Confess With Your Mouth

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.

Romans 10:9-10

SOMETIMES SEEKERS ASK, “What are the critical steps I need to take to become a Christian?” Here, Paul capsulizes the whole process in two very strong statements.

First, we need to believe in Jesus. Believe what? That he’s God incarnate. That he rules the universe. That he died on the cross for our sins and extends to us all the rights and privileges of belonging to him. That he rose from the dead physically and can never die again. That he reigns now from heaven at God’s right hand. And that he will come again and take us back to his home forever.

New believers do not need to understand the lengths and depths of all those statements. In fact, all they may really comprehend is that Jesus died for their sins. But that’s the starting point of belief.

The second step is to confess Jesus as Lord. This is the public part of the private act of believing. The truth is that it’s not enough to believe silently while sitting by your fireplace or reading in bed or even when attending church. No, God wants you to confess your faith in Jesus in a public way, whether it’s to a small group of friends, in a church service, or before a stadium-packed rally led by a famous evangelist. Even to one other person is fine. But you should and must let the world know: “I’m new inside”; I believe in Jesus”; “I’m going to follow him.”

That seals it forever as far as God is concerned.