What's Your Confession

The Bible reveals two types of confession. One could be considered a negative confession because it deals with confessing sin, but the other would be considered a positive confession. This type of confession is affirming something that one believes, testifying of something that one knows or acting on a truth that one has embraced, "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith, the Word of God, made incarnate in Jesus Christ, without being shaken by the trials, or by the arguments of the enemy, for God who cannot lie, is faithful to give you what He has promised." (Hebrews 10:23 Paraphrased)
Notice that this type of confession deals directly with the Word of God, which makes confession a very important part of a believers life. Remember Jesus said, "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing. The words that I speak to you are spirit, and they are life." (John 6:63)

Our thinking should be, when we confess God’s Word that it goes beyond the natural realm into the spiritual realm to accomplish God’s will and to prosper in the thing for which it is sent, "So shall My word be that goes forth from My mouth; It shall not return to Me void, but it shall accomplish what I please, and it shall prosper in the thing for which I sent it." (Isaiah 55:11) In other words, no Word of God is without power! No one can affirm, that is, testify or act on things that they do not believe, know or embrace as truth. Thank the Lord for giving us a revelation of Himself through His Word. His Word is "Living and Powerful" and as we confess His Word we are agreeing with it and not letting life circumstances have the upper hand. The believer who is constantly confessing their lack, weakness and failure is not agreeing with God's Word. Negative confession is an unconscious declaration that our heavenly Father has failed to accomplish the fullness of redemption through Christ. This type of confession destroys faith, holds people in bondage and says that the redeemed life is nothing more than a life filled with misery and disappointment.

The apostle Paul tells us, "Everywhere and in all things I have learned to be independent of my circumstances. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." (Philippians 4:12-13)
Paul could say, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” not because he was more special to God than other believers, but because he did not let Satan or the influences of the natural realm to distract or manipulate him. He relied on God’s strength and ability to work through him in every area of life. In other words, he walked by the influence of the Holy Spirit. It is apparent that he understood that "the Spirit gives life; the flesh profits nothing."

If believers look to the circumstances or the things in the natural realm rather than seeing God’s Word as Spirit and life, then the results will be a negative confession. In other words, if I confess that by His stripes I am healed, but look to the natural and do not see immediate results, then I am allowing the natural realm to have place neutralizing my confession. I might find myself saying, "well this does not work for me, I guess sickness is God’s purpose for me, God why am I not healed." This opens the door for the devil to respond with his lies and deception that causes the believer to believe him more than believing God. We must train ourselves in the fact that God is spirit, Satan is spirit and man who was made in God’s image and likeness is also spirit. Through faith, a believers confession should center around these three points; What God has worked in Christ for us…(The legal side of redemption); What God through His Word and the Holy Spirit is doing in and through us…(Vital; side of redemption); What we are to the Father in Christ…(Identification side of redemption)

This translates into such things as; Confessing first and foremost that Jesus Christ is absolute Lord of my life; Confessing that all authority is His over everything, all principality and power and might and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in that which is to come; Confessing that He is Lord over sickness, disease, poverty, Satan, sin and death; Confessing that His Word and Spirit have the preeminence in our lives; Confessing that we are God’s children and as sons and daughters we are entitled to all of His promises as heirs of God and joint heirs with Christ; Confessing  that He has given us the legal right to use the name of Jesus to enforce what He has done and to keep the devil under the believers feet.

Believers must make confession by placing faith in the integrity of God and His Word. "God is not a man, that He should lie, nor a son of man, that He should repent. Has He said, and will He not do? Or has He spoken, and will He not make it good? (Numbers 23:19) "My covenant I will not break, nor alter the word that has gone out of My lips." (Psalms 89:34) "He sent His word and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions." (Psalms 107:20) "Forever, O LORD, Your word is settled in heaven." (Psalms 119:89) "Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth." (John 17:17) "…upholding all things by the word of His power." (Hebrews 1:3) "For the word of God is living and powerful..." (Hebrews 4:12)

The devil cannot read our mind but he certainly hears our words. If our words are negative, that is, contrary to God's Word, then he will devises a deceptive plan for us to agree with him and not God. This causes many believers to live a defeated life. However, when the believer sides with God's Word and refuses to let circumstances to have control, he/she will live in victory and continuously see the salvation of the Lord, because HE IS FAITHFUL!!!