Confession is key to salvation
by Ivan Ho 8 May 2020
Are you saved just because Jesus died on the cross for the world? The answer is No. It is like in marriage, just because one party says he/ she loves you and wants to marry you does not mean you are married.
God knows He loves you and accepts you unconditionally and that’s why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die for your sins ( John 3:16). But does He know that you love Him and accept Him as well? You might say “God knows my heart” and that’s true but unless you verbalise what’s in your heart, you are not born again in Christ yet. Just like in marriage, not until you say “I do” directly to your spouse, you are not yet married. Confession is key to your relationship with God. The only way God knows that you want to commit your life to Him and follow Him is if you tell Him so. You must confess to God what you believe in your heart!
But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Romans 10:8-10
Some people may be struggling to know if they are saved or not, whether they are accepted by God or not. Let me give you good news: God has already accepted you and that’s why He sent His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross for your sins and mine, and 3 days after was resurrected. Jesus never have to struggle to decide if He would accept you. He knows without a doubt that He accepts you. When Jesus died on the cross, He did not die for good people ( and no one is good ) but for everyone.
But here’s the thing: Jesus knows He has accepted you, but does Jesus know that you have accepted Him? If Jesus doesn’t know from you personally that you have accepted Him, you are not yet saved. It’s not enough to read the bible, attend church regularly and do all the things Christians do.
Salvation begins when you confess with your mouth Jesus as your Lord, ie verbalise your faith to God. It’s not enough to keep your love and faith in Jesus in your heart. At some point in your life, you need to tell God that you have decided to follow Him. When you confess with your mouth what you believe in your heart, that Jesus Christ the Son of God died on the cross for your sins and was raised from the dead 3 days after, you are saved!