CONFESSION: KEY TO UNLOCKING THE GOD KIND OF FAITH !

CONFESSION: KEY TO UNLOCKING THE GOD KIND OF FAITH; Confessing the Lordship of Jesus Christ is the very heart of the gospel. Confessing God's Word brings about possession of the things that you confess concerning the promises of God's Word ! Few believers or Christians realize the place that confession holds in God's scheme of things. And it is to be regretted that whenever we use the word "confession," people invariably think of confessing sins, weaknesses, and failings. This is what they have developed themselves in ! That is the negative side of confession. That is a positive side, and the Bible has more to say about the positive aspects of confession than the negative ! The dictionary says that to confess means "to acknowledge or to own, to acknowledge faith in." To confess, according to the dictionary, means to make confession of one's faults, but it also says it means to make confession of one's faith. There are four kinds of confessions spoken of in the New Testament: (1) the teaching of John the Baptist and Jesus regarding confession of sins of the Jew; (2) the confession of the sinner today; (3) the believers confession of his or her sins when he or she is out of fellowship with God; and (4) the confession of our faith in God's Word. CONFESSION OF SINS OF THE JEWS Hebrews: it is important to make the distinction between the sins of the Jew under the first covenant, to whom Jesus and John the Baptist were talking in Scripture, and the sins of the unbeliever today who has never met Christ. Yes many know about Christ but have not met Christ. (Matthew 3:5--6) "Then went out to him Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region round about Judea, and were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins. Here we see the picture of God's covenant people confessing their sins and being baptized by John. This was not Christian or believers baptism. Jesus had not died and risen. John did not baptize in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He baptize only in the name of the Father. These people were Jewish Hebrew under the law. CONFESSION OF THE SINNER TODAY: (Matthew 16:7-11) "Nevertheless I tell you the truth; it is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment; of sin, because they believe not on me; of righteousness, because I go to my Father and you see me no more; of judgment, because the prince of this world is judged."