The idea that we must confess verbally is a new idea to me, I question that requirement. If God required it of all people, then all people would have that opportunity to verbally confess to other Christians, and there are humans that live in places that it is not possible. I am one. I live in a facility with no Christians around me, I'm wheelchair bound. I have outlived my friends.
The new testament does not list all sins Christ forgives us for, but the old testament lists every sin as Christ fulfilled the forgiveness offered. One group of sins are the sins we are not aware of. Christians cover these sins when they confess repentance of all sin, stating they turn from all sin and want to be sin free. You could not confess a sin you are not aware of.
The new testament does not list all sins Christ forgives us for, but the old testament lists every sin as Christ fulfilled the forgiveness offered. One group of sins are the sins we are not aware of. Christians cover these sins when they confess repentance of all sin, stating they turn from all sin and want to be sin free. You could not confess a sin you are not aware of.
In Ephesians 2:8 it is written, we are saved by grace through faith and that not of ourselves ...
Without faith, there is no Grace. And there is only one Faith or one kind of Godlike faith and it operates only one way, the same way, every time.
The Bible talks about Acts or works of faith and words of faith but not belief of faith, for faith without a corresponding action or work is, as James put it, dead.
I would also like to stress the difference between a work of faith versus a work of the flesh or work of the law as Paul called it. They are two different things entirely.
A work of the flesh or work of the law is something you can do without God's help, versus a work of faith is something you cannot do without the power of God or the hand of God operating in the situation.
The way Faith works is, you act on what you truly believe in your heart. It is a corresponding action to what you believe in your heart. Therefore, if you believe that if you confess Jesus as your lord and savior, you will saved and go to heaven, and you simply say that with your mouth, not necessarily before men, but certainly before God, then God is obligated to fulfill his word, which no man can do, and that is to take away or remove the Stony heart and give you a heart of flesh and put a new spirit within you along with his holy spirit. That is something no man can do. Therefore when you act on what you believe, God will fulfill that which you acted on, and not before. That is what faith is and how it works. As I said, it works one way only and the same way, every time without fail. But if you have any doubt or reservation or wonderment or wishing or hoping God will answer your request, again I say, absolutely nothing will happen. And if you don't act on said Faith or belief, then again, absolutely nothing will happen.
Have you ever read where Jesus cast out a spirit by simply believing, without any action? No, Jesus cast out spirits with his word, always. For it is written, his word was with power. And therefore, when we speak forth God's word, it is God's word itself that goes forth out of our mouth, and shall not return to us void, but shall accomplish that which we please, and prosper in the thing or person where to we sent it, which also applies to salvation. We are literally saved by the word of God we keep in our hearts.
Going back to confessing Jesus in order to be saved, have you read Romans 10: 8 - 10?
It basically says, if you believe in your heart and confess what you believe in your heart with your mouth, that is what shall come to pass. And yes Paul specifically mentioned salvation, but it applies to everything, for that is how Faith works. Faith must have a corresponding action, and speaking what you believe is a work, as well as a word of faith.
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