Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called when you made your good confession in the presence of many witnesses. 1 Timothy 6:12 (NIV)
When Paul talks about Timothy’s “good confession” he is pointing to a specific time, remembered by many people, when Timothy confessed faith in Jesus Christ. This most likely would have been his baptism.
“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” (Rom. 10:9). From the earliest times, people made this confession at baptism: “Jesus is Lord.” Timothy made this confession, and a large crowd of people heard it.
A Christian is a person who has reached a conclusion about Jesus Christ. Christians are in process about many things. We are in the process over holiness, and repentance, and spiritual growth, and overcoming temptation, and prayer, but we are not in process over who Jesus is.
We stand with Peter when he said to Jesus, “You are the Christ” (Matt. 16:16). We stand with Thomas when he bowed before Jesus and said, “My Lord and my God” (John 20:28). We stand with the whole church in every place and every age confessing that “Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father” (Phil. 2:11). A confession of faith is more than an opinion. It’s like vows in marriage, or like receiving citizenship of a country.
If you are God’s man, or God’s woman, you don’t start each day wondering who you are, why you are here, or who you belong to. You belong to Jesus—united with Him in His death and resurrection. You have made a confession. That means you no longer live for yourself, but for Christ, who died for you and was raised to life.
When did you make your good confession: “Jesus is Lord”? If you have, remember who you are—God’s man, God’s woman. If you haven’t yet, who could you share it with? What would keep you from being baptized?
