Confessing or Professing? A few years ago, I heard of the Confessing Movement in the United Methodist Church. It is an evangelical organization supporting fundamental Biblical principles within Methodism. It got my attention and I wanted to learn more.
On a personal basis, even though I know I believe in the fundamentals of our faith and have been an adherent to our Wesleyan tradition, the very name of this movement caused me to look more deeply at what I really do believe and how I am going to live out that faith.
Confession is not just about believing a particular creed, but it also means acknowledging our faults. In a religious context, we think of it as admitting our sins. How much our church needs confession!
So many Christians have become so misguided and deceived that they cannot see that they are falling into sin. It seems almost politically incorrect to acknowledge the existence of sin.
We make mistakes, we make poor decisions, but sin? Our churches espouse the Love of God, how we are all valued and cherished. This is true, but we do not often hear a call to righteousness and repentance. As Christians we need not only to confess our beliefs, but I think, we need to bow as a body of believers and confess our sins to the Almighty.
Profession is very similar to confession in that one of its meanings is to admit what one believes, openly. Believers are here to proclaim the Gospel to anyone who will listen. Jesus told us to go into the whole world and that we should not be ashamed or upset if others reject the message. How many of us openly admit we are followers of Christ? If asked, we may say so, but often it has to be drawn out of us. We admit it, but not so openly.
Profession is also a synonym for occupation, our vocation or job, the work that we do every day. Jesus calls us to live for Him. God created us to give Him glory, honor and praise. Is it not our life’s work sharing that story and bringing others to Him?
The scriptures admonish us to confess Jesus as Lord, but I think we are also called to profess that in our actions and in our relationships. This is a professing movement as much as it is a Confessing Movement! It is not a matter of one or the other, but BOTH!
