confess – Ministry of Grace Church

Tag: confess

Romans 14:11 – He Is LORD!

Posted on November 26, 2018 by Will

For it is written: "As surely as I live, says the Lord, every knee will bow to Me, and every tongue will confess to God."

Truth to Learn

We need to recognize God’s sovereignty now as we will eternally.

Behind the Words

“Confess” is translated from the Greek verb exomologeō, which is made up of ex, meaning “out,” used here as an intensifier and homologeō, meaning “to agree with, to have the same thoughts as, or to assent.” Homologeō is usually translated as “confess” which means to agree with God regarding His verdict against our sin. Thus, exomologeō means “to proclaim in agreement that God is who He claims to be.”

Meaning Explained

This verse is quoted from Isaiah 45:23 which says:

I have sworn by Myself; the word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, that to Me every knee will bow, every tongue will swear allegiance.

As can be clearly seen, this is not a direct quotation for there are a couple of significant differences. Isaiah says, “I have sworn by Myself” whereas Paul says, “As surely as I live.” We learn in Hebrews 6:13 that God can swear by no one greater than Himself. We also know from Exodus 3:14 that Jehovah is the self-existing one; He has life in Himself. So, Paul’s expression, “As I live” is a declaration by God that He is the author of life itself, and as such, there is no one greater than He is. So it is roughly equivalent to “I have sworn by Myself.”

The other significant difference between Isaiah 45:23 and Paul’s quotation of it is that Isaiah says “every tongue will swear allegiance,” whereas Paul says “every tongue will confess to God.” The Hebrew word translated “swear allegiance” is the same word translated “I have sworn.” It means to swear an oath. The expression “every tongue will swear allegiance” means that everyone will swear an oath of allegiance to the supreme God. Thus, again, what Isaiah said and what Paul is saying are effectively the same.

The context of Isaiah’s proclamation seems to imply that every tongue among the Israelites will swear the oath of allegiance, and the context of the current verse (at the bema seat judgment) implies every tongue among the righteous. Thus, it appears to be a different event from Philippians 2:10, 11 which involves all created beings, righteous and unrighteous.

Paul’s point in the current verse, and the reason he quotes the particular passage in Isaiah, is that we should not be judging or despising our brothers and sisters in Christ because we (Christians) will all stand before the judgment seat of Christ, and there we will all bow before Him and confess that He is our Lord, our Judge, and our God

And, if we are submitted to Him and committed to doing His will now, then we will be too busy to worry about whether or not our brother or sister is convicted the same way we are.

Application

We are all guilty of casting judgment against our fellow Christians from time to time. Our sin nature wants to exalt itself by condemning others, but this is nothing more than selfish pride. Instead, we need to submit to our Lord and Master and focus our attention on serving Him in a manner that will please Him and bring glory to His name. If we all do that, we won’t be judgmental of other Christians and together we can proclaim His sovereignty and majesty.

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 10:9 – Resurrected Lord

Posted on July 10, 2018 by Will

that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Truth to Learn

Christ must be both your Master and your risen Savior.

Behind the Words

“Confess” is translated from the Greek word homologeo, which is a compound word made up of homos, meaning “together, or the same” and a form of logos, meaning “something said.” Actually it is more accurately the thoughts or ideas behind what is said. Hence, homologeo means “to agree with, or to have the same thoughts as someone else.”

The word “Lord” is the Greek word kurios, which means “one who is supreme in authority.”

“Saved” is from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save or to deliver and protect from harm.” It is expressed here in the future tense. In other words, it does not mean “you are saved” but “you will be saved.”

Meaning Explained

This verse and the next comprise another of the pinnacles of the book of Romans. This may, in fact, be the highest of the peaks. Paul proclaims here how the righteousness of faith is obtained. Remember, Paul has told us that all of us are sinners.

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

And that the result of sin is death, that is, separation from God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Now, Paul tells us that the way to gain the righteousness of God, that is, the way to be saved from the death that sin has caused, is to confess and believe. We are told that we must agree with God that Jesus is our Lord.

Putting this all together we see that Paul is telling us that we need to agree with God that Jesus is the supreme authority over us. This means that He is our Lord, which requires submission on our part. We also need to believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead, which is proof that He is the sinless Son of God, and that His death was sufficient payment for our sins. If we do these things, Paul says that we will be saved.

If we do not do both of these things, that is if we do not submit to Jesus’ supreme authority or if we don’t believe that He is risen from the dead, then we will not be saved. All those people who believe that Jesus was a good man, perhaps even a prophet but who is now dead, will not be saved. Those who believe that Jesus was raised from the dead but have not submitted to His lordship over their lives will not be saved.

Application

Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Master? Do you believe that God has raised Him from the dead? Those may be the two most important questions you will ever answer!

In God's service, for His glory,

James 5:16 – Energetic, Healing Prayer

Posted on July 1, 2015 by Will

Therefore, confess the faults to one another, and pray for one another, that you may be healed. An effectual petition of a righteous man has great force.

Truth to Learn

In the body of Christ we all need to support each other with prayer.

Behind the Words

“Confess” is translated from exomologeō, which is a double compound word made up of ex, meaning “out” or “out of,” homou, meaning “together with” or “all the same” (as in homogenized), and legō, meaning “to say.” Homologeō means “to agree with,” being translated as “confess” in 1 John 1:9. With the “ex” added, it means “to confess out” or “to admit.” It is expressed here in the imperative mood, commanding us to admit our faults to one another.

The word translated “faults” is different depending on which translation you are reading from. Some translations have the Greek word hamartia, which means “sins,” whereas others have the Greek word paraptoma, which means “trespasses” or “offenses” (literally side-slips). Either way, when you take this in context with the preceding verses, it is clear that James is still talking about the person who is sick, which he indicates in this verse with the phrase, “that you may be healed.”

“Effectual petition” is translated from deēsis energoumenē Deēsis refers to a prayer or a petition regarding a particular need for oneself or someone else, and energoumenē refers to something that is effective or that is working.

The words “great force” are from the Greek words polu ischuei. Polu means “many” or “much” and ischuei refers to “strength, ability, or power.”

Meaning Explained

What we can deduce from this and the preceding two verses is that unconfessed sin can be the cause of sickness, and even death. The apostle Paul refers to this in I Corinthians 11:30 where he is talking about those who partake of communion with unconfessed sins:

For this reason many are weak and sickly among you, and many die.

This passage in James is one from which Roman Catholics base their doctrine of “auricular confession,” or verbal confession made to a priest who supposedly can then absolve (forgive) you of your sin. Notice a few things, however:

The confession talked about in the current verse is not made by just any person, but by a sick person.
This confession is to be made to an elder, not a priest (see verse 14).
Mutual confession is commanded here. If this pertained to auricular confession, then the priest would be as bound to confess to the people as the people are to the priest.
There is no mention here of “absolution,” only healing.

The last half of this verse talks about the “effectual petition …” The word rendered “effectual” is a form of energeō, which could also be rendered as “energetic,” as it refers to that which has power or energy. We have all uttered prayers that aren’t really from our heart, such as, “Now I lay me down to sleep…” What James is talking about are those prayers that we labor over, that are filled with intensity and emotion, like someone having a heart-to-heart discussion with his or her Father. James says that this type of prayer has great force.

Application

The body of Christ (the church) is made up of many members. And, just as the various parts of a body support and nurture the whole, we are to support and nurture each other. Admitting our faults to one another and praying for each other is essential for the health of the Church. Who are you praying for today?

In God's service, for His glory,

Romans 15:9 – Body Composition

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Will

Romans 15:9 – Body Composition

and that the Gentiles might glorify God for His mercy, as it is written: “For this reason I will confess to You among the Gentiles, and sing to Your name.”

Truth to Learn

All Christians are members of the same body.

Behind the Words

The Greek word translated “Gentiles” is ethnos, which refers to “a group of people belonging together and living together.” In classical Greek this word is also used in reference to a flock of sheep or a swarm of bees. In New Testament Greek (Koinē Greek), however, it generally refers to a race of people and is often translated as “nation.” When used by Jews it almost always refers to the all people who are not Jewish, thus the term “Gentile.”

“Confess” is from exomologeō, which is made up of ek, meaning “out” but used here as an intensifier and homologeō, meaning “to have the same mind about something.” Homologeō is usually translated “confess.” Thus, exomologeō means “to express complete agreement” or “to profess.”

Meaning Explained

Whereas the Jews received the fulfillment of their promises in the incarnation of Jesus Christ and His death on the Cross (see previous verse), we Gentile believers did not have those promises made to us. We have been brought to God through Jesus Christ, not because He was promised to us but because of His mercy in forgiving our sins through the blood of the spotless Lamb of God. As a result of that mercy, we Gentile believers now glorify God. Before we received this mercy, we were unable to glorify God because we did not know Him. But because of His mercy, and through His grace, we are now also partakers of the intimate fellowship with Almighty God, which results in our own proclamation of glory and praise to God.

At this point Paul quotes a passage from the Psalms:

Therefore I will give thanks to You, O LORD, among the Gentiles, And sing praises to Your name. (Psalms 18:49)

In the Psalms the praises of God come among the Gentiles as well as among the Jews; hence, the Jewish converts in the church in Rome should not look down upon the Gentile converts because God has included both in His family and has made both part of His body and His bride. Paul expresses it this way in his letter to the Ephesians,

But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For He Himself is our peace, who has made both one, and has broken down the middle wall of separation, having abolished in His flesh the enmity, that is, the law of commandments contained in ordinances, so as to create in Himself one new man from the two, thus making peace, (Ephesians 2:13-15)

So if God has made the Jewish believers and the Gentile believers one through the blood of Christ, then we should accept each other as fellow heirs and not be concerned that we celebrate this marvelous salvation in different manners.

Application

There is no room for racism or ethnic discrimination among Christians. We are all nothing more than sinners saved by grace, and we are all part of the body of Christ.

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

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Romans 14:11 – He Is LORD!

Posted on March 17, 2011 by Will

Romans 14:11 – He Is LORD!

For it is written: “As I live, says the Lord, every knee shall bow to Me, and every tongue shall confess to God.”

Truth to Learn

We need to recognize God’s sovereignty now as we will eternally.

Behind the Words

Meaning Explained

This verse is quoted from Isaiah 45:23 which says:

I have sworn by Myself; The word has gone out of My mouth in righteousness, And shall not return, That to Me every knee shall bow, Every tongue shall take an oath.

As can be clearly seen, this is not a direct quotation for there are a couple of significant differences. Isaiah says, “I have sworn by Myself” whereas Paul says, “As I live.” We learn in Hebrews 6:13 that God can swear by no one greater than Himself. We also know from Exodus 3:14 that Jehovah is the self-existing one; He has life in Himself. So, Paul’s expression, “As I live” is a declaration by God that He is the author of life itself, and as such, there is no one greater than He is. So it is roughly equivalent to “I have sworn by Myself.”

The other significant difference between Isaiah 45:23 and Paul’s quotation of it is that Isaiah says “every tongue shall take an oath,” whereas Paul says “every tongue shall confess to God.” The Hebrew word translated “take an oath” is the same word translated “I have sworn.” It means to swear an oath. The expression “every tongue shall take an oath” means that everyone will swear an oath of allegiance to the supreme God. Thus, again, what Isaiah said and what Paul is saying are effectively the same.

And, if we are submitted to Him and committed to doing His will now, then we will be too busy to worry about whether or not our brother or sister is convicted the same way we are.

Application

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to:

Romans 10:9 – Resurrected Lord

Posted on October 4, 2010 by Will

Romans 10:9 – Resurrected Lord

that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

Truth to Learn

Christ must be both your Master and your risen Savior.

Behind the Words

“Confess” is translated from the Greek word homologeo, which is a compound word made up of homos, meaning “together or the same” and a form of logos, meaning “something said.” Actually it is more appropriately the thoughts or ideas behind what is said. Hence, homologeo means “to agree with, or to have the same thoughts as someone else.”

The word “Lord” is the Greek word kurios, which means “one who is supreme in authority.”

Meaning Explained

for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)

And that the result of sin is death, that is, separation from God.

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)

Putting this all together we see that Paul is telling us that we need to agree with God that Jesus is the supreme authority over us. That is, He is our Lord, which requires submission on our part. We also need to believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead, which is proof that He is the sinless Son of God, and that His death was sufficient payment for our sins. If we do these things Paul says that we will be saved.

Application

Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Master? Do you believe that God has raised Him from the dead? Those may be the two most important questions you will ever answer!

In God’s service, for His glory,

– – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – – –

If this message or this link was forwarded to you by a friend and you wish to receive future verses directly to your inbox, send an e-mail to: