UNDERSTANDING SALVATION - PART 8

CONFESS, REPENT OR BELIEVE?

This is another critical issue we need to look at closely. Since we have established that salvation can only be received but faith in Christ Jesus from lessons 3 and 4, what about other things attached to receiving salvation like REPENTANCE and CONFESSION? 

REPENTANCE

The word repentance means TO CHANGE one’s mind

Repentance does not mean that you should smash yourself on the floor and begin to cry about your sins

Repentance does not include any form of restitution

Repentance simply means changing your mid and believing the gospel.

The original word used for repentance in the word of God is metanous and that’s it meaning, meta means Change, nous is the mind. It is the English dictionary that has a different meaning for the word, which many have adopted in the church today. The original word used in the scriptures simply means changing of the mind about something.

Have you seen the scripture in the book of Exodus talking about GOD repenting?

So if the word was used for God, then surely it is not related to sin or restitution or whatever we have called it today.

Now repentance which is changing of one’s mind is a simultaneously activity with believing during salvation.

When you repent, you believe at the same time.

They are not two separate events

Repentance and believing goes hand in hand. You repent in your mind, you also believe in your mind.

There is no difference!

Jesus Christ, John the Baptist and Peter used the word more often than anyone in the bible during their preaching because they were almost all the time preaching to STUBBORN Jews who would not believe the son of a carpenter as Jesus Christ. Paul is not conversant with the word at all. on the other hand , they all used the word BELIEVE.

Believing the gospel has repentance attached to it. It is simultaneous and does not involve the confession of sins or feeling guilty for sins.

CONFESSION

According to Romans 10, it says one must CONFESS with the MOUTH and BELIEVE in the HEART

We are OKAY with the word BELIEVE, and of course it further said that - with the heart, a man believes unto righteousness and with the mouth a man confesses unto salvation

So what about those who cannot confess? Like the DUMB?

Remember that Paul specifically mentioned “mouth” for confession and “heart” for believing

Now this is the problem which only contextual meaning and proper division of the word of God can solve.

In lesson 6, we learnt about the tenses of salvation. In it is the solution to this problem.

The salvation mentioned in this passage is not the born again experience. You can only be born again, receive eternal life or receive the righteousness of God by BELIEVING the GOSPEL and BELIEVING ALONE. You cannot receive eternal life by CONFESSION!

You would notice how that this problem of confessing with the mouth for salvation occurred only ONCE in this passage throughout the entire bible. No one ever asked anyone to confess to be saved, not even Paul throughout his missionary days.

So our misinterpretation of this verse is in the meaning of the words "CONFESS" and "SALVATION"

The word confess in the passage goes beyond talking, it means “to make covenant with or to acknowledge” so confessing Jesus is not just speaking, it is an activity that is rooted in the heart. Therefore it is also simultaneous with believing. For you to hear the gospel and believe, you have repented and have confessed Jesus as your savior also. All is rooted from the same heart. So the confession in the passage is not necessarily in words.

But PAUL mentioned MOUTH? Yes. See verse 8, it says the word of faith is there in our MOUTH and OUR HEART, so it is a matter of option. We can have the confession both in the heart and in the mouth.

So a DUMB can be saved, as well as a DEAF if they can hear the gospel and BELIEVE in the heart.

Again, Paul said the confession is made unto salvation….

So what salvation is Paul referring to?

It is the salvation of the soul, the alignment of the believer with the Holy Spirit and the release of what is deposited in the spirit of the believer at salvation.

The salvation that confession with the MOUTH can address is the salvation from the motions of sins in our daily life. That is, if you confess to people around you that you are saved, you would help yourself in overcoming the promptings of the flesh.

Confession establishes faith the more, the more you confess your faith, the more you free yourself from addictions and sinful desires. Confession of who are in Christ Jesus is the key to overcoming any struggle you may encounter in the flesh.

Confession is needed for the salvation of the soul. That is what Paul is saying. He is not saying that you must confess to receive eternal life! No! Eternal life is received only by believing. It is a believer that can now confess their righteousness in Christ Jesus in other to save their soul, which is what the context is saying.

Let’s nail it…

See how Paul said later in the passage…

For whosoever call upon the name of the Lord will be saved, notice that before he said whosoever confesses will be saved

Now we know that "calling" = "confessing"…since he said both of them will bring salvation

In other to be sure that the salvation is not the born again experience... See what he said next about the calling

HOW SHALL THEY CALL ON HIM WHOM THEY HAVE NOT BELIEVED? How shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard?

You see? so they must
1. Hear
2. Believe
3. Call

So the confession unto salvation that Paul is talking about is something that must be done after BELIEVING. So it is an after-born-again thing. It is the salvation of the soul. It is the act of trusting God for the outworking power of the Holy Spirit in attending to the weaknesses, addictions and challenges of the flesh

ETERNAL LIFE can only be received by BELIEVING the FINISHED WORKS of the Cross.

REPENTANCE and CONFESSION are necessary, you can practice them but none of it is a BASIC REQUIREMENT for ETERNAL LIFE..