THE CHILDREN'S CONFESSION

It may not be realised that in the Scriptures things that are good are confessed to more than things that are evil. Moreover, even when sins are owned up to, the result is forgiveness and blessing, the rare exceptions proving the need of forsaking as well as confessing them. As believers on the Lord Jesus Christ the shed blood "atones" for our sins by giving a perfect and eternal 'cover' for them. Also, on repentance, our sins are "remitted" in His name which means that they are 'sent away' because they no longer belong to us, Jesus having borne them. But by confession to God against whom we have sinned we know that they are "forgiven" and discover new depths of love in His heart. What a Saviour Jesus is!

In the New Testament we read of "the good confession" made by the Lord and also by Timothy. Jesus, being God though in human form, could bear witness to His own Person. Timothy however confessed the name of the Lord before many witnesses some of whom no doubt taunted and persecuted him for it. But he had an honour that you may have in confessing Him before men. Jesus said, "I also will confess him before my Father who is in the heavens". What a large number of names must echo around heaven every day! During the persecutions of Christians in Rome they had to "confess with their mouth Jesus as Lord" before the judges. In God's searchless ways it may have meant suffering for them, but salvation of their souls.

Confessing the Lord is also a means of bringing others into salvation. One night at Gibraltar a Christian soldier was on guard at one end of a rock-tunnel. He was thinking about the joy of having been redeemed when suddenly he was challenged by an officer for the password. "The precious blood of Christ" he answered without realising it but, immediately correcting himself, he gave the required word. The officer, amazed, passed on but the words had echoed right down the tunnel to a soldier standing guard at the other end. He was under conviction of sin and thinking about his own misery but he found peace through that text of scripture. What does it mean to you?

J.C.Evershed