What Must I Do?

Romans 10:10 - For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

This thing of confession can touch uncomfortable places in our minds and hearts. But don’t we know that confessing something helps take away the sting. Confessing especially to a particular individual over something one might have thought, said or felt is difficult, but liberating, like a burden has been removed from one’s heart. The air is cleared. But it is up to us to take the step to do this. No one else can remove that burden until we’ve spoken up.

I'm not only talking about our day to day life. I'm also talking about the confession of our faith in Jesus Christ.  It takes confession. It is our own responsibility to do this also. No one else can do it for us. When that confession is made, as I've said many other times in my blogs, a whole new world opens up, a world you cannot describe until it does. This is deeper than just acknowledging who Jesus is. That doesn’t count.

One thing that happens with this confession is the beginning of true knowledge...knowing the truth. Don’t we all want to know the truth that our sins are banished as far as the east is from the west...all because we have confessed Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It’s that simple, yet it must be heart felt.

We do not see a lot of confessing in the world. We see a lot of blaming and finger pointing. Personal responsibility is not always the first choice. Spare the embarrassment of being wrong. Replace it with the staunch belief that we have every right to do what we want, no matter what.

These days  a lot of confessing of Jesus Christ has disappeared too. In some countries one can be killed for this acknowledgment of Christ. In our country this confession is trying to be silenced...because for some the name of Jesus is offensive. These people are like the Pharisees, religious leaders in Jesus’ day.

To the Pharisees He was an offense. They could not see beyond their own beliefs. They were so focused on what they had been taught that they missed the very understanding of His words. His way of dealing with sinners and His words were viewed with disdain because they could not let go of their beliefs for a better way.

Hebrews 8:1 shows us that Jesus is the better way: We have such a High Priest, who is seated at the right hand of the throne of the Majesty in the heavens. Who is higher than a great High Priest and who sits at the right hand of His Heavenly Father? The Pharisees could not see Him this way. He did not look like that to them. They were blind, as I alluded to last week. It was spiritual blindness. They were so zeroed in on their own ideas of who their Messiah would be that they could not see Jesus, right before their eyes, being that Man. If He showed up today how many would recognize Him?

They would not allow themselves to confess He might be that Messiah they were waiting for, even though they knew the scriptures. They waited for a political messiah, one would would come to fight their natural enemies and set them free. They didn't understand the spiritual freedom that comes from their own sinful natures being forgiven...if only they would confess.

Jesus is trying to get our attention in these days. He doesn’t know exactly when His Father will have Him return, but He knows He will...and the signs of the times are very clear that it’s sooner than we might think. The Messiah will come and He will fight the enemy. But like Pogo said: we have seen the enemy and he is us. Some have believed the lies of our greatest enemy, satan (I will not capitalize his name!). The seemingly better way of the world is to sweep Jesus under a rug or attempt to remove any mention of Him. Get rid of the offense.

Every day we see more ugliness rearing it's head in the world...and here in the USA. But apart from what we see happening more quickly each day, there is an excitement and peace because it only means it is ushering in the last days and the return of Jesus. How do I know? "The Bible tells me so."

How can I feel a sense of peace? I know what Christ as done for me and what I’m saved from...the truth. That truth set me free more than twelve years ago. When I confessed Jesus is Lord I was saved. I was saved from the future wrath of the world and God. When I received Christ, acknowledged Him in our church one Sunday morning, and then again when I was water baptized, that was just the beginning of truth. All I once believed, the little falsities I had picked up along the way one by one gave way to truth.

I can't tell you how this happens other than confessing Jesus and receiving Him opens your spirit to receive another blessing, His Spirit, who according to scripture guides us in all truth (John 14:16-17, John 16:13).

God nudges daily. He speaks to people in so many ways. He can reach into the most hardened heart and turn it around, not only because that person has a desire to change but because of His strength through His Spirit. When a person confesses the name of Jesus, the Spirit begins His dwelling place within that person and begins to unravel the absolute truth of Jesus Christ.

This country and people in general cannot live without the power of God at the center of our lives. God is waiting for more eyes to open, more tongues to confess so that His truth will prevail. I think of the Battle Hymn of the Republic line that says, His truth is marching on. Our own preconceived ideas must give way to the truth of who He is.

Lord, I ask that You open the eyes of the blind that they might see You for who You really are. You are the One who saves. You are the One who brings peace and comfort in a messed up world...even in our own little worlds of disappointment, despair, hurt or anger. We don't understand exactly how You do it, but You do. Let the confession of Your name begin to grow. Draw more into Your Kingdom. Open blind eyes, set captives free, bring the peace that passes all understanding. I pray this quite openly in the name of Jesus.

I heard a woman the other day in Bible study say she had heard scriptures many times in the church she grew up in. She thought she understood them. It wasn’t until she received Jesus and confessed Him that those words took on a whole new meaning. Her blind eyes were opened. Like the Pharisees she thought she understood. Confess Jesus that the spiritual eyes of your understanding would be opened. Confess Jesus to be saved. Confess Jesus to be set free. The Pharisees knew all the laws, but they did not know Jesus. Because they rejected Him, His words and works He told them they would remain blind. They said they saw, but they did not.

For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame.” ...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. (Romans 10:11, 10:9)