Our Need To Confess Unto Salvation

Most every religious person will tell you that a person needs to confess, or make a confession of some sort. Unfortunately, however, there are many false teachings surrounding confessing. Some teach that one confesses by the way they live. Others teach that one must confess their personal salvation experience. Still others teach that we must confess our sins in order to be saved.

But what does the Bible teach? Any and all Bible believers should desire to know exactly what the Bible says about this and any Bible subject. So, in this article I want to discuss all the New Testament teaches concerning confession as it relates to our salvation. Most of our points in this lesson will simply be direct quotes from the passages in the New Testament that address our subject.

The Necessity Of Confession

If a person does not confess their faith in Jesus, they will not be saved and Jesus will not confess that person before God.

So everyone who confesses me before men, I also will confess before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven (Matt. 10.32-33).

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto justification, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation (Rom. 10.9-10).

What Is To Be Confessed?

As mentioned earlier, there are so many different things that the sectarians put forth as the confession connected with our salvation. Our interest, however, is in what the Bible says, so we turn now to the scriptures that clearly tell us what must be confessed in order to be saved.

Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God (1 John 4.15; cf. 5.5).

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, "Who do people say that the Son of Man is?" And they said, "Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God" (Matt. 16.13-16).

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who in his testimony before Pontius Pilate made the good confession...For he said, "I am the Son of God" (1 Tim. 6.13 w/ Matt. 27.43).

And Philip said, "If you believe with all your heart, you may." And he replied, "I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God" (Acts 8.37).

How Is The Confession Made?

Just as there are different things that the religious world teaches we should confess, they also teach that there are different ways to confess. Again, we want the Bible answer. We notice first of all, regarding how the confession is to be made, that it is to be made with the mouth, i.e, a stated confession vs. example.

If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto justification, and with the mouth one confesses unto salvation (Rom. 10.9-10).

So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Php. 2.10-11).

Also notice that in Romans 10.9-10 confession is said to be "unto salvation," which means that confession comes before a person can be saved. It is not, as many teach, a confession of having been saved after the fact.

Regarding how the confession is to be made, the Bible also teaches that is to be done publicly. It is not, as many teach, a private statement made between you in God as you recite some "sinner’s prayer" or in any other prayer. Listen to the Word of God.

Fight the good fight of the faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called and about which you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses (1 Tim. 6.12).

So everyone who confesses me before men, I also will confess before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven (Matt. 10.32-33).

Everyone Will Confess Either Now Or Later

Not everyone will obey the gospel and become a child of God. However, the Bible is clear in stating that everyone will confess Jesus as Lord. The difference between those whose confession will be "unto salvation" and those whose confession will be "unto damnation" is when they make the confession. Those who confess Christ as the result of being taught, believing, and obeying the gospel will confess "unto salvation." Others will bow and confess Jesus on Judgment Day, when it will be too late to be saved. Notice the following passages.

For it is written, "As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God" (Rom. 14.11).

So that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father (Php. 2.10-11).

Conclusion

What about you? Are you willing to publicly confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, the Son of God, in order to be saved? If you aren’t willing to confess him now, before he comes in the clouds, when you do confess Him, it will be too late.

If you have heard the gospel, submit your will to Jesus by believing in him, repenting of your sins, confessing your faith in Jesus, and being immersed with him in water (more on this in the next lesson).

By John R. Gentry Galena Guardian Vol. IX, No. 8, August 2007