Confession or Confusion?
There is a lot of confusion among Christians when it comes to the subject of confession. Most of them think, confession means to confess one’s sins to God in order to get forgiveness. Certainly this is right; however, this one point about confession cannot make the true side of the subject of confession. If confession is not understood properly then it obviously leads to confusion. Surely there is lack of understanding on the subject of confession even today. I encourage you to read the full post in order to get the understanding on this subject.
Let’s Clear our Confusion from the New Testament:
There are four kinds of confession that are mentioned in the New
Testament and they can be called as,
1. The Sin Confession of the people living under the Old Covenant
2. The Sinner’s Confession of Faith under the New Covenant
3. The Believers confession of Faith
4. The Sin confession of the Believer
Now, let us very closely look at these four kinds of confession listed above, so that you can, not only understand the subject of confession, but also you can reap the benefit of confession.
1. The Sin Confession of the people living under the Old Covenant
This is the first kind of Confession that we are talking about. The New Testament of the
Bible records the preaching on the “repentance” by both Jesus and John the Baptist to
prepare the people ‘ready’ for the Kingdom of God (through Salvation). This occurred
prior to the establishment of the New Covenant. Let’s look at the following scriptures…
Mark 1:14-15 King James Version (KJV)
14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel
of the kingdom of God,
15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and
believe the gospel.
Mark 1:4-5 King James Version (KJV)
4 John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the
remission of sins.
5 And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were
all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.
The Jews heard the preaching and responded to the call by confessing their sins also
they took the baptism of repentance. While their sins were forgiven, they did not receive
the salvation as Jesus had not yet gone to the cross to die for all the sin and sinners of
the world. Till the execution of the New Covenant which happened only after the
crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and ascension of Jesus Christ, the Old Covenant
was in operation. Therefore, obviously, the Great Salvation which is now made available
to all the human beings by the New Covenant was not available to anyone till Jesus’
ascension. Nowhere in the Bible, will you see anyone had confessed all his sins to receive
salvation or to become a born-again child of God.
2. The Sinner’s Confession of Faith under the New Covenant
This is the second kind of Confession that we are talking about. Jesus made a very
important statement which is still to be understood by many. Let us read the following
scriptures from the Gospel of John:
John 16:7-11 King James Version (KJV)
7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not
away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.
8 And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of
judgment:
9 Of sin, because they believe not on me;
10 Of righteousness, because I go to my Father, and ye see me no more;
11 Of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged.
In the above passage of scriptures Jesus was talking about the ministry of the Holy
Spirit under the New Covenant. According to Jesus, the only sin the Holy Spirit would
reprove of the world (unbeliever) is, ‘the sin of not believing the lordship of Jesus’.
Under the New Covenant, the unbeliever cannot be born-again or in other words, he
cannot receive salvation by confessing his sins. The sins of everyone have been carried to
the cross by Jesus and He died & paid the price on everyone’s behalf. The question of
sins of an unbeliever has already been addressed. The sin (not sins) of the unbeliever
according to the bible is not his commission of sins but the omission the sin of “not
believing the Lordship of Jesus”. Insisting an unbeliever to confess his sins in order to
get saved is unbiblical. Let us see more light into the truth by referring another passage
of scriptures:
Romans 10:9-19King James Version (KJV)
9 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.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession
is made unto salvation.
Notice carefully, if an unbeliever wants to be saved, according to the above passage of
scriptures, he needs to confess the Lordship of Jesus over his life. When an unbeliever
believes in his heart that Jesus died for his sins was raised from the dead and God the
Father raised Jesus from the dead for his justification/righteousness, & CONFESSES
with his mouth THE LORDSHIP OF JESUS over his life, he is saved or born-again.
3. The Believers confession of Faith
This is the third kind of Confession that we are talking about. Once a person is born
again or saved or become a Child of God, he is called a believer which means he will live
by faith. In other words, he will believe God and His word in his heart continuously and
shall confess his faith through his mouth all through his life. Look at the following
scriptures on the same…
2 Corinthians 4:13 King James Version (KJV)
13 We having the same spirit of faith, according as it is written, I believed, and therefore
have I spoken; we also believe, and therefore speak;
Hebrews 4:14 King James Version (KJV)
14 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the
Son of God, let us hold fast our profession
The above scriptures are written to the Church – the assembly of the born-again
believers. If you notice, the lifestyle of a believer is professing or confessing his faith in
God and His Word. The success and victory of a believer is determined by this kind of
confession – his confession of faith. Therefore, it is very important for a believer to
receive faith by hearing God’s Word and thus can effectually release his faith through
mouth confession for his success and victorious living.
4. The Sin confession of the Believer
This is the fourth type of confession that we are talking about. Under the new covenant,
if a believer commits any sin or sins, obviously being a born again believer he
immediately realizes the sin/sins he had committed. Not the Holy Spirit, but his own
human spirit (heart) condemns him the moment he commits any sin. The believer who
commits any sin loses the fellowship while he continues the relationship as a son with
his Father God. Following passage of scriptures explains the same and provides the
solution too.
1 John 1:5-9 King James Version (KJV)
5 This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God
is light, and in him is no darkness at all.
6 If we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not
the truth:
7 But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another,
and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness.
Look at this Scripture closely, here a believer who loses his fellowship with his father,
needed to confess his sins to the Father-God in order to be forgiven of his sins and
getting cleansed from all of his unrighteousness. This kind of sin confession ensures a
believer to get his lost fellowship back to maintain his continuous fellowship with his
Father.
Be blessed and be a blessing.
Bro. I. Wilson