Confession Is Key To Unlocking Faith

Few Christians realize the place that confession holds in God’s plan for our lives. It is sad that whenever we use the word confession we invariably think of confessing sins, weaknesses, and failings, in other words the negative but necessary side of confession. There is a powerful and positive side, and the Bible has more to say about the positive aspects of confession than the negative!

There are four kinds of confession spoken of in the New Testament: 1.John the Baptist taught and Jesus regarding confession of sins by the Jews: 2. the confession of the sinner based on the death, and resurrection of Jesus today; 3. the confession of a believer who is fallen out of fellowship coming back home to Jesus, and 4.the confession of our faith in God’s Word and how it enriches our life.

1.Confession of Sins Of Jews - When John the Baptist was baptizing and calling for the repenting of sins, it was under the old covenant where sins were temporarily reprieved but not forgiven. It was not Christian baptism. Mathew3:5,6 because Jesus had not died and risen yet. These were mostly Jews being preached to and baptized by John and Jesus.

2.Confession For Today- John37 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. 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.
Notice the words of Jesus in verse 9: “Of Sin, because they believe not on me.” Jesus shows us that the sinner will be convicted by the Holy Spirit of only one sin, and that is “Because they believe not on me”
Many times in trying to get friends and loved ones to come to the Lord, or “saved”, you tell them, “you are going to have to quit this” or “give that up before you get saved”. It is getting the cart before the horse. Introduce them to a loving Savior who loved them enough to die for them, and take up his life again to give them life here more abundantly and in Heaven eternally. If they just accept his love and serve Him, what a bargain!. By accepting the lordship of Jesus Christ by their confession then all their rough edges will take care of them selves as they get committed to follow the will of the Father through the leading of the Holy Spirit.

3. Confession Restores Broken Fellowship – 1 John 1:3 that which we have seen and heard declare we unto you also, that ye also may have fellowship with us: yea, and our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ:4 and these things we write, that our joy may be made full.
5 And this is the message which we have heard from him and announce 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 the 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 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 righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10 If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
These verses actually are being used in connection with Christians who are out of fellowship with God because of sin in their lives. The word fellowship is used four times in these verses, written to the believer not the sinner, as a warning first, and as a way back into fellowship second. Always if we will confess our sins He is “Faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”1 John3:9 When you stand in his presence and confess your sins, He is quick to forgive you that moment as though you never sinned. It is not necessary to keep confessing the same sins over and over again, this builds weakness, doubt, and sin consciousness into the spirit. Many places in the Bible Isa. 43:25 / Jere. 31:34 / Psalm 103:1-3 and many others God tells us that God not only will forgive our sins but when he does he forgets them. Mic 7:19 He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Or Psalms 103:12 As far as the east is from the west, so far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
The problem is we often do not forgive ourselves and we allow the devil access to us and others through guilt. God has forgiven us but we allow our own unforgiveness to hurt us.. It becomes a faith stealer. Start confessing: “God has forgiven my sins, I am righteous in Him, through Jesus Christ my Savior!” You should live your life in boldness with confidence that your prayers if asked in accordance with the Word of God and in the name of Jesus that He hears you, you should live in righteousness consciousness.

4. Confessions Of Faith Create Your Reality – If a person’s confessions are wrong, their believing and thinking are also wrong. It means that they have not renewed their mind with the Word of God. The powerful positive side of confessing the Word of God is the creative force of the power of the Word of God. Confession is stating something that you believe in your heart. Giving evidence to something you know to be true. Testifying to a truth you have accepted.
Confessing what God Has Done For Us In The Plan Of Redemption – Christ came and gave His life, now He is risen and sits on the right hand of the Father, and is the High Priest of our confessions. He is the head of the church and we are his mouth, feet and hands, we are to do his work. The preaching, the healing, the feeding the hungry, the things He has shown us to do when He was here. He said that we are overcomers because He had overcome the world for us. 1John 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is He that is in you, than he that is in the world. He said we are Blessed because he was made a curse for cursed is anyone who is nailed upon a tree. So if you are a believer in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, let the redeemed of the Lord say so. Confess that you have been redeemed from the curse (see Deut.28:15-35 for the curses you are redeemed from). You will be glad you are redeemed from them on this earth, not to mention that you get everlasting life with God in Heaven, plus a thousand year reign with Jesus here on earth before eternity, after the tribulation here on Earth, in a Garden of Eden like setting.
Be willing to tell others how good God has been to you, and where you would have been without Him. God works through us by His Word through our lips. Jesus said “Go ye into all the world, and preach the Gospel (Good News) to every creature.” Mark 16:15 The disciples did as Jesus said and preached everywhere, and He confirmed the Word with signs and wonders. You don’t follow after signs and wonders, they follow after the Word to confirm it. God moves only in line with His Word for He magnifies His Word above His Name.
Confession Can Dispel Fear – Fear and Doubt are not of God, and the devils greatest weapons to keep Christians weak and ineffectual. That is why so many times, more than 365 times God tells us Fear Not in the Bible. Some are Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness. Isaiah 41:10 I am the God of Abraham thy father: fear not, for I am with thee, and will bless thee, and multiply thy seed … Gen 26: 24 In our weakness and doubt we should look to His Word for strength for “The entrance of thy words giveth light; it giveth understanding unto the simple.”Psalm119:130
Our confession can be, “God is With Me” we can say, “Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world!” 1 John 4:4 and “If God be for me who can be against me?”Rom.8:31 Look to him that is inside you , and continue to confess the faith in Him and not the lack or doubt in your situation until He rises up to meet your need.
The reason that most Christians, although sincere, are weak is because they never have dared to make confession of who and what they are in Christ. According to Mark 11:23 we can have whatever we say in Christ that we confess. Believe it- Confess it- Receive it .When you learn all that God has for you, boldly confess what the Word declares you are in Christ, your faith will abound. Daily confess what the Father is to you, of what Jesus has and is doing for you now at the right hand of the Father, and of what the Holy Spirit is doing in you, and it will build a solid, positive faith life. You will no longer be afraid of the conditions, or any disease, or allow yourself to be under the circumstances. You will face life fearlessly, as more than a conqueror. “nay, in all these things we are more than conquerors through Him that loved us” Rom 8:37
God Bless and keep you!
Brother John
Speak what you want not what you don’t want.

Putting Faith Into Action

Putting Faith In Action

Great Miracles are wrought by those who act upon God’s Word. In the Old and New Testament and today those people who act on God’s word use their faith and increase both their faith and those around them. It takes humble men willing to put their faith in an al powerful God who has given us His Word to follow, in simple believing faith.
God told Joshua that he had given him Jericho and its king and mighty men of valor, Joshua 6:2-5,16,20
He gave him specific instructions of how to take the city, but even though God gave him the city, he still had to believe , have Faith, and put the faith into action. What God was asking sounding sounded crazy to any army leader, in the natural. Go out walk around the city that is the strongest fortified in the land, and without a fight, but with a shout you will take the city? That takes strong faith to act on. God Gave His Word, Joshua and the Israelites believed, they acted on that faith, God moved and preformed His Word.
Too many “Christians” are sitting on their faith waiting for something to come to them. They are more or less inert with a passive faith instead of an active faith, so pray, believe, and then act on the word that God brings to you, that you have faith in.
In the New Testament there are many stories of people acting on their faith to receive a miracle, like Luke 5:18-20, 24,25 Talking about the man with the palsy that his friends lowered him throw the roof because they could not get him inside because of the crowd. They knew by Their Faith that if they could get him to Jesus he would be healed. But when Jesus told him to take up his couch and go home he demonstrated great faith, he got up he proved his faith by acting on it. If he had refused to act on the word of Jesus the Master he would not have received his healing.
Today we must seek God’s Word by reading it, hearing it preached, and listing to the Holy Ghost who lives in us, as our teacher, guide and so much more.
There was a healing and revival meeting someone was telling me about. This evangelist was praying for people and there was a great anointing and presence in the house, she called for all those who were in wheelchairs to come forward that God wanted to heal them, because The Holy Ghost was speaking to her at that time giving her words of knowledge. Four men in wheelchairs were brought forward in front of her. She Laid hands on them and anointed them and called them all to stand and walk. One by one they each stood and walked some for the first time in years,. When she reached the last she repeated the same Stand and Walk in Jesus Name, the man look at her and said you don’t understand I can’t walk! She said neither could the others, but they believed and received their healing and acted on it. He went away still in his wheelchair not because healing wasn’t there, but because he did not act on faith.
One of the best definitions of faith is: If you believe, you will act. If you believe God’s Word, you act as if it is true. “ Now Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen”(Heb. 11:1)

We must learn that confession is important to build our faith. Our next blog will be about the many types of confession. Most people think of confession as a negative thing but there is more in the Word about positive powerful confession than negative confession.
Remember confession is key to unlocking Faith for confessing the Lordship of Jesus Christ is the very heart of the Gospel or Good News.

Brother John