“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 it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved. As the Scriptures tell us, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be disgraced.’” (Romans 10:9-11 NLT)
The saying of or repeating words does not equal confession. In the above verse confession means to agree with God’s estimation of our condition as sinful and separated from Him; undone, unable to correct or provide adequate means of dealing with our lost condition without His help and intervention. Confession is a plea for help, as a person stranded on a deserted island recognizes without outside help and assistance, they have no hope of survival. I’m agreeing that Jesus is Lord, as in my only hope of eternal rescue. However, confessing isn’t simply agreeing I need to be saved from my sin, it’s to agree Jesus is the only One who can save me; He’s the ONLY answer to my sin problem.
Couple that with what it means to believe. Believing isn’t simply intellectual assent in the sense of agreeing with another person’s evaluation of something. In the Biblical sense to believe is to place our full trust in Jesus to forgive and save us because we’re “impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul” (Strong’s). It’s the drowning man grasping the hand of His rescuer understanding not to do so is certain death. We entrust not only our past sin, but our eternal purity into the capable hands of our Savior. When we sit in a chair we entrust the weight of our entire body to the chair, believing it will hold us up.
We’re quick to give intellectual assent without committing our whole being to the Lord Jesus. I’m reminded of the great tightrope walker, Charles Blondin, who in February of 1824 walked across Niagara Falls. After walking back and forth a few times, even eating while on the rope, he pushed a wheelbarrow back and forth to the cheers of an enthusiastic crowd. “Who believes I can push a person across the rope in the wheelbarrow?” Again, the cheers were deafening. Finally, he said: “Who will be first?” and the crowd was silent.
It’s so like us when it’s time to “confess” and “believe”. Having been to many Billy Graham crusades and other similar gatherings where large crowds attend and many respond, but don’t follow through, we want to say words but not allow the Lord to actually change our heart and the direction of our life. Too many of our “confessions” are emotion-driven and not Spirit-driven. How do we know the difference?
As I’ve said many times, “the proof is in the pudding”! When someone says they’re allowing the Lord to change their life, but they show no signs of repentance or shifting in their behavior, habits, language, or the general direction of their life, they’ve said words, but they haven’t allowed the Lord to give them a new heart. Is it my place to make that observation?
Ultimately the Lord alone knows our heart, but if my task as a Jesus follower is to make disciples and I’m trying to disciple someone who doesn’t want to come to church, read or study their Bible, spend time learning to pray and walk in a way pleasing to the Lord, I’m spinning my wheels and wasting time I could be investing in someone who IS ready and willing to learn those godly habits. Will I write the other person off? No, I’ll continue to stay in touch, but unless and until the Lord convicts and convinces them of their need of Him, I’m wasting my time.
Confession and believing lead to life-change and a growing love for and dependence upon Jesus or they have no value.
Food for thought.
Blessings, Ed 😊
Walking With Jesus 