ONE CONFESSION SHOULD LEAD TO ANOTHER

When most of us hear the word "confess," we usually think of a criminal admitting to having broken man's law, to a police detective.  If one is Jewish or a Roman Catholic, the word "confess" brings to mind one admitting to having broken God's Law to a priest, so that he might intercede for him to God, whether he be a Jewish Priest (Lev. 5:5-6), or a Roman Catholic Priest.  In both cases, the person is acknowledging that he is subject to a higher authority, and that he is obligated to obey the "rules" of that authority.

Another use of the word "confess" has to do with declaring the identity of the authority to whom that individual has agreed to submit.  For instance, when we confess to be Americans, we are stating that we understand we are responsible for obeying "the law of the land."  The same is true for Christians:  when one confesses to being a believer in Christ, he is stating that he recognizes he is under the authority of Jesus (2 Tim. 2:19).  When he fails to live according to the Lord's will, he knows that he has disobeyed God's will for him at that point in time:  he has sinned. 

Here are some verses that explain what it means to confess Christ as Lord and Savior:   

Mt. 10:32-33 - "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before My Father which is in heaven.  But whosoever shall deny Me before men, him will I also deny before My Father which is in heaven."
Lk. 12:8-9 - "Also I say unto you, Whosoever shall confess Me before men, him shall the Son of Man also confess before the angels of God:  but he that denieth Me before men shall be denied before the angels of God."
Rom. 10:9-10 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.  For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."
Phil. 2:10-11 - "That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth; and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

Those who confess Jesus as Lord, ought to obey His authority!