The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-01-08
THE GOOD CONFESSION
AND TIE GOOD OF IT

| Pastor Edwards of the Christian
| church preached on the above topic
yesterday, the following being a sum
mary of his discourse:
| In I. Tim, 6:12, Paul speaks of a
| good confession which Timothy made
before many witnesses. Let us ask,
| first, what was the good confession re-
| ferred to? In the next verse Paul
says that Christ witnessed to the same
before PLATE. Harking back to Jno.,
1877 and 1887, we learn it is that
Christ is King, Messiah, the Son of
| God. This is the good confession made
by Peter Matt, 1910, demanded by
Christ Matt, 10:32), and urged by
his apostles (Rom., 1919; Phil, 2:9; I.
Jno., Az and AIS, Jno., 20:30; Acts,
SAP, s:37, 9:22, 1872, 1875, 1929.
But what is the good of this confess
sion. That it is established, demanded,
urged and salvation conditioned upon
it will be sufficient for the man who
stops with a scriptural statement.
However, there is nothing arbitrary in
redemption. Therefore, 1 ask what are
the reasons back of the requirement
which justify it? I shall cite three
chief reasons:
L. In the confession itself. Tt sus-
tains a sense of right relations and
thereby preserves order. The sun, as
the center of our solar system, is no
more necessary to the preservation of
all the parts in their places than Is
this great central fact of Christ s SON.
ship necessary to our religious thought
and life. Take away the sun and we
would be plunged into chaos, while the
various parts struggled each to estab-
fish itself as the center of all. So it
has been in the religious world when
men have lost the great sun of right
eousness from the spiritual heavens
as the one essential and sufficient test
of fellowship. In that state all sorts
of doctrines have been championed and
Babel s confusion of tongues has been
experienced once more with the result
ant inability of men to understand
each other and the scattering of relig-
ious forces into warning tribes Creeds
and confessions of faith have been
rapid in their making, and Christen-
dom has presented a sorry spectacle |
before the irreligious world. But to- |
day Christ is getting back to his right |
full place at the center. And, just in
as He is, UNCONVENTIONAL
creeds are dropping into the back
ground in preparation for final BAN
ishment, while all followers of Christ |
are drawing together as brethren in
for that unity for which |
Christ prayed when He said, "Father.
that they might all be one as we are
one
= To the confessor For him two
things are done: First. he manifests
his gratitude and thereby strengthens
that grace in himself. The real value
is realized if we try to imagine man
snatched from a shipwreck Just in time
to be saved from a watery grave and
vet too timid to publicly recognize his
benefactor. To many of rs the basest
man in the world is the Migrate Sec
Ond, he strengthens himself for the
performance of his duties as a Chris
tian and for the enjoyment of the
Christian s promises. He arouses a
certain expectation on the part of his
fellows which leads him to higher and
more earnest endeavor. In this way
all who know of his confession become
props to keep him upright,
3. To the community. There is in
,ur public confession a confirming and
,difving power. There is an influence
n our example which operates nightly
Oward winning to Christ those vet un-
Won. This, | am convinced. is much
stronger than many of us are aware |
To make the confession of no value.
md therefore not worth the while.
would, if faithfully incorporated into
he worlds life, leave Christ without
church or a pledged friend. Is it
TRANCE He said, ''He that confesses
Ne, | will confess; and he that denies
lie, | Will deny?' Who will dare neg
ect for himself the good confession
which Timothy made before many wit y
esses? Prepare for a better life dur
ng 1906 than YOU viii even have theI
race to live unless you publicly stand
lodged to Christ