place in the mouth

a genuine confession is a revelation from God

a declaration of something that has been made clear as if for the first time

Peter: You are the Christ, the Son fo the Living God!

Thomas: My Lord and my God!

a genuine confession is move of the Holy Spirit

the prophets “spoke” as they were moved by the Holy Spirit

Peter was moved by the Holy Spirit

1 Corinthians 12:3 NKJV

3 Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and no one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit.

There is such a thing as a ‘good’ confession and a ‘bad’ confession

1 Timothy 6:12–14 NKJV

12 Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 13 I urge you in the sight of God who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate, 14 that you keep this commandment without spot, blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ’s appearing,

it was a good defense or witnessing of the faith

A good confession is “truthful” - true to its nature;

(a bad confession is hypocritical)

Matthew 15:7–8 NKJV

7 Hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy about you, saying: 8 ‘These people draw near to Me with their mouth, And honor Me with their lips, But their heart is far from Me.

the Pharisees were not truthful

Psalm 19:14 NKJV

14 Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart Be acceptable in Your sight, O Lord, my strength and my Redeemer.

it is a good confession when the words spoken matches the meditation of the heart!

Jesus’ confession

John 18:33–37 NKJV

33 Then Pilate entered the Praetorium again, called Jesus, and said to Him, “Are You the King of the Jews?” 34 Jesus answered him, “Are you speaking for yourself about this, or did others tell you this concerning Me?” 35 Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered You to me. What have You done?” 36 Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If My kingdom were of this world, My servants would fight, so that I should not be delivered to the Jews; but now My kingdom is not from here.” 37 Pilate therefore said to Him, “Are You a king then?” Jesus answered, “You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice.”

Jesus identified His kingdom

Jesus affirmed His kingship

Jesus recognized the purpose of His earthly existence

One of these days, we will have to bear witness to the truth ABOUT OURSELVES!

A good confession is “bold” - confident and courageous

(a bad confession is cowardly)

Jesus’s second appearance before Pontius Pilate

John 19:7–12 NKJV

7 The Jews answered him, “We have a law, and according to our law He ought to die, because He made Himself the Son of God.” 8 Therefore, when Pilate heard that saying, he was the more afraid, 9 and went again into the Praetorium, and said to Jesus, “Where are You from?” But Jesus gave him no answer. 10 Then Pilate said to Him, “Are You not speaking to me? Do You not know that I have power to crucify You, and power to release You?” 11 Jesus answered, “You could have no power at all against Me unless it had been given you from above. Therefore the one who delivered Me to you has the greater sin.” 12 From then on Pilate sought to release Him, but the Jews cried out, saying, “If you let this Man go, you are not Caesar’s friend. Whoever makes himself a king speaks against Caesar.”

Pilate treathened Jesus with his authority

Jesus boldly declared the limits of Pilates authority!

a good confession is a courageous stand against the powers in this world, trusting cofidently in the power of God!

the 3 Jews before Nebuchadnezzar

Daniel 3:15–18 NKJV

15 Now if you are ready at the time you hear the sound of the horn, flute, harp, lyre, and psaltery, in symphony with all kinds of music, and you fall down and worship the image which I have made, good! But if you do not worship, you shall be cast immediately into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is the god who will deliver you from my hands?” 16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-Nego answered and said to the king, “O Nebuchadnezzar, we have no need to answer you in this matter. 17 If that is the case, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and He will deliver us from your hand, O king. 18 But if not, let it be known to you, O king, that we do not serve your gods, nor will we worship the gold image which you have set up.”

these Jews boldly refused the highest authority in the world at that time!

the confessions of the apostles

the apostles - Acts 2

Stephen - Acts 7

Our confession manifests our increasing faith

Matthew 12:45 NKJV

45 Then he goes and takes with him seven other spirits more wicked than himself, and they enter and dwell there; and the last state of that man is worse than the first. So shall it also be with this wicked generation.”

“treasure” - grk thesauros, treasury, supplies, storeroom

our heart is a ‘storeroom’ of good things

whenever we speak, we are bringing out things from our treasury

the more good things we have in our treasury, the more good things we declare!

1 Corinthians 1:4–5 NKJV

4 I thank my God always concerning you for the grace of God which was given to you by Christ Jesus, 5 that you were enriched in everything by Him in all utterance and all knowledge,

God enriches us with words to speak and knowledge to share!

Abraham’s faith and confession

It started as simple obedience

his confessions grew with his faith

I will not receive anything from the hand of man

i will buy from you all i need

Hebrews 11:8–16 NKJV

By faith Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to the place which he would receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. By faith he dwelt in the land of promise as in a foreign country, dwelling in tents with Isaac and Jacob, the heirs with him of the same promise; for he waited for the city which has foundations, whose builder and maker is God. By faith Sarah herself also received strength to conceive seed, and she bore a child when she was past the age, because she judged Him faithful who had promised. Therefore from one man, and him as good as dead, were born as many as the stars of the sky in multitude—innumerable as the sand which is by the seashore. These all died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them afar off were assured of them, embraced them and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. For those who say such things declare plainly that they seek a homeland. And truly if they had called to mind that country from which they had come out, they would have had opportunity to return. But now they desire a better, that is, a heavenly country. Therefore God is not ashamed to be called their God, for He has prepared a city for them.

Conclusion

Where do we start?

begin with the Scriptures - declare God’s words

over your life - “it is written”

in your prayers

in your conversations

seek God’s directive will

Jesus understopd the Father’s will in His life

Arabahm understood God’s plan for his life

SONG