Believing and confessing: the two fundamental dimensions of faith
There are two fundamental dimensions of faith:
To obtain faith by listening to the Word of God;
To Release one’s faith by confessing from one’s mouth or acting on the basis of the Word (the example of Peter walking on water).
The confession of our faith
The New Testament speaks of three kinds of confession: the confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ; the confession of his sins by the believer, to which this word makes us inevitably think; and the confession of his faith in the Word, in Christ and in God the Father.
Faith does not exist without the confession of faith; faith is expressed by confession and grows with confession.
The believer’s confession reveals where he is on spiritual and natural levels. It also sets the limits of his life because he’ll never get more than what he said.
Statements of faith create realities; confession precedes possession.
Romans 10: 9-11 « 9That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. » KJV
Why must our confession be oral and public? We make this statement of faith not only for ourselves, but also for our surroundings and for Satan who has ruled our lives in the past. Our confession is a firm stand which also shows that we have changed our sovereign. When we proclaim that Jesus is our Lord, we are immediately under His control, care and protection.
Faith for salvation
Salvation belongs to everyone. Every person on earth has the legal right to be saved because it is for the whole world that Jesus died. This truth, announced to the sinner, will then give birth to faith.
When he believes in Jesus Christ and confesses his faith in Him, he creates in his own life and through his faith, the reality of what he believes.
It is through the preaching of faith and by witness that the world becomes aware of its loss. The whole world is potentially saved, but to be saved it must accept Christ. In the face of God’s grace, man must manifest his faith in Jesus Christ.
All of us who have believed without having seen are even more blessed than those who saw before believing.
