Text: 1 Timothy 6:11-14
“But flee from these things, you man of God, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, and gentleness. Fight the good fight of faith; take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and for which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses. I direct you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without fault or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.”
In his first letter to Timothy, Paul lays out a powerful charge to his protégé, a “man of God,” detailing not only what to flee from, but what to pursue. Central to this pursuit is the “good fight of faith,” intricately linked to a foundational concept: “the good confession.” This confession is not merely a rote recitation, but a dynamic, life-shaping declaration that defines the very essence of a believer’s walk.
Understanding “Confession”
To truly grasp the significance of “the good confession,” we must first understand the terms. The Greek verb for “confess” is homologeo, literally meaning “to say the same thing” or “to agree with.” Semantically, it conveys admitting, agreeing with, or openly declaring. The noun form, homologia, signifies an open declaration or admission of one’s personal belief or conviction.
In the Bible, “confess” primarily carries two crucial usages:
- To admit to a sin that has been committed: We see this in 1 John 1:9-10, where we are assured that “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous, so that He will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” This act of admission is seen throughout Scripture, from the people confessing their sins to John the Baptist in Mark 1:5 to the Ephesian believers in Acts 19:17-18, “confessing and disclosing their practices.”
- To declare something to be true: Paul, in Acts 24:14, states, “But I confess this to you, that in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and is written in the Prophets.” Here, confession is an affirmation of belief.
So, what then is “the good confession”? It is your personal acknowledgment of who Jesus Christ is, and crucially, it is your public declaration of that personal acknowledgment.
The Missing Confession in Modern Christianity
A genuinely “good confession” often seems lacking in today’s churches. While many readily speak of God’s goodness and the blessings they’ve received, we rarely hear new and even long-standing believers declaring who Jesus is to them and how they have come to acknowledge His Lordship in their lives. Worse still, some preachers, Bible teachers, and ministers may have never personally witnessed Christ to non-believers and seen a single soul converted through their testimony.
This deficiency likely stems from several reasons:
- Many individuals become Christians primarily attracted by the allure of blessings, good things, and personal benefits, rather than a deep conviction about Christ’s Lordship.
- Many church members today grew up within the church, assuming their Christian identity from childhood without a distinct moment of personal confession and conversion.
My objective is to underscore the vital importance of having that good confession for you as a believer and follower of Jesus Christ.
Your Confession: An Expression of Genuine Conversion
True conversion fundamentally begins with a confession. As seen with John the Baptist in Mark 1:4-5, people came to him “confessing their sins.” This is an admission of sin and sinful living, an acknowledgment of one’s insufficiency to produce the righteousness God requires, and ultimately, an admission of Christ’s Lordship over one’s life.
A true confession is a faith declaration; it is not merely a formulated statement to be recited. Romans 10:8-10 powerfully states: “But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.”
Your Confession: A Revelation from God
Your confession unequivocally demonstrates that Christ has been revealed to you. Consider Jesus’ exchange with Peter in Matthew 16:15-18: “He said to them, “But who do you yourselves say that I am?” Simon Peter answered, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” And Jesus said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Barjona, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.”
True revelation is never learned through human effort; it is received directly from God. It is not the product of human study or research. How does God reveal Christ to us? Through Jesus Christ Himself, through the Word of God, and, crucially, by the Spirit of God. As 1 Corinthians 12:3 declares, “no one can say, “Jesus is Lord,” except by the Holy Spirit.”
The most important revelation from God is the knowledge of who Jesus is, because when we come to know Jesus, we come to know God Himself. Our understanding of complex biblical mysteries will not matter until we have attained the foundational knowledge of Christ. Furthermore, true revelation is not varied; it is the same for everyone. To confess means to say or declare the same thing, to agree with. To confess is to affirm what has already been divinely declared, and the standard of true revelation is always the Scriptures—not man’s interpretation. No true revelation will ever contradict what is clearly stated in the Bible.
Your Confession: Determining Your Fight of Faith
Returning to 1 Timothy 6:11-14, we see that our confession directly determines our “fight of faith.” What is this fight? It is the pursuit of eternal life through the life that God has set for us in His Word. The fight of faith is “taking hold of eternal life.” It is a “good fight” because it is righteous and ultimately rewarding.
Your fight of faith began the day you confessed your sin and your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. If you haven’t made that confession yet, your “Christian practices” are, frankly, worth nothing in the eyes of eternity. Your fight of faith is shaped around and determined by your confession.
Consider Paul’s example in Acts 24:14-16: “But I confess this to you, that in accordance with the Way, which they call a sect, I do serve the God of our fathers, believing everything that is in accordance with the Law and is written in the Prophets; having a hope in God, which these men cherish themselves, that there shall certainly be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. In view of this I also do my best to maintain a blameless conscience both before God and before other people, always.” Paul’s life and ministry were profoundly shaped by what he confessed as his personal understanding of God’s plan for his life.
Think also of Abraham, Sarah, Isaac, and Jacob (Hebrews 11:13-16). They “died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen and welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers and exiles on the earth.” Their confession as “strangers and exiles” meant they lived as pilgrims, looking for a better, heavenly country. The fight of faith is a consistent, daily, unwavering pursuit of the promise of God from beginning to end!
Conclusion: Hold Firmly to Your Confession
Paul reminded Timothy what he was fighting for, urging him to remember his good confession. Have you declared the good confession since you became a believer? Do you remember how you confessed Christ in your life before many witnesses?
We are called to hold firmly to our confession. As Paul directed Timothy in 1 Timothy 6:13-14, “I direct you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate, that you keep the commandment without fault or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ.” The author of Hebrews reiterates this call: “Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let’s hold firmly to our confession.” (Hebrews 4:14), and again, “Let’s hold firmly to the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful;” (Hebrews 10:23).
Your confession will ultimately be your deliverance one day. Recall Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego before King Nebuchadnezzar, whose confession – “the God whom we serve is able to save us from the fire…” – led to their miraculous deliverance.
Sadly, some Christians become backslidden because they lack a clear confession to hold onto. Others have simply forgotten or let go of their confession. Therefore, let us heed the exhortation in Hebrews 12:12-14: “Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is impaired may not be dislocated, but rather be healed. Pursue peace with all people, and the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.”
Let your good confession be the unwavering anchor of your faith, the guiding star of your pursuit of eternal life, and the very strength by which you fight the good fight.
