“You are the Christ.” Matthew 16:16
Confessing faith in Jesus does not mean that you have your whole life sorted out—that you never have doubts and that all your questions are answered. What it does mean is that you embrace Jesus as your teacher, your savior, and your master.
Your teacher
Embracing Jesus as your teacher means that you give up your right to disagree with Him. When you commit to learning from Jesus, you are saying, “Jesus, your teaching in the Bible is my creed. Even when I do not fully understand what You are saying, and even when what You call me to do is difficult and costly, I will obey.”
Your savior
Embracing Jesus as your savior means you give up any other hope of saving yourself. When you trust Jesus to save you, you are saying, “I fall short of what You call me to be, and becoming what God calls me to be is beyond my ability. So, I look to You to give me what I do not have.”
Your master
Embracing Jesus as your master means that you give up the right to rule your own life. You recognize the right of Jesus Christ to direct you in whatever way He chooses: “You are the King who calls me into your service. So, I place myself entirely at your disposal, knowing that in giving up my life to You, I will find it.”
Confessing that Jesus is the Christ does not mean you do all these things perfectly. No one is a perfect Christian. But it does mean that these are the commitments of your life. And they are non-negotiable.
This is what it means to confess that Jesus is the Christ. Will you join Peter and the great company of all who believe by confessing faith in Jesus today?
