Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believes to righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. 1. There must be no confession where there is not a believing. To profess what you have not, is to make yourself a deceptive trader, who pretends to be carrying on a very large business, while he has no stock and no capital. To make a profession, without having a possession, is to be a cloud without rain — a river-bed without water, a mere play-actor, a rotten tree, green on the outside, but inwardly, as Bunyan puts it, "only fit to be tinder for the devil's tinder-box." 2. True faith, however, produces works; and, among the rest, confession of Christ. Faith, without works, is a dead root., yielding no fruit; a well filled with deadly vapour; a tree twice dead, plucked up by the roots, like some of those forest monsters which block up the navigation of the Mississippi, upon which many a goodly vessel has been wrecked. As you are to flee from profession without faith, so equally flee from a faith which does not bring forth a good profession. I. TO CONFESS CHRIST WITH THE MOUTH EMBRACES THE WHOLE LIFE-WORK OF THE CHRISTIAN. It consists in — 1. Uniting in acts of public worship. As soon almost as the two distinct seeds of the woman and of the serpent were discernible, "Then began men to call upon the name of the Lord," while those who feared not God went away to their various occupations. When Jeroboam set up the calves at Bethel, the act of standing with the multitude around the courts of the temple was a distinct confession of allegiance to Jehovah. In the apostolic times, those who believed were constant in the apostle's doctrine, and in breaking of bread, and in prayer. In the early Christian days, you may see a picture something like this: There is a low arch, like the opening of a sewer. Yonder comes a maiden, who stoops beneath and emerges into one of the catacombs of Rome. A torch renders darkness visible, and some watchful brother observes her; asks for her pass-word. Her being there proves her a Christian. She would not have been there to worship God among those pariahs of society if she had not loved the Lord. Very much so was it in later times. When the Lollard preached to the handful in some remote farmhouse, with a watcher outside; or in the days of the Covenant, while the dragoons of Claver-house were scenting out their prey, you might be clear that they were for the Lord of Hosts, who met at peril of their lives. To-day it is so to very few. There are some, perhaps, whose husband's last words were, "If you go to church you will never enter my house again"; but it is not so with nine hundred and ninety-nine out of a thousand. We mingle together saint and sinner. And if this were the only profession, it would not fulfil the intention of my text. In persecuting times it would; but now it is little or no confession to most of us to sit comfortably in our seats and listen to the preacher, and then go our way. 2. A dutiful attention to those two ordinances which are intended by Christ to be the distinctive badge of believers. Under the old Mosaic dispensation, ordinances were only for Israelites. And under the Christian dispensation there are no ordinances for aliens. The Ethiopian travelled all the way from the realm of Candace, in order that he might be present at the distinctive worship of the Jew. You remember how carefully the heads of the Jewish houses were that they and all their children were present at the passover. (1) Baptism is the mark of distinction between the Church and the world. It is the crossing of the Rubicon. (2) The Lord's Supper sets forth the distinction of the believer from the world in his life and that by which his life is nourished. (3) Both these ordinances bring a cross with them to some degree, especially the first. 3. An association with the Lord's people. It was so in the olden times. Moses may, if he wilts, live in the court of Pharaoh, but he counts the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt. What a touching illustration of this point we have in Ruth 1:16, 17. We find in the early Church, that as soon as a man became a Christian, he went to his own company. Paul was not content with being baptized; and wherever there were people of God, they were always formed into a Church. Those who speak lightly of Church fellowship do mischief. Suppose, instead of the compact phalanx of this one Church, we were broken into individual Christians, some of the warmest-hearted among you would grow cold; the little ones among us would be subjected to false doctrine; while even the strongest here would feel it to be a most solemn bereavement. 4. The taking up of the cross in the family. It may be you are the first one converted. You pray, and there is a ringing laugh within the walls. Persevere! for now it is that you are to make confession unto salvation. Your faith cannot save you unless you say, "I cannot love father or mother more than Christ." This is hard; but remember the example of your Lord, for whom you do it. 5. Bearing witness in time of temptation. Young Joseph's answer was, "How can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?" The case of Nehemiah is equally to the point. "Can such a man as I flee?" Christian, some dirty trick in business comes in your way. Now, play the man, and say, "I would rather starve than do it." On a Sabbath morning, when you are invited to waste its holy hours, say, "No, I am a Christian." 6. Testifying whenever we are called into trial for Christ's sake. Remember the three Hebrew children, Daniel, Peter, and John. I have noticed that whenever men are likely to lose anything for Christ, that the most timid generally come out at that time. You do not hear of Joseph of Arimathaea while Jesus lives. But when Christ's body is on the Cross he begs His body. And who shall help to wrap Him in spices? Why, Nicodemus, that came to Jesus Christ by night. The stag flies before the hounds, but when it comes to bay, fights with the bravery of desperation. Erasmus said he was not made of the right stuff to be a martyr. So the papists picture him as hanging somewhere between heaven and hell. He had knowledge of the truth, but he had not the courage to avow it; while Luther smote the triple crown upon the Pope's brow. "If the Lord be God, follow Him,"etc. 7. The going out of one's way at times to bear testimony. "Who is on the Lord's side? let him come unto me." Every now and then we shall not be able to confess Christ, unless we do something that shall seem harsh and strange. Surely, God's Elijahs cannot be silent while thousands of Baal's priests are kindling their fires. We shall find it needful to intrude upon the dainties of etiquette, and, like the prophet who came to Bethel, we shall have to cry against altars at which others pay their vows. 8. The using of our position as a method of confession. Joshua is the head of a household. tie uses that position: "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." Let the family altar be reared. You have influence, perhaps, where you can help Christ's Church. Esther came to the kingdom "for such a time as this." Some of you are large employers, or members of Parliament. All that influence is so much money given to you to put out to interest for your Lord. 9. Preaching. There are some of you who have ability to speak. You can talk upon politics and science; but if you love Jesus, are you going to give all your attention to these inferior themes? You tell me you are nervous. Never mind. If you break down half a dozen times, try again; you shall find your talents increase. This confession, then, is a life-work. The Christian man is to be something like a physician. There is a brass plate on his door and a big bell. How else does he profess to be a physician? You do not see a box of lancets hanging at his side, nor see him dress in a peculiar costume. His profession is carried on by his practice. This is how a Christian's profession is to be carried on. When we went to school we drew houses, horses, and trees, and used to write "house" under the house, etc., for some persons might have thought the horse was a house. So there are some people who need to wear a label round their necks to show they are Christians, or else we might mistake them for sinners. Avoid that. Let your profession be manifest by your practice. II. DO NOT EXCUSE YOURSELF FROM THIS, FOR NO EXCUSE WILL BE VALID. You will lose your business! Lose it, and gain your soul, and you will be unfashionable! What is it to be fashionable? You will be despised by those who love you! Do you love husband or wife more than Christ? If so, you are not worthy of Him. But you are so timid! Mind you are not so timid as to be lost at last, for the fearful and unbelieving shall have their portion in the lake that burneth. In the silence of the sick or dying hour, no excuse, however specious it may appear today, will answer your conscience: and if so answer your conscience, depend upon if it will not satisfy God, Conclusion: 1. Remember how dishonourable it is to say you believe, and yet not to make confession. You are like a rat behind the wainscot, coming out just now and then when nobody is looking, and then running behind again. What! is Christ to be treated as if His name were a thing to be avowed in holes and corners? No, in the face of the sun let it be said, "I do love Jesus, who gave Himself for me." He died in the face of the sun, with mockers round about Him; and with mockers round about us let us declare our faith in Him. 2. How honourable will the confession be to you. If I had to join an army, and found for my comrades the scrapings of the street, I do not think I should like to be a soldier; but if I found my colonel a great conqueror, and that I had for compeers men who had won renown, I should feel honoured by being allowed to be a drummer-boy. So when I read the list, and find Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Moses, David, Daniel, Isaac, Jesus Christ Himself, the apostles, Luther, Calvin, etc., I count it an honour if my name shall be found written with theirs, as the humblest soldier in the army. 3. I urge this upon you, because it will make you useful. A secret Christian is a candle under a bushel, salt without savour. 4. Grace is sufficient. If grace put you upon a pinnacle of the temple, depend upon it, grace will keep you there. 5. The reward is splendid. "He that confesseth Me before men, him will I confess before My Father which is in heaven." There was once a prince who journeyed into a distant part of the king's dominions, where he was little known and cared for. The people said, "This is the heir; let us insult him." Others said he was no heir at all. And they agreed to set him in the pillory. As he stood there they said, "Who dare acknowledge, and stand by him?" One from the crowd, who said, "I dare!" they set side by side with the prince; and when they threw their filth on or spoke hard words of the prince and him, he stood there, smiling, and received it all. Years went by, the king came into those dominions and subdued them; and there came a day of triumph. The prince came to the gates, and the traitors all bound in chains stood before him trembling. He singled out from among the crowd one man only, and he said to the traitors, "Know ye this man? He stood with me in that day when ye treated me with scorn. He shall stand with me in the day of my glory. Come up hither!" And the poor, despised citizen of that rebellious city rode through the streets side by side with his king. This is the parable. Live it out! (C. H. Spurgeon.) Parallel Verses KJV: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. |
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