Romans 10:9 points to both belief and confession as central to salvation. What role does public declaration play in faith today? Join the conversation in Crosswalk Forums. #SalvationTruth#FaithAndConfession#JesusIsLord#christianforums#crosswalkforums#forums#crosswalk#faithcommunity#faithforums
You’ve probably heard it quoted: “If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9). But what does that really mean?
Is salvation a private matter between you and God—or is there something essential about speaking it out loud? Can someone be truly saved without ever confessing their faith publicly? And in a culture where “living your truth” is everywhere, how should Christians understand confessing Jesus in a biblical way?
Does confessing Jesus aloud really matter for salvation?
Why do you think Scripture connects belief in the heart with words from the mouth?
“Faith in your heart and words from your lips—that’s the rhythm of redemption.”
There are two forms of the same Greek root used for “confession” or “profession,” homologeō/exomologo. The compound term is from homo, the same; legō, to speak; or ex, out of. The basic meaning is to say the same thing, to agree with. The Greek PREPOSITION, ex, added implies a public declaration.
The English translations of this word group are
praise
agree
declare (cf. Matt. 7:23)
profess
confess (cf. Heb. 4:14; 10:23)
This word group had two seemingly opposite usages
to praise (God)
to admit sin
These may have developed from mankind’s sense of the holiness of God and its own sinfulness. To acknowledge one truth is to acknowledge both.
The NT usages of the word group are
to promise (cf. Matt. 14:7; Acts 7:17)
to agree or consent to something (cf. John 1:20; Luke 22:6; Acts 24:14; Heb. 11:13)
to praise (cf. Matt. 11:25; Luke 10:21; Rom. 14:11; 15:9; Heb. 13:15)
to assent to
a person (cf. Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8; John 9:22; 12:42; Rom. 10:9; Phil. 2:11; 1 John 2:23; Rev. 3:5)
a truth (cf. Acts 23:8; 1 John 4:2)
to make a public declaration of (legal sense developed into religious affirmation, cf. Acts 24:14; 1 Tim. 6:13)
without admission of guilt (cf. 1 Tim. 6:12; Heb. 10:23)
with an admission of guilt (cf. Matt. 3:6; Acts 19:18; Heb. 4:14; James 5:16; 1 John 1:9)
SPECIAL TOPIC: WHAT DOES IT MEAN TO “RECEIVE,” “BELIEVE,” “CONFESS/PROFESS,” “CALL UPON”?
