2. WHAT IS THE BOLD CONFESSION?

“Death and life are in the power of the tongue” (Proverbs 18:21). It is evident from this Scripture portion and many others like it that what we say by means of the tongue has great power to affect life. These Scriptures show us that it means even death or life. It is little understood how very important are the things we say and the things we confess. 

We are so used to speaking idly instead of weighing our speech, that much is said by us that we are not even aware of afterwards. Even more important to everyone is the truth that what we say even idly is affecting us and others even to life and death. 

We are constantly confessing one thing or another. We are constantly confessing the things we most surely believe about God, ourselves, others, the universe and our place in it. That which we confess actually becomes that which molds the path of the usefulness and the outcome of our lives. Is it any wonder then that God’s Word has so much to say about the power of the words spoken by the tongue. It is the truly inspired Word of God that says, “let every man be swift to hear and slow to speak.” 

Let us then venture together into an understanding of the power of confession — both good confession and bad confession. Let us adventure together into the knowledge of one of God’s ways of producing in us His bounty, His blessing, and His divine nature. 

A Three-part Principle

Revealed through the teaching of God’s Word are three basic concepts concerning what we call the “Bold Confession”. We read in Romans 10:9,10 — “that if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and will believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart, man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation.” 

This Scripture reveals to us two parts of a three-part principle. The two parts revealed are believing and confession. For the third part, we look to James 2:24 — “You see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.” You should also read James 2:14-26.

Stating the principle then, we find three things that form one action:
(1) You are to believe something in your heart, the deepest part of your being. This is that which God has revealed to you by his Word.
(2) What you believe in your heart you are to confess with your mouth. 

(3) This is an extension of your confession — you are to act upon it. This is how you begin your practice of the Word of God stated simply as, the “Bold Confession”. 

Everything that comes to you from God — even salvation — comes by means of this truth. For example, you establish your identity as a son of God in this way. Let us consider this Scripture, “As many as received Him, to them gave He power to becomes the sons of God, even to them that believe on His name” (John 1:12). 

You would practice the first part of this truth by believing something in your heart. You believe the Scripture. You have gone a little further — you believe on His name and you realize that you have received Him, therefore you have received power to become a son of God. Then it is right that you take the next step, that of confessing it. 

I am a Christian because I believed on His Name, received Him, and thus believe that I am a son of God. Thus, you have established your identity. 

It remains for you to go forward and act upon that confession. God wants us to know — and then confess — who we are, what we are, and what we can do in Christ. You find this in the Word of God. For example, as to what you can do, the Scripture says, “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me” (Phil. 4:13). 

All things concerning yourself become true at the moment that you receive the Lord Jesus into your heart. However, it may take a while before there is a manifestation of these things in your life because you must not only receive Christ, but you must now believe those things are true which He says about you. Confess those things about yourself as your truth. 

Finally, the third thing is, you must act upon them. If you receive Jesus Christ into your heart, you become a son of God. However, most people, even though they are saved, have no understanding of all the divine power that sonship confers upon them. 

There are two facets of becoming a son of God:
(1) That relationship conferred upon you immediately through faith as you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ.
(2) The Bible refers to the fact that you became a babe in Christ when you are newly born into the kingdom of God. As a babe, you need to be instructed on how to becomes a mature son of God. I think this is why Jesus said: “to become sons of God.”. While sonship is immediately established when you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, you become a mature son only as you learn to walk in Him and thus confirm your identity. 

Your Bold Confession – A Son of God with Power

God wants you to understand and to confess who you are and what you are in Christ as a son of God. He wants you to know all the powers, privileges and glory you possess as His child. Jesus tells us that all power in heaven and earth has been given to Him, and as His sons and daughters, He has given this power to us. 

The Bible says that as He is right now, so are we in this present world. (I John 4:17). I am not fully able to understand all that He is, but I know that all things are subdued unto Him and that the Father has placed everything under His feet (I Cor. 15, 27, 28). This should be your “Bold Confession”.

“…it does not yet appear what we shall be; but we know that, when He shall appear, we shall be like Him; for we shall see Him as He is” (I John 3:2). Here we have the certainty of our identity as a Son of God. 

The Bible says that Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8) It also tells us that with God, the Father, there is no variableness either shadow of turning (James 1:17). 

These Scriptures indicate to us that though the world may change, and circumstances may change and will change, yet God himself can never change and His truth is unchangeable forever. This is a frame of reference you know will never change. Not only in this life, but throughout all eternity, it will remain the same. 

We constantly confess what we believe from the world’s store of knowledge. We confess what we have learned about science, about language, about dealings with life from the world’s store of knowledge. Yet we know that theories are overthrown and new knowledge comes along and overthrows the old. Still, we continue to confess these things as true. How much more certain we should be of confessing God’s eternal Word, and God’s eternal truth about us. So we should believe God’s truth, confess God’s truth, and act upon God’s truth. This is His plan in bringing His divine nature into our lives. 

First of all, you must believe in the depth of your heart what the Word of God says about you. Just as you receive information about your family and the world from your parents, you must receive this new and absolutely true knowledge from your Heavenly Father with the same blessed attitude of trust towards Him. 

The first thing God will teach you is that His Word is true. So come to Him to be taught out of His Word. As you sit at the Father’s feet, and at the feet of our blessed Lord Jesus, the Word of God will tell you many things about yourself. 

As you open your heart to the Spirit of Truth, the Holy Spirit, God’s Word will become a looking glass and you will begin to see yourself as God sees you. One of the first things God will tell you is that you are His son. While you have an earthly father, your Heavenly Father is the one to whom you must primarily relate. 

Therefore, confess right now out loud what the Bible says about you. Stop for a moment — say to yourself out loud, “I am a son of God through Jesus Christ. God is my Father and Jesus is not only my Lord and Savior, but my Brother.” 

As you confess this, believe it in your heart, just as you believed the information your parents and teachers gave you about your human identity. Keep confessing this until it is firmly established, and there is no thought in your mind that it is not true. 

You know who you are when you believe in Jesus as your Lord. You have this assurance when you hear from your Heavenly Father through the witness of the Holy Spirit. You may know that you are a son of God by the new birth, recreated after the image of Him that created you. 

This is your first “Bold Confession”. While you still don’t know what you can do or why you can do it, you know for the first time who you are in Christ.