For the next few weeks we will focus on actions that declare we believe God. Confession, Prayer, and Obedience will be topics of discussion.
Our first topic of discussion will be confession. Many would assume I mean “confessing our sins,” if I asked them what confession meant. It is true we must confess sins to God and ask forgiveness. 1 John 1:9 tells us when we confess our sins God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse us from all of them. In verse 10, we are told that if we say we are not sinners then we make God a liar and His word is not in us. This week our focus is not that type of confession though. The confessions we are talking about are public declarations of faith in God.
Our first example of confession is when someone is born again. Romans chapter 10 tells us how to be saved and receive eternal life.
9 Confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God actually raised him from the dead, and you will be saved. 10 For with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Romans 10:9-10 (MontgomeryNT)
The word confess means “to agree with”. Confessing the word of God in prayer shows we agree with God. That is acting on our faith. God says without faith it is impossible for us to please Him. (Hebrews 11:6) How would one know if we believe God? By our declaration of faith in Him, His work completed in Jesus, and His promises. This weekend our pastor baptized several people. They confessed openly that Jesus is their Savior and He is their Lord (boss). Then they were baptized showing an outward sign of an inward agreement with what Christ has done for them. They are buried with Him in His death and raised to new life and show this in a public immersion baptism. This is acting on their faith.
Abraham acted on his faith when He offered Isaac as a sacrifice in obedience to God. There was a corresponding action resulting from his faith in God’s promises to him. Although this was his promised son, God was asking him to give Isaac as a sacrifice. Prior to going up the mountain. Isaac asks Abraham where the sacrifice was. Abraham responded saying, “God will provide the Lamb.” In Chapter 22 of Genesis God never told Abraham he would do that. Still, Abraham believed many nations would come from his son Isaac. God had promised that previously. He spoke what he believed. This was not a lie, but a confession of belief in God’s promises to him. Given our circumstances, we may see things and doubt God’s goodness or promises. Isaac and Abraham did not see anything until Abraham was obedient to God. Then there was a ram in the bush.
God has told us in scripture that He is good and never changes (James 1:17). If we are faced with a bad circumstance we can confess that God is good and He never changes. This confession and agreement with His word is faith building (Romans 10:17), and a corresponding action to go with our faith.
When God told Abram He would make him a father of many nations Abram had no children. His wife was in her 90’s. Scripture tells us that He did not regard any of that. He believed in God’s promises regardless of what he was seeing. Just like when he marched up the mountain with His son. Remember, He did not see a sacrifice other than Isaac until He was obedient to what God had asked him to do. He walked by faith and not by sight. (2 Corinthian 5:7). We saw that demonstrated in his obedience to God. That is what God wants us to do. He wants us to believe Him and have faith in what He says no matter what we see, or what someone else says about our situation.
This week what will you meditate on? Find what God says about your situation and post your confession as a comment declaring your faith in what God says about your circumstances. Then ask God for help and believe He has heard you and begin to thank Him quoting His promise(s). You must be born again to claim God’s promises. All of God’s promises are ours in Christ alone!
Want to be born again? Find out how to begin a new life with Jesus Christ as your Savior. You don’t have to do anything but believe He died for you and receive His cleansing by confessing that belief in prayer.
This week what will you meditate on? Find what God says about your situation and post your confession as a comment below declaring your faith in what God says about your circumstances. Glory to God for being faithful when we agree with Him regarding all aspects of life.
For more study on confessions see the following web pages:
Another Samaritan Woman 