When Jesus was with His disciples in Caesarea Philippi, He asked them who men were saying that He the Son of Man is. They answered that some believe He was John the Baptist, Elijah, Jeremiah, or one of the prophets. He then asked who they thought He was. Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” (Matthew 16:16).
Peter made the good confession about Jesus. He knew and confessed that Jesus was more than just a good man or a prophet of God. Peter acknowledged that Jesus is the Son of God. This confession is both a part of our salvation and our daily lives as Christians.
Confession is needed for Salvation.
The apostle Paul wrote, “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. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (Romans 10:9-10).
The confession that we believe that Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God is absolutely essential for our salvation. Jesus said that if we confess His name before men, He will confess our name before the Father. If we deny Him before men, we will also be denied by Him before the Father. (Luke 12:8-9).
We typically take one’s confession prior to baptism. This is in keeping with the example of the Ethiopian we read of in Acts chapter eight. However, it must equally be understood that confessing Christ before men is not just a one-time event. Rather, it is a continual practice we do throughout our lives.
Confession is needed in our daily lives.
We confess our faith that Jesus is the Son of God in a couple of different ways. The most common way is vocally. When someone asks about our faith in Jesus, we should unashamedly confess our faith before them (cf. 1 Peter 3:15). However, you do not have to wait to be asked about your faith in Christ. When we truly believe in Christ and His teaching permeates our lives, then our faith will naturally be manifested through our regular conversations.
The second way we confess Christ is through our actions. How often do we see those who say they believe in Christ and yet live a life reflective of an atheist? It does not take long for others to see through the fog of what one says verses how one lives. Therefore, the life we live must reflect Jesus. John wrote, “He who says he abides in Him ought himself also to walk just as He walked.” (1 John 2:6)
As we live our lives, may we be like Peter who was quick, bold, and unashamed to confess that Jesus is the Christ the Son of Almighty God.
God Bless each of you,
Eric Hicks