Confessing the Name of Christ, Part 2
CONFESSING THE NAME OF CHRIST IS A CONDITION OF SALVATION: 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. (Romans 10:9-10) Confessing faith in Christ is a condition of salvation. The inhabitants of Jerusalem and all Judea came to John to be baptized by him in the Jordan River. These folks came confessing their sins. (Matthew 3:5-6)
After the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, the gospel was preached to a lost and dying world. Those who responded to the gospel confessed faith in Christ as the Son of God rather than confessing their sins. Philip was permitted to preach Jesus to the eunuch on the road leading from Jerusalem to Gaza. And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. (Acts 8:36-37) The preaching of the gospel produced faith in the eunuch. He expressed his desire to be baptized into Christ by asking a question. He wanted to know if anything would hinder (forbid, restrain) his being baptized. Philip informed him that if he believed (had faith in Christ) he could submit to baptism. The eunuch then confessed, with his mouth, faith in Christ as being the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. (Acts 8:38)
Many of you who read this article have been taught the need to confess Christ in order to be saved, but many of you have also been informed that baptism is not a requirement. For some, you have been taught that baptism is a work. If you submit to baptism it would amount to trying to be saved by meritorious works rather than by grace through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9) Mercy and grace is God’s part in the salvation of man. Faith, repentance, confession, and baptism are man’s part in God’s scheme of redemption. How are repentance and confession any less a work than submitting to our Lord in baptism? They are not. Did you know that Jesus even referred to faith as a work? Jesus answered and said unto them, This is the work of God, that ye believe on him whom he hath sent. (John 6:28-29) The same Jesus that commanded confession commanded baptism too. (Matthew 10:32-33; Mark 16:15-16) Why not follow the example of the eunuch in Acts chapter eight?
YOU WILL CONFESS CHRIST IN THE DAY OF JUDGMENT: The individual who fails to confess Christ in this life will confess Him in the day of judgment. Then, it will be too late! But why dost thou judge thy brother? or why dost thou set at nought thy brother? for we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ. For it is written, As I live, saith the Lord, every knee shall bow to me, and every tongue shall confess to God. So then every one of us shall give account of himself to God. (Romans 14:10-12) We encourage you to make that noble confession now, before the judgment, confessing him daily in your life. (Hebrews 3:1; 4:14; 10:23)