It Matters What to Confess

About Bishop St. Theophane the Recluse

About "old" and "new" calendar

October 18 (31)

Col. 3:17-4:1; Lk. 9:44-50

The Lord says: ""whosoever shall receive Me receiveth Him that sent Me" [Lk. 9:48], and since He was sent by God, if you confess Lord Jesus Christ, you confess God Himself, and vice versa.

You might say: “I also confess Jesus — as a great, wise, universal teacher”. No, that’s wrong. Do confess Him just as He speaks of Himself, ""I and My Father are one" [Jn. 10:30], two Persons in one Godhead, distinct but equal in honor and glory. If this is not your confession, then no matter how you call Jesus, actually you confess neither Him. nor God.

Thus, even if you feel very strongly about Jesus and faith in God, you are not faithful to Him unless you confess Him the Only-begotten Son of God, Who was incarnate for us and saved us by His death on the cross and glorious Resurrection. It does, indeed, matter what to confess; there is a difference between confessions. Those who worship sun and stars are not faithful to God because they do not accept the true God. Similarly, those who do not confess Lord Jesus Christ are not faithful to God either, for the same reason. A God without Son who, like the Father, has no end or beginning, is not the true God.

Therefore, if anyone does not confess the Son, one does not confess the true God either. Whether or not there is any value in such confession, only God can decide; but inasmuch He has revealed Himself to us as the True God, there is no other true God apart from that revelation.

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