Declaring our Faith
How you doing on your ABCs? Have you:
Admitted your sin?
Believed in His love?
Committed your life to him completely?
If so, we need to get to D which is to “Declare” our faith
Paul famously said: “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.” (Romans 10:9 NIV)
If you’ve made that commitment, don’t keep it to yourself! Declare it! Tell someone!
Tell a Fellow Christian
First, tell another Christian. A trusted Christian friend. Tell them with joy, and ask them to help you keep accountable. The support of your family in Christ is vital, so declare it to your brothers and sisters in Christ and journey with them - don’t try keep the commitment alone.
By the way, this is why we have our small groups and Bible studies in our churches - to find people to help us keep the commitment!
Tell a non-Christian
Second, tell a non-Christian. Tell someone who doesn’t know Jesus, tell them about his love. Share it with a co-worker, a friend, a family member, a stranger. Tell them how you discovered God’s love, and how it changed things for you.
Often, friends, this is the key to keep your passion alive. When you start sharing your faith, a new excitement comes in that wasn’t before!
Tell the Devil
Third, tell the devil. When you make that commitment, he is gonna come after you.
CW Ruth puts it this way: “Burglars will make a more determined effort to rob a mansion known to possess great wealth and riches, than they would to rob some vacant or dilapidated shack… When the soul becomes the custodian of heaven's riches, and becomes a multimillionaire in spiritual treasures… it should not be thought strange if the old thief would be found prowling about those premises; but the sanctified soul has improved safety devices, and more capital to run his business; more power of resistance.”
So the enemy is going to come at you if you make that commitment. He will start reminding you of your past, to make you beat yourself up. In which case you will declare, I am forgiven, and the blood of Jesus has cleansed me and forgiven me.
He will start saying ‘you’re gonna fall again’. In which case you’ll declare I’m more than a conqueror in Christ, He has given me power over sin.
He will start tempting you in all sorts of ways, and you’ll declare I am a servant of the most high God, and I will walk in holiness and purity in His strength.
Declare it friends! If you keep it to yourself, you will be weak. If you declare it, you will find strength to keep the commitment.
And so like Josiah, I hope you have renewed your vows to God this week!
