Confessing the Lordship of Jesus

Confessing Christ Boldly

“Therefore, whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven.”(Matthew 10:32–33)

Confessing the Lordship of Jesus before men is not a matter of shame or fear. Yet, many Christians fear to publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour because of the fear of man.

Fear of Man in the Time of Jesus

Even during the time of Jesus, many believed in Him to be the Messiah but feared to confess Him openly because they were afraid of losing their position or being ostracised from the Jewish community.

A case in point: a man blind from birth received sight through the hands of Jesus. When the parents were asked to identify whether he was their son, they replied:

“We know this is our son and that he was born blind, but we don’t know how he can see or who healed him. Ask him. He is old enough to speak for himself.”(John 9:20–21)

They knew that it was Jesus who had healed their son. But they said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders, who had announced that anyone declaring Jesus as the Messiah would be expelled from the synagogue.

“That’s why they said, ‘He is old enough. Ask him.’”(John 9:22–23)

Hidden Believers

The Bible further tells us:

“Many people did believe in Him, however, including some of the Jewish leaders. But they wouldn’t admit it for fear that the Pharisees would expel them from the synagogue.”(John 12:42)

Why do people not publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour?

The Bible answers:

“For they loved human praise more than the praise of God.”(John 12:43)

Many times, when human approval seems more important than God’s approval, people fail to publicly acknowledge Jesus Christ as their Lord and Saviour.

The Fear of Man

Why do we fear the disapproval of others so much?

The Bible calls this the “fear of man.” The fear of man can immobilise us when we should take action and silence us when we should speak.

“The fear of man lays a snare, but whoever trusts in the Lord is safe.”(Proverbs 29:25)

The Hebrew word for “snare” refers to traps that hunters used to catch animals or birds. Snares are dangerous, and we must do all that we can to free ourselves.

Freedom from the Fear of Man

The good news is that God has the power to free us from the fear of man so that we can live safe and secure in the freedom He has provided through the perfect sacrifice of His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

Practical Steps to Overcome the Fear of Man

#1: Recognise and Repent

As soon as you recognise the fear of man in your life, confess it as sin to God and repent.

#2 Choose Obedience Over Fear

“We must obey God rather than men.”
(Acts 5:29)

Obedience calls for courage. Courage is not the absence of fear, but the resolve to obey despite what we feel.

#3 Pray for Boldness

Ask Him for grace and power to boldly and fearlessly proclaim Jesus Christ in all places at all times.

Bible Reading: 2 Samuel 12-13

Confessing the Lordship of Jesus

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