THE POWER IN A CONFESSION
John 12:42-43 NKJV
42 Nevertheless even among the rulers many believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess Him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue; 43 for they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.
This is a fascinating passage. In this passage, we see the power behind confession. Confession, meaning verbalizing what you believe.
Many of the rulers of the Jews believed in Jesus. They believed He was from God. They may have believed that He was the Messiah that Israel had longed for. They believed Jesus was the real deal, but they would not say it. They would not come out and say that Jesus was the Son of God; that Jesus was the Christ. They believed it but wouldn't say a word.
Why? Fear and love. The fear of being put out of the synagogue. The Pharisees, who evidently had the ultimate power to decide who stayed and who went, were calling the shots. And the Pharisees said anyone confessing, speaking out loud, that Jesus was the Christ would be thrown out of the synagogue. And the synagogue was the system that the rulers lived in. All their networks stemmed from the synagogue. For many, the synagogue represented their power. No synagogue, no power. So even though they believed in Jesus, they were afraid to say so.
The other reason was that the rulers loved the praise of men more than the praise of God. The opinions of men meant more to them than what God thought. And even though the system they operated in was supposedly all about God, it was man oriented. And that is the way religion works. What men think. What those in the know think is the most important thing. So even though these rulers professed to love God, it was the praise of men that they loved more. So they said nothing about Jesus.
APPLICATION
There is something powerful that takes place when someone confesses Jesus as Lord and Savior. First, God does something in them. When someone believes in their heart and confesses with their mouth, they are saved according to Romans 10:9-10. This is why we pray our YES prayer at the close of every service. We want people to believe, and we want them to confess with their mouth.
Even though it is easy to take for granted, there is power in our words. A confession of Jesus as Christ would have resulted in the rulers being kicked out of the synagogue. God would have been pleased, and the rulers would have been living true to their beliefs. Confession would have identified them with the Messiah. Confession would have resulted in a life change.
Our confession, speaking what we believe, is powerful. It links us to our beliefs in a more powerful way. And yes, it may get you removed from certain circles, but God will be pleased. And the life change that takes place when we link our words up with our heart is amazing. So speak what you believe about Jesus and what He has done for you. Don't keep your beliefs bottled up; give voice to them. That is when your beliefs take on a more powerful role in your life. And God is pleased.
PRAYER
Lord, I believe in You and what You have done for me. I am not ashamed to identify with You in my heart and in my words. Pleasing You is greater than any fear I have about what people think.