To Believe, To Receive and To Confess
by Mihran Kulhanjian
My dear Friends,
We've seen what the scripture says in John 3:16 and in 1 John 5:11-13; Let's see what else is written in the Book. You must believe with your heart and you must first receive and confess. Which scriptures confirm this?
"But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name" [John 1:12]. What does it mean to believe in His name? All those who receive Jesus, accept Him and submit to Him, yield to Him as Lord are changed first internally then outwardly. Acknowledgment of sin, and repentance begins. Thought patterns change. Being born again with new desires and a love for holiness and a hatred of sin. Becoming Christ-like becomes appealing and necessary. A spiritual rebirth of gratefulness to God and to the saving work of Christ is apparent. A true believer becomes the adopted child, chosen and accepted by God to be a member of the family. By our faith and belief "He gave the right be become the children of God" [John 1:12].
Years ago, Christians use to ask "Are you saved?" In the west many knew or had an idea of what this question meant. Today, I believe most people would say "Saved from what?" How can one be saved? The apostle Paul explains salvation in Romans 10:9-10:
"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."
Do you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and can you confess that Jesus is Lord? You heart and mouth must be in harmony with one another. Believing in your heart is to believe with your whole being; it becomes your personality. And to confess with your mouth must be genuine, sincere and honest. To confess means aliening the words that you speak which are God's. When we confess with believe the Word of God and speak those words which God speaks. Anybody could say with their mouth things that they do not believe, but a true believer must believe wholeheartedly and speak honestly that Christ in Lord and that He was raised from the dead. That Christ in now in Heaven seated at the right hand of God with all authority given to Him by the Father over Heaven and earth. Yes, Christ was raised from the dead, and you will be saved if you believe this in your heart and confess it.
Faith is necessary and faith without works is dead [James 2:20]. If we believe and have faith we confess and we do good works because we want to, because we are grateful and want to please Go by our obedience. If we do not confess, perhaps we have no faith, or such little faith we don't really believe. Test yourself, as Paul instructs: "Examine yourselves as to whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves. Do you not know yourselves, that Jesus Christ is in you?—unless indeed you are disqualified" [2 Corinthians 13:5].
"He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him” [John 3:36]. As it is written in John 3:18, we are already condemned but those who believe in Jesus have eternal life. It does not say they will have it. It says He who believes in the Son has everlasting life. A person's eternal life begins at the spiritual rebirth [born-again, regeneration]. When we receive the revelation of Christ and believe in Him, all of Him our belief becomes our life.
"To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins” [Acts 10:43]. Believing is following, obeying and living for Christ. All the prophets witness that, through His [Christ the Messiah] name. Isn't this remarkable? How many prophets? All the prophets. Two of the major prophets Isaiah 52:13-53; 12 and the prophet Ezekiel 36:25-26
"And by Him everyone who believes is justified from all things from which you could not be justified by the law of Moses" [Acts 13:39]. Here Paul and Barnabas are in Antioch of Pisidia [modern day Turkey] preaching the Good News in the synagogue on the Sabbath. Paul says the "Law" cannot justify us of our sins but only "by Him [Jesus] everyone who believes is justified from all things." In verse 38 Paul says, "Therefore let it be known to you, brethren, that through this Man is preached to you the forgiveness of sins." Paul is teaching about Christ and His forgiveness of sin. Believe and follow Jesus because the Law cannot save you; only by Jesus can you be forgiven of sin and saved from damnation. Jews believed that the law of Moses and obeying the law would save them. But the law cannot because one has to be perfect in the law to save them. No one is perfect [sinless] no not one [Romans 3:10]. Paul further says that one who believes in Jesus Christ and what He did [the Gospel message of the Atonement] is accepted by God and free from sin. Jesus came to save sinners.
Jesus sacrificed Himself to pay for our sins, since we could not pay for them ourselves; "For the wages of sin is death , but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord" [Romans 6:23]. He took the punishment so that we could be forgiven and receive life eternal when we believe in Him and what He did for us. Unrepentant sinners who have not been forgiven cannot get into Heaven. It is by our faith in Jesus, His atoning death and resurrection that we are saved by God's grace and not any type of "good works [Ephesians 2:8-10]. We are not saved by good works, but saved to do good works.
Follow Him and believe in Him with all of your heart, mind, soul and strength. Will you sacrifice yourself for Christ? Send me! Should be your response. Become a living sacrifice as Paul describes in Romans 12. Yes, send me! Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me” [Isaiah 6:8].