Have you confessed your faith today? Part of the rite of confirmation in the Lutheran church is making a public confession of what you believe. But this is not something that is done but once in a lifetime. The Old Testament believers made public confessions of their faith. In the book of Nehemiah, Ezra the priest instructed God’s people in the Law of Moses. Confirmed in God’s word the people made their confession. This confession is written in Nehemiah 9:5-37. A beautiful section of Scripture where God’s people confessed what they had learned; how God had created all things, what God had done for the Israelites, how the Israelites had turned away, how God had compassion and mercy on them, how God is mighty and awesome and keeps his covenant of love.

Then the assembly of God’s people publicly made a promise to follow the word of God, to obey the commands of the Lord found in Nehemiah 10:29-39. Isn’t this much like our confirmation practice today? We instruct our children or adults in God’s Word so they know who God is, who we are and what God in his mercy and compassion has done to save us. After instruction they receive the opportunity to publicly confess what they believe and like believers of old, make promises (with the help of God, through the Means of Grace) to obey God’s word and not deny or fall away from faith.

Have you confessed your faith today? Confirmation is not a one-time deal. Our lives should be a constant confirmed confession. The Apostle Paul wrote to the Christians in Rome, “if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.” Romans 10:9,10

Faith and confession go hand in hand. Are you living according to the promises you made at your confirmation? Our Lord calls us to repentance and renewal. There’s no time like the present to remember what God has done in Jesus. There’s no time like the present to confess our faith and renew the promise to live by God’s Word. There’s no better time than now for our constant confirmed confession of Jesus Christ.

Keep Christ First! 

Pastor Chris Christenson