First thing I would look at is this (to understand that some Hebrew words carried more "meaning" then other languages:
Deuteronomy 18:18-19, "I (YHWH) will raise up for them a Prophet (Yahshua/Jesus) like you from among their brothers, and I will put My words in His mouth, and He will tell them everything I command Him. Whoever will not listen to My words, which He speaks in My Name, I will judge him for it"
"listen" is word #8085 שָׁמַע shama` {shaw-mah'}
Brown-Driver-Briggs (Old Testament Hebrew-English Lexicon)
A primitive root; to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively to tell, etc.)
Hebrew Word Study (Transliteration-Pronunciation Etymology & Grammar) - 1) to hear, listen to, obey
SO the word "listen" means to hear AND obey.
and the Messiah directly reflects this thought here:
John 5:24, "Most certainly I tell you, he who hears my word, and believes him who sent me, has eternal life, and doesn't come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life."
John 12:48, "He who rejects Me, and does not follow My words has One Who judges him. The word that I have spoken, the same will be used to judge him in the last day."
They put no difference between believing and doing... 1 word same meaning.
The writer of Hebrews also has this thought:
Heb 3:16-19, "For some, when they had heard, rebelled. But not all rebelled who came out of Egypt through Mosheh. But with whom was He angry forty years? Was it not with those who sinned, whose corpses fell in the wilderness? And to whom did He vow that they would not enter into His rest, but to those who did not obey? So we see that they could not enter in because of unbelief."
Believe in John 3:16 is word
#G4100 - pisteuó Strong's Concordance
pisteuó: to believe, entrust
Original Word: πιστεύω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: pisteuó
Phonetic Spelling: (pist-yoo'-o)
Short Definition: I believe, have faith in
Definition:
I believe, have faith in, trust in; pass: I am entrusted with.
FAITH in the NT is word;
4102 - pistisStrong's Concordance
pistis: faith, faithfulness
Original Word: πίστις, εως, ἡ
Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine
Transliteration: pistis
Phonetic Spelling: (pis'-tis)
Short Definition: faith, belief, trust
Definition:
faith, belief, trust, confidence; fidelity, faithfulness
This, belief and faith is a life long thing, not I woke up one morning and believed and im fully sealed now, done I can do anything now, and then I changed my mind but Im still saved.
I think we have been very trained to think of faith and belief in a modern sense and miss the majority of the beauty within.
Lets let the Scriptures show us, because they explain better then any man!
Hebrews 3:14 ESV
"For we have come to share in Christ, if indeed we hold our original confidence firm to the end."
Revelation 2:10 ESV
"Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life."
Romans 13:11-14 ESV
Besides this you know the time, that the hour has come for you to wake from sleep. For salvation is nearer to us now than when we first believed. The night is far gone; the day is at hand. So then let us cast off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us walk properly as in the daytime, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in sexual immorality and sensuality, not in quarreling and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.
Matthew 10:22 ESV
"And you will be hated by all for my name's sake. But the one who endures to the end will be saved."
1 Corinthians 10:13 ESV
"No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it."
Revelation 2:17 ESV
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers (overcomes) I will give some of the hidden manna, and I will give him a white stone, with a new name written on the stone that no one knows except the one who receives it."
Revelation 2:7 ESV
"He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To the one who conquers (overcomes) I will grant to eat of the tree of life, which is in the paradise of God."
James 1:12 ESV
"Blessed is the man who remains steadfast under trial, for when he has stood the test he will receive the crown of life, which God has promised to those who love him."
Hebrews 6:4-6 ESV
"For it is impossible, in the case of those who have once been enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, and have shared in the Holy Spirit, and have tasted the goodness of the word of God and the powers of the age to come, and then have fallen away, to restore them again to repentance, since they are crucifying once again the Son of God to their own harm and holding him up to contempt."
NASB Romans 13:11-14, "Do this, knowing the time, that it is already the hour for you to awaken from sleep; for now salvation is nearer to us than when we believed. The night is almost gone, and the day is near. Therefore let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light. Let us behave properly as in the day, not in carousing and drunkenness, not in sexual promiscuity and sensuality, not in strife and jealousy. But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh in regard to its lusts."
James 5:8, "You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near."
Look at the world around us... is this not a test?
Psalm 11:4. " YHWH is in His holy temple; YHWH'S throne is in heaven; His eyes behold, His eyelids test the sons of men."
Of course it is, to see He is fit to enter the kingdom and who is not....
Luke 21:28
"Now when these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.”
Much of the world has been given a half message, "a gospel of John, a repeat after me prayer, and their "ticket to heaven stamped"
Accepting Him and His Sacrifice is only the beginning of the journey.... we are His sheep He is our Shepherd, sheep follow their Shepherd...
Psalm 110:1, "Yahweh(#3068) said to my Ruler and King(#113): Sit at My right hand, until I make Your enemies Your footstool."
3068 [e] Yah-weh יהוה The LORD
3068 - YHWH
Yhwh: the proper name of the God of Israel
Original Word: יְהֹוָה
Part of Speech: Proper Name
Transliteration: Yhwh
Phonetic Spelling: (yah-weh/yah-hu-wah/yeh-ho-vaw)
Short Definition: YHWH
113 [e] la-ḏō-nî, לַֽאדֹנִ֗י to my Lord
113. adon
Strong's Concordance
adon: lord
Original Word: אָדוֹן
Part of Speech: Noun Masculine
Transliteration: adon
Phonetic Spelling: (aw-done')
Short Definition: lord
Hebrews 4:1-15, "Seeing then that we have a great High Priest Who has ascended into the heavens: Yahshua the Son of Yahweh, let us hold fast our profession. For we do not have a High Priest Who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all ways tempted as we are--yet was without sin."
Hebrews 9:11-12, "But the Messiah came near as a High Priest over the righteous things to come, with the great and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation;Nor through the blood of goats and calves, but through His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once, for all, having obtained eternal redemption."
1 Timothy 2:5, "For One is Yahweh; and One Mediator between Yahweh and men: the Man, Yahshua Messiah."
1 Timothy 2:5, "For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus."
Isayah 59:15-21, "Yes, truth is suppressed; and he who departs from evil is accounted as mad. Yahweh saw this, and it displeased Him that there was no justice. But He saw no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor. Therefore His own arm brought salvation for Him, and His own righteousness, it sustained Him. For He put on righteousness as a breastplate, with a helmet of salvation on His head; He put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and He wrapped Himself with zeal like a tallit. According to their deeds, accordingly He will repay--fury to His adversaries, recompense to His enemies; to the islands; nations, He will repay recompense. So they will reverence the Name of Yahweh from the west and His glory from the rising of the sun; when our enemies will come in like a flood, the Spirit of Yahweh will lift up a standard against them; The Redeemer will depart from Zion for those of Yaaqob who repent of their sins! declares Yahweh. As for Me, this is My covenant with them, says Yahweh: My Spirit which is upon you, namely My Words which I have put in your mouth; they will not depart from your mouth, nor from the mouth of your seed, nor from the mouth of your seed's seed, says Yahweh: from this time and forevermore."
1 John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us."
Proverbs 28:13 “He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy.”
Leviticus 5:5 , "when anyone becomes aware that they are guilty in any of these matters, they must confess in what way they have sinned."
"Mega preacher" Joseph Prince preaches a doctrine of, "no confession" to the Creator. I personally believe Scripture foretold this;
1 Timothy 4:1-2, "Now the Spirit speaks very plainly, that in the latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits and doctrines of demons Speaking lies in hypocrisy, having their conscience seared as with a hot iron"
Yeremyah 17:9, "The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked; who can know it?"
1 Corinthians 4:4-5, "For I know nothing by myself; yet by this I am not justified, for He Who judges me is Yahweh! Therefore, judge nothing before the time. Wait until Yahshua comes, Who will bring to light the things hidden in darkness, and will reveal the secret intentions of men's hearts; and then each man will receive praise from Yahweh."
2 Timothy 4:3-4, “For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine, but after their own lusts they will heap to themselves teachers, who will tickle their ears, and they will turn away their ears from the truth, and be turned to fables.”
Scripture is very clear, we should confess our sins to our the Creator of the heavens and earth.
1 John 1:8-10, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His Law is not in us."
What is confession?
acknowledgement.
Acknowledgement before the Creator that we have error-ed and know its wrong.
In Biblical times a lot of the follower of Yah prayed with open hands, this does not make them special, but rather is a admittance, showing the sin on our "hands."
Isayah 59:Behold, Yahweh's hand is not shortened, that it cannot save; nor His ear heavy, that it cannot hear. But your own iniquities have separated you from your Father; and your own sins have caused Him to hide His face from you, so He will not listen. For your hands are defiled with blood, and your fingers with iniquity; sin. Your lips have spoken lies, your tongue has muttered perverseness."
Lamentation 3:41, "Let us lift our hearts along with our hands to Yahweh in heaven."
Daniyl 4:37, "Now I, Nebuchadnezzar, praise and worship with uplifted hands, and honor Yahweh in heaven, Whose every work is truth, and His ways judgment; and those who walk in pride, He is able to abase; humble."
Psalm 141:2, "May our prayers be set before You like incense. May the lifting up of our hands be like the evening sacrifice."
1 Timothy 2:8, "Therefore, I will that men everywhere are to lift up holy hands in prayer, without anger or doubting."
Daniyl 12:7, "Then I heard the man clothed in linen, who on that future day is teaching, when he held up his right hand and his left hand toward heaven, and vowed by Him Who lives forever, that: It will be for a time, times, and a half, when Yahweh will have accomplished pouring out His power through His holy people, all these things will be finished."
Psalm 134:1-3, "Behold, bless Yahweh, all you servants of Yahweh, who stand by night in The House of Yahweh! Raise your hands in the sanctuary, and bless Yahweh! May Yahweh, Who made heaven and earth, bless you out of Zion!
Again, this does not make them special, but rather is a admittance, showing the sin on our "hands." Just like baptism is an outward gesture of inward faith, not saying any have to do, just showing what is in Scripture concerning this topic, My personal view is that since HE created us, HE knows how we work, so doing this hepls properly wire the brain so as not to be a sociopath, but rather admit and be humbled by our error. JMO.
