What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 4} - Ben Bailey
What Must I do to be Saved? {Part 4}
The fourth step in God’s plan of salvation is confession. The Apostle Paul reminded the Roman Christians that “with the heart, one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:10). From this text it is evident that confession is an important part of the plan of salvation. Let’s take just a moment to see exactly what the Bible teaches about confession.
A Confession of Faith in Christ. When one confesses that Jesus is the Christ, he is confessing his faith in the Son of God to save him (Acts 8:36-37). A true follower of Christ will not be ashamed to be called a Christian in any situation. Paul said, “I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ…” (Rom. 1:16). When we confess our faith in Christ, it is a faithfulness we will never deny even if our life is at stake (Rev. 2:10). During the first century Christians often faced death by affirming their faith in Christ. One such story is that of Polycarp. Polycarp was taken before the Roman counsel and asked to deny faith in Christ. With great boldness Polycarp looked at the counsel that held his life in their hands and responded, “For Eighty and six years my Lord has not denied me, how can I then deny Him?” How great it would be if all Christians made the great confession with this much conviction!
A Confession of Faithfulness to Christ. An individual’s confession of Christ also means that he is willing to faithfully follow the Lord every day of his life. Jesus said, "Therefore whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, him I will also deny before My Father who is in heaven” (Mt. 10:32-33). The confession Jesus is speaking of here is not just simply naming the name of Christ. Jesus had already told many of these people that just simply saying “Lord” would not save anyone (Luke 6:46; Mt. 7:21). In this text, Jesus is talking about a confession of faith in Him through one’s actions. When I confess Jesus is the Son of God, I am confessing to follow him faithfully all the days of my life. Confession is more than a one-time act, it is a continual walk in the steps of the Savior (1 Peter 2:21).
Like the Ethiopian Eunuch may we have the courage to say, "I Believe Jesus is the Christ the Son of the Living God" and back that up by the way we live faithful to Him (Acts 8:36-37). Stay tuned to our next post, as we discuss the next step in God's Plan of Salvation: Baptism.
To learn more about the complete Plan of Salvation check out this video: