Confess That Jesus Is The Son of God
Minister: |
Rev. Ronald Van Overloop |
Date: |
6/7/2009 PM
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Text:
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I John 4:15
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Psalters: |
128, 69, 249, 383 |
Confession of Faith |
- The beautiful confession.
- To ?confess? is to say the same thing as another, to agree with (often with the Holy Spirit).
- It is to declare openly, to speak out freely about that which one is convinced and which he holds to be true.
- Our calling is to confess Jesus before men (Matt. 10:32).
- That ?Jesus is the Son of God.?
- This is a confessional matter for the Christian church: Nicean, Anthanasian, and Belgic (Articles 9 & 10).
- Jews and modern cults deny Jesus being very God.
- To say that Jesus is the Son of God is to say that He is God (cf. Caiaphas? reaction, Matt. 26:63).
- Confer 5:5,20 along with Romans 9:5 and I Tim. 3:16.
- Divine names, attributes, works, and honors are attributed to Jesus.
- The significance of His being God.
- First, it means that He always is; and that after His incarnation He remained very God (cf. 2).
- Further, this explains His ability to bear the full wrath of God for our sins and to deliver us from it completely.
- The significance is that ?God dwelleth in him, and he in God.?
- The meaning: ?dwell? is to remain or abide, to sojourn and speaks of unbroken fellowship, a constant presence.
- Objectively, the ability to obey God?s call to confess that Jesus is the Son of God is because the Spirit dwells in him, enabling you to believe and confess this truth.
- Subjectively.
- Negatively, if one does not confess Jesus to be Lord, then they are going to be without God in the world.
- Positively, Jesus dwells in you (John 6:56; 15:4; I John 3:24; 4:13,16) you are said to dwell or abide in Christ.
- And you are in God (this is the same as to know God - 2:3).
- It is to have intimate fellowship with Him through Jesus, and thus to be safe and secure in the life of God.
- It is to live in Him, for fellowship with the living God is not static, but an active relationship that endures.