By: Robert Serreyn
Question? Must I profess Christ openly to be saved?
Answer: A BIG NO!!!
SADLY and MOST christians have been LEAD TO BELIEVE falsely and taught by their church or pastor that in order to be considered saved a person must confess Christ openly (usually in church, by coming forward).
The truth is… NO WHERE in scripture is a person ever commanded to “Confess Christ for Salvation”.
The ONLY THING a person MUST DO to be saved is BELIEVE ON THE LORD JESUS CHRIST period, nothing more, nothing less.
(Acts 16:31) And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
Those that teach a public profession for “Evidence of Saving Faith” get this by PULLING OUT OF CONTEXT both Matthew 10:32,33 and Romans 10:9,10.
Both of these verses are about Profession of Faith AFTER salvation NOT FOR or Evidence of.
MATTHEW 10:32 & 33
In the beginning of chapter 10 we learn that Jesus is talking to his twelve disciples, so the WHOM is Christians, the Context or Subject CANNOT BE about salvation.
ALL but one is saved, therefore the main emphasis of the preceding and after mentioned verses must be dealing strictly with our testimony or service to the Lord and before people.
V8 – They are to heal the sick, raise the dead, cast out demons (give proof that Christ is the Messiah),
V16 – Sent out as sheep in the midst of wolves (giving out the gospel and the truth of God’s Word amongst satan’s false preachers and doctrines.
V22 – Who endures to the end will be saved (not for salvation, but kept alive to the end of their ministry for however long God needs to and can use them).
V26 – Told not to fear them that may do harm to them because of the truth of the gospel and word of God exposing there false doctrines,
V29 – 31 – told that not one thing that happens to them is not seen by God, and they are more valuable then sparrows if they remain faithful to the truth.
V32 – whoever confesses Him before men (gives testimony about Christ as the promised Messiah) The Lord willl confess them before God the Father (give testimony to God for blessings here on earth, and for rewards in heaven)
V33 – But whoever denies (will not give testimony that Christ is the promised Messiah) then the Lord will deny them before God the Father (will not give testimony for their service before God for blessings on earth and for rewards in heaven). after walking through chapter 10 the whole Whom and Context is about Service/testimony before God and men.
ROMANS 10: 9 & 10
The Problem with using Romans 10:9, & 10 for salvation is that these verses apply to the Nation of Israel, If you read the first eight verses of Chapter Ten this would be apparent to that statement.
we are NEVER told to CONFESS ANYTHING as a condition to be saved. only to BELIEVE – Acts 16:31, John 3:16.
A break down of V9:
“That 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.”
1. If Thou = Nation of Israel
2. Confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus:
To give testimony that Jesus Is God in the flesh. and Raised from the dead.
Confess (give testimony) to that belief to their lost fellow Jews
Now Lets examine V10:
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation”.
1: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness:
Salvation in God’s eyes – 2 Corinthians 5:21
The Heart is the Greek word KARDIA and it refers to a persons Mind or Intellect.
2. with the mouth confession is made unto salvation:
Salvation in Man’s eyes – Giving witness of what has ALREADY taken place.
It was God’s plan to use the Nation of Israel to share the Gospel (1 Corinthians 15:1-4) to the rest of the world but when they rejected Christ as their Messiah John 1:11, God then went to the Gentiles to declare the gospel to the whole world – Mark 16:15.
(1 Corinthians 15:1 – 4) Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; (2) By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. (3) For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; (4) And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures.
(John 1:11) He came unto his own, and his own received him not.
(Mark 16:15) And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
In Conclusion:
ANYTHING you do as a CONDITION to be saved or add to as Evidence of Saving Faith IS A WORK which voids salvation.
we are NEVER told to CONFESS ANYTHING as a condition to be saved. only to BELIEVE by trusting in alone the Death, Burial, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ and his complete payment for our sins personally on the cross.
The MOST IMPORTANT thing to know IS Jesus Christ as savior, just simply believe that Jesus Christ went to the cross and DIED and shed his blood, was BURIED and three days later RESURRECTED from the dead to pay for your sins.
-Christ DIED for you – Romans 5:8
-Christ PAID your sins in full – 2 Corinthians 5:21,1 Peter 2:24
-BELIEVE (Trust In Completely) in Christ ALONE as the complete payment of sin for salvation – John 3:16, Acts 16:31, Ephesians 2:8,9
“For the wages(payment) of sin is death (eternal torment in hell); but the GIFT(salvation) of God is eternal life THROUGH Jesus Christ our Lord”. Romans 6:23
IT IS THAT SIMPLE – THE GOSPEL TRUTH