Confession (4)
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In Tomb 3 Days & 3 Nights?
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
“Confession” = To Openly Admit or Take Ownership of Something
2 Main Types of “Confession” in the Scriptures:
Confessing Sin
Confessing Jesus
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
“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
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