by Keith Sharp
Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Philippians 2:9-11).
Perhaps you have joined with Christians in singing this beautiful hymn:
I’m not ashamed to own my Lord,
Nor to defend His cause;
Maintain the honor of His Word,
The glory of His cross (Isaac Watts).
But if you are unwilling to confess Jesus as your Lord, you cannot honestly repeat these brave words. Surely then you need to know what God’s Word teaches about confession. What does the New Testament teach about confession for those who are not Christians?
Necessity of Confession
Does the law of Christ require that we declare our faith? The Spirit reveals that confession is essential if we are to obey and glorify God (Philippians 2:9-11), and one must obey Him to be saved. “Though He was a Son, yet He learned obedience by the things which He suffered. And having been perfected, He became the author of eternal salvation to all who obey Him” (Hebrews 5:8-9). In order to have God dwell in us and we in Him, we must declare our faith. “Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God” (1 John 4:15). In fact, confession is “unto salvation.”
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 preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:8-10)
The Lord demands we confess our faith as a requirement to enter Heaven.
Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).
Indeed, confession is an absolute essential!
What to Confess
What, then, should we confess? Some would have us repeat, “I believe that God for Christ’s sake has pardoned (forgiven) my sins.” Not only is this confession unknown to the Bible, it places confession of faith after salvation, in violation of the New Testament (Romans 10:10).
Other religious groups demand an “experience of grace” – telling some unusual feeling or incident, supposedly miraculous, as evidence of salvation. This makes an inward feeling our standard of salvation; but Paul declared, “we walk by faith, not by sight” (2 Corinthians 5:7), and “faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God” (Romans 10:17).
Still others require a repetition of the falsely so-called “Apostles Creed” or some church statement of beliefs. These all add to the scriptures in glaring violation of the command not to add to or take from God’s Word as our standard.
For I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: If anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from the words of the book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book (Revelation 22:18-19).
It is popular today to ask an unsaved sinner to repeat the “sinner’s prayer.” Not only is no such prayer found in the Bible, the New Testament never teaches those outside Christ to pray for salvation. “For the eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their prayers; but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil” (1 Peter 3:12). Furthermore, “Now we know that God does not hear sinners; but if anyone is a worshiper of God and does His will, He hears him” (John 9:31).
In contrast, the New Testament simply teaches us to confess Jesus is “Christ” (the anointed One, the promised Savior), “Lord” (ruler), and the “Son of God” (which includes the facts that He is divine in nature, born of a virgin, and raised from the dead to live eternally) (Philippians 2:11; 1 John 4:15).
Significance
What is the significance of this confession? Every system of religion has one fundamental principle or grand central fact. If the basic principle is true, the religion built thereon is true; but if it is false, the religion is false. The foundation of Islam is the belief, “None has the right to be worshiped but Allaah, and Muhammad is the Messenger of Allaah.” Accept this, and you will be a Muslim. Mormonism contends “Joseph Smith, Jr. is the prophet of God.” If you believe this, you will be a “Latter Day Saint” (Mormon). The proposition, “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God” is the grand central theme of the Gospel.
And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:30-31).
It is the foundation of the church. “For no other foundation can anyone lay than that which is laid, which is Jesus Christ” (1 Corinthians 3:11). When Peter confessed, “You are the Christ the Son of the Living God” (Matthew 16:16), Jesus declared, “Upon this rock I will build my church” (Matthew 16:18).
This truth is the saving fact of the Gospel. “And he brought them out and said, ‘Sirs, what must I do to be saved?’ So they said, ‘Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you will be saved, you and your household’” (Acts 16:30-31). If you truly accept this fact, you will become a Christian.
How to Confess
We confess “with the mouth,” as well as by our lives (Romans 10:8-10). It must be before witnesses. There might be only one witness, as in the case of the Ethiopian eunuch.
Now as they went down the road, they came to some water. And the eunuch said, ‘See, here is water. What hinders me from being baptized?’ Then Philip said, ‘If you believe with all your heart, you may.’ And he answered and said, ‘I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God’ (Acts 8:26-40).
Or it could be many witnesses. “Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, to which you were also called and have confessed the good confession in the presence of many witnesses” (1 Timothy 6:12).
Why
Why should we declare our faith? Certainly not to join a denomination, for the Lord adds the saved to His church. “And the Lord added to the church daily those who were being saved” (Acts 2:47). Rather, you should confess in order to be saved (Romans 10:8-10).
Conclusion
Christ was willing to make this “good confession” before Pontius Pilate even though the truth of it cost Him His life.
Pilate therefore said to Him, ‘Are You a king then?’ Jesus answered, ‘You say rightly that I am a king. For this cause I was born, and for this cause I have come into the world, that I should bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth hears My voice’ (John 18:37).
“Christ Jesus who witnessed the good confession before Pontius Pilate” (1 Timothy 6:13).
Some day you too will make this confession. “For it is written: ‘As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God.’ So then each of us shall give account of himself to God” (Romans 14:11-12). If now, it will be to your salvation; if not until the judgment, to your damnation. Why not confess Christ now, that you might be saved?
Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).
