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Confess The Word

Romans 10:9-10
   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.

   Confession of belief yields receipt of confession when that which you confess is the Word of God.   The Greek word translated "confess" is the word "homologeo."  It comes from the the word "homo" meaning "same" and "logeo" meaning "word, idea, or expression."  When you "say the same words" as the Word of God while believing in your heart that which you say you receive from God the promises of His Word in your life.

   God has promised that the person who confesses the Lord Jesus while believing in his heart that He raised Jesus Christ from the dead will receive salvation.  The Word of God that you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart you receive in your life.

Mark 11:23
   For verily I say unto you, That whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea; and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass; he shall have whatsoever he saith.

   Believing is having confidence and trust in information received to end that you act upon it.  The Word of God comes first.  If God says that you can move a mountain and you believe God in your heart then you can "say the same words" and God will bring it to pass.  Confessing the Word of God as you believe that Word in your heart results in receiving from God.

   Confessing and believing that which has NOT been promised by God does NOT result in receiving any more than deciding in your own mind that a red light is green makes the light green!  Believing God works because the promise is one made and backed by God.

Jeremiah 23:16, 22
   Thus saith the Lord of hosts, Hearken not unto the words of the prophets that prophesy unto you: they make you vain: they speak a vision of their own heart, and not out of the mouth of the Lord, . . .
   But if they had stood in my counsel, and had caused my people to hear my words, then they should have turned them from their evil way, and from the evil of their doings.

   These prophets were telling God's people that the evil they were doing was OK with God and that everything was going to be peace and no evil would come upon the people even though they were walking contrary to God's Word.   God says that if these prophets were really speaking His Word they would have turned the people away from evil and toward God.  You see, believing God's Word in your heart and confessing God's Word with your mouth only works if it is really God's Word.  God backs His Word.  He does not back the vanities which man "makes up."

   So how hard is it to know if what you are hearing is The Word of God?  It is not hard at all!  God has not hidden His word.  God has provided His written Word so that we can know His Will.

Deuteronomy 30:11-14
   For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
   It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
   Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it and do it?
   But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

   God has given us His written Word and planted it in our hearts and in our mouths.  All we have to do is believe it and speak it and do it.  God has made it simple.

Luke 6:45
   A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil:  for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

   What we say and believe is very powerful.  If we believe God's Word in our heart and speak it with our mouth then we receive the powerful, positive results of that Word.  If we believe man's words in our heart and speak them with our mouth then we receive the negatives that result from the vanities of man.  The choice is ours.

   The following is a list of promises from God's Word that we can confess with our mouth and believe in our heart.  It was known to many as the "Never Again List."  I have re-written the list from the positive point of view to be a "Confess the Word List."
 
Confess the Word List
1.  I will confess that I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me (Philippians 4:13) rather than confessing that I can't.

2.  I will confess that my God shall supply all my need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19) rather than confessing that I lack.

3.  I will confess that God has not given me the spirit of fear, but of power, and love, and a sound mind (2 Timothy 1:7) rather than confessing fear.

4.  I will confess that God is the strength of my life (Psalm 27:1) and that they who know their God shall be strong and do exploits (Daniel 11:32) rather than confessing weakness.

5.  I will confess that greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world (1 John 4:4) rather than confessing the supremacy of Satan over my life or living in peaceful co-existence with him.

6.  I will confess that God always causes me to triumph in Christ (11 Corinthians 2:14) rather than confessing defeat.

7.  I will confess that Christ Jesus is made unto me wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Corinthians 1:30) rather than confessing that I lack wisdom.

8.  I will confess that by Christ's stripes I was healed (1 Peter 2:24) rather than confessing sickness.

9.  I will confess that I am carefree and that I am casting all my cares upon him who cares for me (1 Peter 5:7) rather than confessing worries and frustrations.

10.  I will confess liberty for where the spirit of the Lord is, there is liberty (2 Corinthians 3:17) rather than confessing bondage.

 Confess the Word List (on a page by itself for printing)


Cortright Fellowship
URL http://www.cortright.org/confess.htm
© Copyright April 2000 Michael Cortright