Faith’s Confession

When you’ve received a “spoken word” (a rhema) from God and confident expectation has flooded your heart, the faith generated will compel you to act on it. Faith is active! Faith does! And the first thing it will do is speak.

The most foundational exercise concerning the power and importance of faith is understanding faith’s confession. Faith speaks! This principle is found every-where in the Bible. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and it will be done” [Matthew 21:21]. From Jesus’ own lips we receive the most direct and practical instruction regarding the correct application of our faith. In Mark 11:22,23 again Jesus says, “Have faith in God. For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Notice, your faith must be in God and nothing else. Faith that speaks is first faith that seeks. The Almighty One is the only source of your faith. Faith can only flow to God because His faithfulness flows from Him. Faith is a complete and absolute trust in the faithfulness of God.

Faith is not a trick performed by the lips. But rather, a spoken expression (or confession) emanating from an assured expectancy in your heart. The idea that faith’s confession is a formula for getting things from God is unbiblical. But the fact that faith demands a voice is true. When faith confesses (speaks out) what is flowing from the heart it becomes active and effective toward specific results. And when Jesus said “whatever things” He was indicating that you can apply this principle to every aspect of your life. The only restrictions are (a) that your faith be “in God,” in alignment with His will and word; and (b) that you believe and do not doubt in your heart.

Therefore, speaking to mountains is not a superstitious or vain exercise, or humanistic mind-science, but instead the applied release of God’s creative power in order to manifest His promises. Faith’s confession is dependent on a covenant relationship with God, and therefore, it is established at the point of salvation.

“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord' and believe with your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified (unto righteousness), and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (unto salvation)” [Rom. 10:8-10]. Notice, “It is with your mouth that you confess (literally - 'to speak the same thing') and are saved.”

Looking at this verse again: “It is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you 'speak the same thing' and are saved.” Speak the same thing as what? You must speak the same things that are in your heart, for it is in the heart that believing takes place. Therefore, if your heart is wrong your believing is wrong, and if your believing is wrong, then so too will your confession be wrong. And this will seriously affect the authenticity of your faith.

Remember, it all hinges on what you have “heard” from God and then “received” in your heart! Speaking the same things that are already rooted in the heart is potent because it’s the power of agreement in action. Whenever the heart and the mouth are in agreement (saying the same things) enormous power is released. After all, didn’t God speak the universe into existence?

Turn with me to Jeremiah 1:9-12 and you will see the divine power that God's words have. Notice, it was God's words that were put in the prophet's mouth that caused him “to uproot, tear down, to destroy and overthrow, to build and to plant.” The only thing God had given Jeremiah was His own words. But look again at verse 12, “For I am watching to see that My words are fulfilled.” The NKJ says, “For I am ready to perform My word.” A spoken word (rhema) from God, in your mouth is as effective as the spoken word in God’s own mouth. Why? Because He watches over His word to perform it – to ensure that it is fulfilled!

The abundant life that Christ promised is birthed in the heart, but it is released through the mouth. ”A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks” [Luke 6:44-46].

There are negative and positive sides to confession. For example, if one talks about “confession,” most people think of confessing sin, weakness, or failure. But the Word of God has much more to say about the positive side of confession than the negative side. If you were to grasp this, it would make a great difference to your life.

Romans 10:9 says, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus....” This is not referring to confessing sin, nor is it a confession of weakness. It’s a confession of the Lordship of Jesus Christ which carries authority in all three realms (heaven, earth and under the earth). In fact Christianity is called, “The Great Confession.” When faith speaks out (or confesses) what is flowing from the heart it becomes active and effective toward specific results. Such faith is truly dynamic.

For reference sake, let's now look at the various forms of confession mentioned in the New Testament:

It can be used as a declaration before man – Acts 24:14 and Hebrews 11:13.
One can confess by admitting guilt as a result of an inward conviction – 1 John 1:9
One can declare openly, by speaking out, the deep convictions and beliefs of the heart – Romans 10:9-10, 1 Timothy 6:12.
One can confess by way of celebrating with praise, giving thanks to His name – Hebrews 13:15.

But there are three main points that we have discovered which describe, and in turn help us to understand Biblical confession: (And these are what we’ve focused on)

Confession is something that affirms or solemnly declares what you already believe in your heart [Romans 10:9,10], and this confession is powerful enough to move mountains.
Confession is testifying or bearing witness or giving proof to something that God has revealed or spoken to you personally (a rhema), and these divine words are being watched over by the Almighty God, who is ready to perform them [Jeremiah 1:9-12].
Confession is 'subscribing' to a truth that you have passionately embraced. For instance, there should be continual confession or your redemption from Satan's dominion, and a confession of the truth that he no longer rules over you with condemnation, fear or disease. You are to “hold fast to your confession” [Hebrews 4:14] because when you subscribe to this truth you enforce Satan's defeat (and live in total victory).

To end, please turn with me to Hebrews 4:14, “Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast to our profession [or confession].” Literally, “Let us hold fast to saying the same thing.” Saying the same thing as whom? As Jesus! What does this mean - what is Jesus saying or confessing?

He is in the throne room representing us to the Father, and saying, “I died for them. I took their sins. I redeemed them. I became sin for their sin that they might become the righteousness of God in Me. I took their infirmities and bore their sickness. I delivered them from the power and authority of darkness. I made them new creatures.”

This is what you are to agree with! Your confession will either imprison you or set you free. It will either prosper you or keep you in poverty and lack. Your confession is a direct result of your believing, and your believing is a direct result of what you have received in your heart.

Chris Demetriou, 28/01/2007