No confession that comes short of the Apostle Peter's in owning Christ as the "Son of the living God" will do. There may be high and honorable thoughts of Jesus. He may be spoken of as "a good man," or as "a prophet," as Elias or Jeremias; but nothing of this kind will do—nothing less than the faith that apprehends and receives Him as "the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
The reason for the need of this faith is simple. Our state of ruin in this world—ruin by reason of sin and its wages, death—calls for the presence of God Himself among us, God in the character of Conqueror Over sin and death. And He whom God has sent is such a One. He is "the Christ; the Son of the, living God,”— the living God in flesh; come here for the very purpose of bringing back life into this scene of death, destroying the works of the devil, and putting away sin.
This, the Christ of God, is the One whom our condition demands: Such is our ruin that nothing less than this will do for us—and if we can, in our thoughts, do with anything less than this; we show that we have not discovered our real condition in the presence of God. All acceptance of Christ short of this is nothing. If is no acceptance of Him.
"Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is coin in the flesh is not of God:" John 4:2, 32(Though Jesus himself baptized not, but his disciples,) 3He left Judea, and departed again into Galilee. (John 4:2‑3).
"Christ Jesus came into
the world to
save sinners.”