We Will All Have To Make This Decision One Day

John 12:42-43 - Nevertheless many even of the rulers believed in Him, but because of the Pharisees they were not confessing Him, for fear that they would be put out of the synagogue; for they loved the approval of men rather than the approval of God. NASU 

• Will We Confess Him 

The choice is ours. Will we confess Jesus to be our Lord and Savior?
 
The text says, "…many even of the rulers believed in Him, BUT…"  They believed in Jesus as the Messiah or Christ. (Messiah is the Hebrew word and Christ is the Greek word for "anointed".)
 
BUT, they would not confess Him to be the Messiah or Christ.
 
If you are wondering why they would not confess Jesus to be the Messiah or Christ the answer is given to us. 
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• They Loved The Approval Of Men 

The Greek word for "approval" is "doxa" and it is translated in other places as "praise". These rulers were more interested in the praise from men than the praise that would come from God.
 
Yes, we will all have to choose one day if we will confess Jesus to be the Christ, the Messiah, the Son of the living God, or not.
 
Choose wisely, my friend. 

• Will We Want The Approval Of God 

"Playing to the crowd" is an idiom we use when we are talking about someone who's behavior is trying to get as much approval from the audience as one possibly can.
 
If you are going to live your life trying to get "approval" then the least you can do for yourself is to go after the "approval" of God. When your life is over the "approval" from God is all that will matter.
 
Matt 10:32-33 - "Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. "But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven.
 
 Romans 10:8-10 - But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU, IN YOUR MOUTH AND IN YOUR HEART" — that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.
 
 We all will have to make the decision someday. Why not make your day today and confess Jesus as the Christ, the Son of the Living God?
 
Who are you playing for in this game of life? Are you playing for man or God?
 
Do you want man's approval or God's?
 
Think About This:
 
Choice, not chance, determines destiny.
 
 Stay Pumped,

Gary A. Serago

Minister of God's Word