Confession

What I'm about to say is going to challenge a few hundred years of thinking and tradition. And so with that said, I am not stating this as final fact, more offering a thought based on the Bible. Sunday at Church the pastor reminded me that my job is to preach the Word, not tradition, but the Word. And so with that, let's look at this thought.

A few months ago a pastor friend posed a question on Facebook about the Bible saying we needed to confess our sins and ask God to forgive us from them in order to be saved. I didn't give it much thought at the time because it was something different than what I had been taught, and there was a lot of other stuff going on so I didn't dive into the Bible to look at it much. And then I forgot about it until a few weeks ago.

My wife and I were at a Jason Gray and Andrew Peterson concert, and as Andrew introduced one of his songs he shared his story of being saved by Jesus. His dad was a pastor and at the end of every service would ask if anyone wanted to enter into a relationship with Jesus. When a person would come froward He would lead them in a confession and then baptize them then and there. He shared about the time he went forward, was lead in confession. His dad lead him in a personalized form of Peter's words from Matthew 16.16, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God."

"I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior."

What if that is all it takes? In Romans 10.9-10 we are told, "that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation."

As I look at the Gospels, I don't see people coming to Jesus seeking forgiveness of sins. I see people coming to Him for healing, believing that He was sent from God, and Jesus declaring that their sins were forgiven and that their faith had healed them. I see people who believed, came to Him, and were given more than they asked for. Their faith in Jesus' power to heal brought them forgiveness of sin.

The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved. Confess and believe. Acknowledge who Jesus is, and declare Him as the Lord and Savior of your life. According to the Bible this is all you have to do in order to be saved.

Now this does come with some stipulations, after making this confession you can't continue to live life as you did before. By declaring Jesus as your Lord, you have given Him ownership of your life, you have committed to live according to His standards. This declaration is a pledge of loyalty and allegiance. It is a declaration of surrender and submission.

"I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior." What if that statement is all that it takes? Does it change our thought process? How does it affect how perception of repentance? Does it change anything? Honestly, I think it simplifies a lot. Believe that Jesus is the Son of God. Declare Him as the Lord and ruler of your life. Acknowledge Him as the one who saves you.

I don't think God complicates something as crucial as Salvation. I believe it is as simple as a heart felt statement, "I believe He is the Christ, the Son of the living God. My Lord and my Savior."

"I have been young and now I am old, yet I have never seen the righteous forsaken or his descendants begging bread."

To God alone be the Glory!

Peace be with you