Confession
Definition - to bemoan, (be sorry and repent), to revere or worship, sacrifice of
praise, acknowledge the sin and look to God for deliverance, to acknowledge or
agree fully, stand boldly, to announce, declare, certify, rehearse, speak, tell, utter.
When you think of the word confession, you usually think of asking for forgiveness
of your sins, and even though that is true, it is not complete. Confession is an
admission, of guilt or sin; also a statement of religious belief. “To confess” can
mean to agree, to promise, or to admit something. Two types of confession occur
in the Bible. First, individuals confess that they have sinned and are therefore
guilty before God, often confessing a particular sin (Leviticus 5:5; I John 1:9). In
such confession one agrees or acknowledges that he or she has broken God’s
Law (Psalms 119:126), that its penalty is justly deserved (Romans 6:23), and that
in some specific way God’s standard of holiness has not been met (Matthew 5:48).
Second, individuals confess that God is God and the He rules the world (I
Chronicles 29:10-13), that He is faithful in showing His love and kindness and that
He has helped His people (Psalms 105:1-6). Such confession or agreement,
expressed publicly in worship or song, is spoken of in the Old Testament as
“blessing the Lord”.
In the Old Testament times the high priest would confess the sins of the whole
nation (Leviticus 16;21); the nation of Israel was expected to confess when it had
rebelled against the law of God (II Chronicles 7:14). Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah
confessed their nation’s sins, agreeing with God that His punishment of the people
was just, yet praying for God’s mercy and deliverance (Daniel 9:20; Ezra 10:11;
Nehemiah 1:6).
The two types of confession are often combined in the Bible, producing many
psalms of thanksgiving (Psalms 51, 107:17-21). The same Hebrew word means
both “praise”, and “confession of sin”; the two meanings were part of a single
concept. The Psalmist began by admitting sin and God’s justice, and he ended by
confessing God’s forgiveness and delivering power. The Bible also uses the word
“confession” to describe an open, bold, and courageous proclamation of one’s
faith. The apostle Paul wrote “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 to righteousness and with the mouth confession is
made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Both those meanings also occur in the New Testament. Christians confess that is,
they declare as a matter of conviction that Jesus is the Christ and that they belong
to Him. “Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also
before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Not to confess Christ is the
same as denying Him (Luke 12:8, Revelation 3:5). The Christian therefore begins
with a confession of faith, a public declaration before witnesses. An additional
dimension of the Christian’s confession is provided in I John 4:2; one must confess
that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,” that is, acknowledge Jesus’ divinity and
preexistence as the Son of God, as well as Jesus’ humanity and incarnation (John
1:14). The Greek word “confession” literally means “saying the same thing”. The
Christian’s good confession is modeled after the pattern of what Paul spoke to
Timothy (I Timothy 6:11-13).
Jesus told us “My Words are Spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). And because
“death and life are in the power of the tongue”, when you speak His words you are
speaking life unto yourself and others. We are also told that the “Word is seed”,
so what’s growing in your life? Hebrews 3:1 says “Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our
confession, Christ Jesus”. “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
(confession). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but, was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). Then again it
says “and having an High priest over the house of God. Let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised); and let us
consider one another to provoke to love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:21-24).
What’s coming out of your mouth is shaping your life, if you don’t like what you are
seeing, then change the confession of your mouth. Speak the word of God and
create life in your life.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 23, 2007
Definition - to bemoan, (be sorry and repent), to revere or worship, sacrifice of
praise, acknowledge the sin and look to God for deliverance, to acknowledge or
agree fully, stand boldly, to announce, declare, certify, rehearse, speak, tell, utter.
When you think of the word confession, you usually think of asking for forgiveness
of your sins, and even though that is true, it is not complete. Confession is an
admission, of guilt or sin; also a statement of religious belief. “To confess” can
mean to agree, to promise, or to admit something. Two types of confession occur
in the Bible. First, individuals confess that they have sinned and are therefore
guilty before God, often confessing a particular sin (Leviticus 5:5; I John 1:9). In
such confession one agrees or acknowledges that he or she has broken God’s
Law (Psalms 119:126), that its penalty is justly deserved (Romans 6:23), and that
in some specific way God’s standard of holiness has not been met (Matthew 5:48).
Second, individuals confess that God is God and the He rules the world (I
Chronicles 29:10-13), that He is faithful in showing His love and kindness and that
He has helped His people (Psalms 105:1-6). Such confession or agreement,
expressed publicly in worship or song, is spoken of in the Old Testament as
“blessing the Lord”.
In the Old Testament times the high priest would confess the sins of the whole
nation (Leviticus 16;21); the nation of Israel was expected to confess when it had
rebelled against the law of God (II Chronicles 7:14). Daniel, Ezra, and Nehemiah
confessed their nation’s sins, agreeing with God that His punishment of the people
was just, yet praying for God’s mercy and deliverance (Daniel 9:20; Ezra 10:11;
Nehemiah 1:6).
The two types of confession are often combined in the Bible, producing many
psalms of thanksgiving (Psalms 51, 107:17-21). The same Hebrew word means
both “praise”, and “confession of sin”; the two meanings were part of a single
concept. The Psalmist began by admitting sin and God’s justice, and he ended by
confessing God’s forgiveness and delivering power. The Bible also uses the word
“confession” to describe an open, bold, and courageous proclamation of one’s
faith. The apostle Paul wrote “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 to righteousness and with the mouth confession is
made to salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).
Both those meanings also occur in the New Testament. Christians confess that is,
they declare as a matter of conviction that Jesus is the Christ and that they belong
to Him. “Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also
before My Father which is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32). Not to confess Christ is the
same as denying Him (Luke 12:8, Revelation 3:5). The Christian therefore begins
with a confession of faith, a public declaration before witnesses. An additional
dimension of the Christian’s confession is provided in I John 4:2; one must confess
that “Jesus Christ has come in the flesh,” that is, acknowledge Jesus’ divinity and
preexistence as the Son of God, as well as Jesus’ humanity and incarnation (John
1:14). The Greek word “confession” literally means “saying the same thing”. The
Christian’s good confession is modeled after the pattern of what Paul spoke to
Timothy (I Timothy 6:11-13).
Jesus told us “My Words are Spirit and they are life” (John 6:63). And because
“death and life are in the power of the tongue”, when you speak His words you are
speaking life unto yourself and others. We are also told that the “Word is seed”,
so what’s growing in your life? Hebrews 3:1 says “Wherefore, holy brethren,
partakers of the heavenly calling, consider the Apostle and High Priest of our
confession, Christ Jesus”. “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
(confession). For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the
feeling of our infirmities; but, was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without
sin. Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain
mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:14-16). Then again it
says “and having an High priest over the house of God. Let us draw near with a
true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil
conscience, and our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold fast the
profession of our faith without wavering; (for He is faithful that promised); and let us
consider one another to provoke to love and to good works” (Hebrews 10:21-24).
What’s coming out of your mouth is shaping your life, if you don’t like what you are
seeing, then change the confession of your mouth. Speak the word of God and
create life in your life.
Study by: Harriet Bond
Date: January 23, 2007
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