BASIC BIBLE STUDIES

# 024

 

The Good Confession

 

"And he answered and said, 'I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.' " (Acts 8:37).

 

In order to appropriate the grace of God to one's life and receive salvation for one's soul, we have learned that a person must obey from the heart that form of doctrine (the gospel of Christ) to which he/she was delivered (Romans 6:16-18; II Thessalonians 1:6-8; Hebrews 5:8-9).   This obedience involves coming to a real faith in Christ as the Son of God (John 8:24).  It also involves genuine repentance of (a turning from) all sin (Acts 17:30).  As we continue our study of what Christ and His apostles taught with reference to the all-important question, "What must I do to be saved?", we learn that there are other conditions or acts of obedience with which a person must comply in order to be saved.  In this Study we examine what the New Testament says about the necessity of making an open confession of faith in Christ as the Son of God.

 

The apostle Paul, alluding to statements first made back in Deuteronomy 30:12-14, and showing their application in the Christian system, wrote: "But what does it say?  'The word is near you, even 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 man believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:8-10).  

 

There are several matters involved in this confession.  First, the confession is made with the mouth: "...that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ..."  (Romans 10:9).  Faith in Christ is not kept to one's self; it is articulated, verbalized.  Peter openly confessed: "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matthew 16:16).  When the Ethiopian eunuch requested baptism at the hands of Philip, he was told: "If you believe with all your heart, you may [be baptized]."  The eunuch responded by confessing: "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8:37). 

 

That same confession is required of all today who would receive forgiveness of sins and be added to the church.  The church is the collective body of people redeemed from their sins by the blood of Christ (Acts 20:28; I Peter 1:18-19).  The foundation of the church is Christ (I Corinthians 3:11), which means that the people who have been saved stand confidently upon their faith in Christ as the Son of God.  Peter affirms of them that they "will by no means be put to shame" (I Peter 2:6, New King James Version), or that they "shall not be disappointed" (New American Standard Version).  What tremendous assurance the believer in Christ possesses!  It is utterly inconceivable that anyone could be saved and made a part of the church (Acts 2:47) without first acknowledging  his/her faith in Christ!  Indeed, "...with the mouth confession is made to salvation" (Romans 10:10).

 

Second, the confession involves believing that God has raised Christ from the dead (Romans 10:9).  It was by His resurrection that Christ was "declared to be the Son of God with power" (Romans 1:4).  Therefore, to confess faith in Christ as the Son of God is to acknowledge His resurrection from the dead.  Christians serve a living Lord, not a dead martyr!

 

Third, the confession arises from a truly believing heart.  "For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation"  (Romans 10:10).  For one simply to "mouth" the words, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God," without really believing what he is saying is of no avail.  In this superficial sense "the devils also believe--and tremble! " (James 2:19).  There must be a deep and genuine conviction behind the spoken words.

 

When a person from another country desires to become a legal citizen of the United States, he renounces allegiance to all other governments and verbally pledges his/her loyalty to the United States of America.  In the same way, when one desires to become a citizen of the kingdom of God, he renounces his allegiance to Satan and pledges his loyalty to Christ as his only Lord and King.  Legal residents of the United States are not ashamed to let it be known that they are loyal citizens of this great country.  Similarly, those who truly believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and the only way to eternal life (John 14:6) are not ashamed to confess Him before men--both at the time of their initial commitment to Christ, as well as throughout the course of their life as a Christian.  Jesus said: "For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in this adulterous and sinful generation, of him the Son of Man will be ashamed when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels" (Mark 8:38).

 

Have you confessed with your mouth the Lord Jesus Christ?  To receive forgiveness of your sins and enter the kingdom of God you must do so!

 

If this essay has blessed your life, feel free to forward it to others who may benefit from it.

 

Hugh Fulford