Confession

"That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." (Romans 10: 9, 10 KJV)

Salvation from sin comes by confession of sin and gospel truth.

To "confess" something is to "acknowledge" it, or to "admit" it, or to "credit" it, or to "allow" it. It is the opposite of "denying" something, or of "discrediting" and "disallowing."

Also, the word "confess" carries with it the idea of "professing," that is, of "avowing" or "affirming" as true, to "claim" and to "assert."

The Greek word translated "confess" carries with it the idea of "agreement." The agreement exists between a belief that is in the heart and mind and with what is said (confessed) with the tongue. "The word (gospel truth) is near you, in your mouth, now bring it out (confess and own it as true) with your tongue."

"And it shall be, when he shall be guilty in one of these things, that he shall confess that he hath sinned in that thing..." (Leviticus 5: 5 KJV)

This was part of the legal code in Israel. If you are guilty of a crime, a violation of the law, then the legal advice is - "do not rebel or deny it, but confess and acknowledge it, and hope for mercy in punishment."

All sin needs to be acknowledged before God, by the sinner. Lord God already knows of the sin, so a sinner does no good to himself to deny it. In confession one is simply telling the truth.

"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy." (Proverbs 28: 13 KJV)

This is the way of salvation! From one perspective, this ought to be the easiest thing in the world, but then, from another, impossible. It is one of those things, as Jesus said, is "impossible with men," but "possible with God." (See Luke 18: 27)

Sinful man has a nature that seeks to "hide" or to "conceal" his misdeeds, to "cover them over," or to at least try to "whitewash" them. Therefore, to confess and acknowledge his sins is to go against the grain of his nature, that is rather inclined to deny them, to lie and to deceive.

"Go and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the LORD; and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you: for I am merciful, saith the LORD, and I will not keep anger for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the LORD thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith the LORD. Turn, O backsliding children, saith the LORD..." (Jeremiah 3: 12-14 KJV)

"Only (simply) acknowledge your sin"! Just confess it! Own up to it! Stop denying that you are a wicked depraved sinner! Stop whitewashing your sins! Stop covering them up! Stop confessing your own righteousness, and your own innocence! Lord God says - "I know better!" And, "I have the evidence of your guilt!"

"I will go and return to my place, till they acknowledge their offence, and seek my face: in their affliction they will seek me early." (Hosea 5: 15 KJV)

This is what Lord God has said to every violator of his law. This is what it means to be a "sinner." It is to be a rebel to Lord God and his government over us which rebellion of spirit and mind leads to a feeling that one is not under obligation to appear before the Lord to make confession and to account for his sins.

The sinner feels as if he is outside of the legal jurisdiction of Jehovah.

Lord God has left dwelling with man because of man's rebellion. He has (as it were) "left" or "gone from" the sinner and says he will not "return" to dwell with him until the sinner (first) acknowledges his crimes against his God.

"For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer. Selah. I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the LORD; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah. For this shall every one that is godly pray unto thee in a time when thou mayest be found: surely in the floods of great waters they shall not come nigh unto him." (Psalm 32: 4-6 KJV)

This is how (or the "modus operandi"of) true spiritual saving confession both begins and ends in the repenting and confessing heart of a sinner who is being renewed by the Spirit of God and the power of the word of the gospel.

It begins with a move of God's "hand," or by his power being exerted upon the conscience of the sinner, whereby he is made sensible of his sinful nature and wretchedness before the Lord, and cries out to him for mercy and salvation from a justly deserved punishmnent.

It ends with a confession that only Lord God can save by his mercy alone, and also with the Confessor finding "forgiveness" with him.

This experience is said, by the Psalmist, to be universal in all those who are ultimately saved.

"Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me." (Psalm 51: 2, 3 KJV)

"We acknowledge, O LORD, our wickedness, and the iniquity of our fathers: for we have sinned against thee." (Jeremiah 14: 20 KJV)

"Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judaea, and all the region round about Jordan, And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins." (Matthew 3: 5,6 KJV)

Confession of sin! How so little of it today! How often is the reverse seen!

Men confessing their own greatness, and professing their own purity in ethics and morals, and how they can save themselves from themselves, and how they need not God nor Christ! Men avowing and asserting that their evil deeds do not warrant, or deserve, as the bible says, anything more from Lord God than a "slap on the hand!"

"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." (James 5: 16 KJV)

"If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say (confess) that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (John 1: 9, 10 KJV)

"Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: And every spirit that confesseth not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is not of God...Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God." (I John 4: 2, 3, 15 KJV)

"For many deceivers are entered into the world, who confess not that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh. This is a deceiver and an antichrist." (II John 1: 7 KJV)

"Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven." (Matthew 10: 32, 33 KJV)

"These words spake his parents, because they feared the Jews: for the Jews had agreed already, that if any man did confess that he was Christ, he should be put out of the synagogue." (John 9: 22 KJV)

"Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him; but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue: For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God." (John 12: 42, 43 KJV)

"But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God." (Romans 14: 10-12 KJV)

"Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a name which is above every name: That at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things 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 KJV)

"In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3: 6 KJV)

All these verses combined form one clear thought. Confessing sin and confessing Christ = Salvation. A man is either Christian or Anti-Christian.

There is no middle ground or spiritual "fence-straddling." Jesus said - "you are either for me or against me."

Friend, what is your confession of faith and belief? Have you "owned up to your sins"?

You can confess your sins now or wait till the great Day of Judgment. You can confess Christ is your only hope, Savior, and Lord now, or you can wait till you are forced to do so when you stand before the Judge of all. To confess now = salvation, but to confess him merely at the Day of Judgment avails nothing.