Faith Bible Study Guide
However, the real truth about it was that he didn’t have to give up anything or quit anything in order to get saved. In Romans 10:9, it tells us how to get saved. It says, “. . . 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.”
Notice it says, “That if thou shalt CONFESS. ..” (Rom. 10:9). This is the real confession the sinner makes. He has served Satan. He is guilty of only one sin in the sight of God and that is the sin of rejecting Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Therefore, God demands that the sinner confess the Lordship of Jesus Christ. This is real repentance. This is real faith.
To demand that a sinner confess his sins before God can make him a new creature is just as sensible as it would be for the governor of a state to say to a prisoner behind bars, “I’m going to parole you, if you will confess that you are in prison.” The fact that a prisoner is in prison is a self evident fact.
And it is a self evident fact that the sinner is a child of the devil. The thing that the sinner must confess is the Lordship of Christ. He must confess Jesus as His Savior in order to be saved. He must let Jesus dominate his daily life. Confessing the Lord-ship of Jesus is the very heart of the gospel. Once a person is born again, God will deal with him about the things he needs to change and will give him the power to change them.
Now notice again the phrase, “. . . thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus. ..” (Rom. 10:9). In other words, there must be a vocal confession by a person of the Lordship of Jesus – his lips must frame the words. That confession is not only for his own sake, but it is for the sake of those unsaved people in the world around us, and it is for the benefit of Satan, declaring that you are no longer under his dominion (Eph. 1:19- 21).
I remember many years ago I was preaching in Dallas in a Full Gospel church, and one man said to me, “Brother Hagin, I wish you could pray with a man who has been coming to our early morning prayer meetings. The men in our church meet to pray before they go to work each day, and this man has been coming five days a week for six months and is still unsaved. I think you could help him.” Since the men worked during the day, of course, they couldn’t come to the day services, so I agreed to have a teaching class on Saturday nights for several weeks just for the men. On the first night, I was introduced to this man they wanted me to help. He had his Bible with him.
The moment I looked at him, I knew by the Holy Spirit exactly what was wrong with him. There were a few testimonies while everyone was getting settled, and then I said to this man, “Get up and testify and confess that you are saved.” That startled him and he looked around and stammered and stuttered and finally said, “Well, I’m not saved yet.” I said, “I know it. You’ve got your Bible there in your hand. Open it to Romans 10:9 and 10 and read that aloud.” And he read the following verses:
ROMANS 10:9,10
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.
I said, “Read that last clause again.” And he read, “… and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation” (v. 10). I said, “Certainly you can’t be saved until you confess. And it is with the mouth that confession is made unto your salvation. Now stand and confess that you are saved.” “Well,” he said, “I don’t feel like I’m saved.” I said, “Certainly, you don’t. You can’t feel some-thing that you don’t have, and you can’t have it until you confess it.” He said, “Well, I don’t much believe I want to do that.”
I said, “If I understand it correctly you’ve been coming to this church and praying for six months.” He said, “Yes, I sure have. I’ve wept and cried and have repented and called upon the Lord up and down these aisles for six months.” “All you lack,” I said, “is standing on this verse. That’s why I want you to stand up and confess that you are saved.” “No, I don’t much believe I will,” he said.
Then I actually startled myself (I sometimes do things by the Spirit of God that startle me). Before I knew it, the Spirit of God motivated me, and I found myself pointing my finger at him and saying, “I command you to stand and confess your salvation in the Name of the Lord Jesus Christ.” I spoke with such anointing and authority that he got up from there immediately and looked around about half-scared.
He said, “Well, I do believe these verses, that Jesus died for my sins and that He was raised from the dead. God raised Him up for my justification, so I just take Him as my Savior and confess Him as my Lord.” Then he sat down real quickly. To get the attention away from him, I had another man testify. Several others testified and I looked back over at this man and his face was just lighted up like a neon sign in the dark.
“Now,” I said, “stand up and testify.” This time I didn’t have to ask the second time. He leaped up to his feet and shouted and said, “You know, when I said that, something happened down inside of me.” I said, “Sure something happened on the inside of you. Eternal life was imparted to your spirit.” You see, with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Rom. 10:10). That is the confession that the sinner is to make.
MATTHEW 10:32,33
32 Whosoever therefore shall CONFESS ME before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.
33 But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.
I want you to notice that in the new birth – in receiving eternal life – there must be public confession. Public confession is really making the break with the world. It is a change of
lordship; it defines our position. The confession of the Lordship of Jesus puts us immediately under Jesus’ supervision, care, and protection.
Satan was once our lord, but we changed lords. When we take Jesus as our Savior and confess Him, Jesus becomes our Lord. Jesus becomes our Head and Master. So let’s hold fast to the confession of the Lordship of Jesus. He is my Lord. Is He your Lord? Not only confess Jesus’ Lordship to yourself, and not only confess it to the devil, but Jesus also said to confess it before men: “Whosoever therefore shall confess me BEFORE MEN. ..” (Matt. 10:32). So confess the Lordship of Jesus before others too.