Christian Confirmation
Christian confirmation is a sacrament, ritual or rite of passage practiced by the Roman Catholic, Anglican and Orthodox Churches. This service allows a baptized person to confirm the promises made on his behalf at baptism. Thus, this service renders the bond of the member with the Church more perfect. Infant baptisms are also performed under the practice of Christian confirmation.
The practice of confirmation is not supported by the Bible for no one can “confirm” to another that a person is with God. Only God has the right to do that since He is the One who can read the heart. The Bible teaches that it is the Holy Spirit who confirms to the repentant person that he has been forgiven. “The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children” (Romans 8:16). The Holy Spirit will speak (Acts 8:29), teach (2 Peter 1:21), guide (John 16:13), witnesses (Hebrews 10:15), comfort (John 14:16), help (John 16:7, 8), and support (John 14:16, 17, 26; 15:26-27) the believer during his walk with God. Thus, the Spirit is the One that confirms God’s presence with the believer.
Also, the Lord will confirms His presence in the life of the believer by the manifestation of the fruits of the Spirit. The Bible tells us that the fruits of the Spirit are: “joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance” (Galatians 5:22,23). When a person accepts the Lord in his heart (Romans 8:9; 1 Corinthians 12:13; Ephesians 1:13-14) and decides to follow Him, the Holy Spirit starts His transforming work and changes the life of the believer into the likeness of Christ. Sinful habits start to disappear and godly virtues start to come naturally into the life of the believer (2 Corinthians 5:17).
The Bible tells us that sealing is the work of God’s Spirit “Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14). As God’s child get sealed, he will be “eagerly waiting for the revelation of our Lord Jesus Christ, who will also confirm you to the end” (1 Corinthians 1:7-8).
Therefore, Biblical confirmation is not the work of humans but it is the work of God Himself through the redemption of Christ, the ministry of the Holy Spirit and the power of the Father to keep the saints from falling. “Now unto him that is able to keep you from falling, and to present you faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding joy, to the only wise God our Saviour, be glory and majesty, dominion and power, both now and ever. Amen” (Jude 24, 25).
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In His service,
BibleAsk Team
