"CONFESSION"

The Greek word for confession as used in Mt. 10:32 is homologeo, which Vine defines literally as "to speak the same thing" (homos, "same," lego, "to speak"); and, "to declare openly by way of speaking out freely, such confession being the effect of deep conviction of facts." This definition will hold for all of the contexts discussed here in this devotion.

In these contexts, confession does not hold its modern religious connotation of confessing one's sins to a priest (or anyone else). Confession of sins is discussed in scripture (e.g., 1 John 1:9 and James 5:16). However, the confession that is under discussion here is referring to a person's willingness to state by word and deed, emphatically and publicly, that Jesus is the Son of God.

"If You Confess Jesus Christ as THE SON OF GOD. . ."

There are two common mistakes made regarding the biblical teachings on confession:
1.) Denying its importance...and 2.) Jumping to salvation by "confession only."

Neither of these extreme positions is correct.

In Matthew 10:32 Jesus said: "Everyone therefore who shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven." This alone makes confession a condition of salvation.
The confession of Christ was not a trivial statement in the first century as it could be in many of our societies where we have freedom of religion, which amounts to freedom FROM Christ and all for which HE stands. There were consequences both before and after the death of Jesus for confessing him (Jn. 9:22; 12:42; Acts 22:19).


Confession as a condition of salvation is further taught in Rom. 10:9: "... that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you shall be saved." However this text, as well as the Book of Romans, was written to those who are already baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of their sins, Christians. (Ro. 1:7)

We see from the examples given in the book of Acts that all converts had a willingness to confess Christ. In Acts 8:37 there is an explicit example of confession prior to baptism. However, confession is not a one-time act; it is a way of life (1 Jn 4:15): "Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God abides in him, and he in God."

Our words, our deeds and everything that we are, and stand for, as Christians must be a confession of Christ. Therefore, the concept of salvation by "confession only" is as easily disputed as is salvation by "faith only" (James 2:26) without work or effort on our part. Just as faith cannot exist apart from the works that it motivates, so confession cannot exist in word only.

The confession of Christ also encompasses all that he taught. Speaking of those who once were faithful Christians, John states (2 Jn 1:7): "For many deceivers have gone out into the world, those who do not acknowledge Jesus Christ as coming in the flesh. This is the deceiver and the antichrist." Apparently these false teachers acknowledged some form of "Jesus Christ" but refused to teach that he came in the flesh. Doctrine is important (Mt. 4:4).