CONFESSING JESUS
09th Nov 2016
In August 2003, the very last Three Tenors Concert took place in Bath. It was a free concert given to the city by a millionaire who has just purchased the Water Company. As he introduced the concert he spoke of the Christian heritage of the city, and also confessed that he has a personal faith in God. We were there and were thrilled to hear this confession.
However, a short time later we were in touch with the man God used to lead this man to personal faith in Jesus, and he was not pleased! He had written to this generous millionaire telling him that to speak about his faith without mentioning the name of Jesus was a grave mistake. When we say God it can refer to any god. We later received a typescript of his testimony given on another occasion that clearly rectified this earlier omission.
This incident came into my mind as I was reading 1 John 4:15 in the Message, “Everyone who confesses that Jesus is God’s Son participates in an intimate relationship with God.” The use of the name of Jesus has diminished in recent times, speaking only about God is nebulous and makes our connection less intimate. How do you express your faith when you give your testimony? Do you tell of the way you surrendered your life to Jesus and made Him the Lord of your life?
The crowd in Acts 3 were amazed by the healing of the crippled man at the Gate Beautiful and Peter needed to explain what had happened. “By faith in the name of Jesus this man whom you see and know was made strong. It is Jesus’ name and the faith that comes through him that has given this complete healing to him, as you all can see.” (v16)
Salvation is in the name of Jesus, healing is by the power of the Name of Jesus, at the name of Jesus the powers of darkness are defeated. Paul spoke to the fortune telling girl in Philippi, “In the name of Jesus I command you to come out of her.” (Acts 16:18) She was immediately set free, the town was in uproar, the Name of Jesus had changed everything.
by Charles Sibthorpe
