The New Testament repeatedly connects faith in Jesus Christ with openly confessing Him.
Yet confession is sometimes treated as though it were merely something Christians do after they have already been saved.
What does Scripture actually teach?
Paul wrote:
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Romans 10:10
Notice carefully:
WITH THE HEART → BELIEF
WITH THE MOUTH → CONFESSION
And confession is:
“MADE UNTO SALVATION.”
So what confession does the Bible require?
JESUS REQUIRES US TO CONFESS HIM
Jesus said:
“Whosoever therefore shall confess me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 10:32
Then He gave the opposite:
“But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 10:33
Confessing Christ is not an insignificant matter.
Jesus places confessing Him and denying Him in direct contrast.
WHAT ARE WE CONFESSING?
When Philip preached Jesus to the Ethiopian eunuch, the eunuch asked:
“…See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized?”
Acts 8:36
Philip answered:
“…If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest…”
Acts 8:37
The eunuch then confessed:
“…I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God.”
Acts 8:37
That is the confession we find associated with conversion.
It is a confession of faith in Jesus Christ.
The sinner is not confessing every individual sin he has ever committed.
He is confessing his faith that:
JESUS CHRIST IS THE SON OF GOD.
CONFESSION IS NOT THE “SINNER’S PRAYER”
This distinction is important.
Many people today are told that they should pray something commonly called the “sinner’s prayer” in order to be saved.
They may be instructed to say something such as:
“Jesus, come into my heart. I accept You as my personal Savior. Forgive my sins and save me.”
But when we examine conversions recorded in Acts, we do not find inspired preachers instructing alien sinners to pray such a prayer in order to receive salvation.
There is no conversion account in Acts where an apostle tells someone:
“Pray and ask Jesus into your heart to be saved.”
Instead, we find people hearing the gospel, believing it, repenting, confessing Christ, and being baptized.
We must distinguish between a practice that has become common in modern religion and the pattern actually revealed in Scripture.
SAUL WAS ALREADY PRAYING
Saul of Tarsus provides an especially important example.
After encountering Christ on the road to Damascus, Saul spent three days without sight.
Scripture tells us that he was praying.
The Lord said to Ananias:
“…behold, he prayeth,”
Acts 9:11
If salvation came through praying for Christ to forgive one’s sins, Saul was certainly in a position to do so.
Yet when Ananias came to him, he did not say:
“Saul, keep praying until you know that you are saved.”
He told him:
“And now why tarriest thou? arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
Acts 22:16
Saul was praying.
Yet his sins still needed to be washed away.
That alone should cause us to question the modern practice of telling sinners to pray for salvation.
WHAT DOES “CALLING ON THE NAME OF THE LORD” MEAN?
Some may point to Romans 10:13:
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
And conclude that calling upon the Lord means saying a prayer.
But we must allow Scripture to explain Scripture.
Ananias told Saul:
“…arise, and be baptized, and wash away thy sins, calling on the name of the Lord.”
Acts 22:16
Calling upon the Lord was not presented as a substitute for obedience.
It was connected directly with Saul’s obedient response.
Jesus Himself warned that merely calling Him “Lord” is insufficient:
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…”
Matthew 7:21
Who will enter?
“…he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 7:21
Calling upon Christ cannot mean verbally appealing to Him while disregarding what He commanded.
ROMANS 10 DOES NOT TEACH FAITH ONLY
Romans 10 is sometimes used to argue that belief and confession constitute the entirety of God’s plan of salvation.
Paul wrote:
“That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.”
Romans 10:9
Does that mean repentance is unnecessary?
Jesus said:
“…except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Luke 13:3
Does Romans 10 mean baptism is unnecessary?
Jesus said:
“He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved…”
Mark 16:16
Peter commanded:
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
Acts 2:38
Romans 10 cannot contradict those passages.
Paul is emphasizing faith in Christ and openly acknowledging Him—not providing a statement intended to eliminate everything else God revealed concerning conversion.
We must take all the passages together.
SOME BELIEVED BUT REFUSED TO CONFESS CHRIST
John records:
“Nevertheless among the chief rulers also many believed on him…”
John 12:42
If faith alone automatically saved them, we could stop there.
But the passage continues:
“…but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, lest they should be put out of the synagogue:”
John 12:42
Why would they not confess Him?
“For they loved the praise of men more than the praise of God.”
John 12:43
They believed something about Jesus.
But they were unwilling to stand with Him.
This illustrates why biblical faith cannot be reduced to intellectual belief alone.
CONFESSION DEMONSTRATES WHERE OUR ALLEGIANCE LIES
Confessing Jesus as the Christ and Son of God means more than reciting words.
It is an acknowledgment of who He is.
Peter confessed:
“…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.”
Matthew 16:16
Jesus responded:
“…Blessed art thou, Simon Barjona: for flesh and blood hath not revealed it unto thee, but my Father which is in heaven.”
Matthew 16:17
This truth stands at the heart of Christianity:
JESUS IS THE CHRIST.
JESUS IS THE SON OF GOD.
The confession preceding baptism expresses the faith upon which the person is acting.
CONFESSION DOES NOT EARN SALVATION
Confessing Christ is not a meritorious work.
A person does not purchase forgiveness by speaking certain words.
Neither does confession possess saving power independently of Christ.
Our salvation depends upon God’s grace and the sacrifice of Jesus Christ.
But the fact that confession does not earn salvation does not make confession unnecessary.
Jesus commanded it.
Paul connected it with salvation.
The early disciples practiced it.
THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
When we compare the passages concerning conversion, the pattern becomes increasingly clear:
HEAR THE GOSPEL
“…faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.”
Romans 10:17
BELIEVE IN JESUS CHRIST
“…if ye believe not that I am he, ye shall die in your sins.”
John 8:24
REPENT OF SIN
“…except ye repent, ye shall all likewise perish.”
Luke 13:3
CONFESS JESUS CHRIST
“…with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
Romans 10:10
BE BAPTIZED
“…Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…”
Acts 2:38
Then the Christian begins a new life in Christ.
DON’T SUBSTITUTE A HUMAN TRADITION FOR THE BIBLICAL PATTERN
If someone tells you:
“Just repeat this prayer after me and you will be saved,”
ask a simple question:
WHERE IS THAT FOUND IN THE NEW TESTAMENT?
Then open the book of Acts.
Read the conversions.
Examine Pentecost.
Examine the Samaritans.
Examine the Ethiopian eunuch.
Examine Saul.
Examine Cornelius.
Examine Lydia.
Examine the Philippian jailer.
Examine the Corinthians.
Examine the Ephesians.
Do not begin with a modern method and attempt to make Scripture conform to it.
Begin with Scripture and allow Scripture to establish the pattern.
The question is not:
“WHAT HAVE I ALWAYS BEEN TAUGHT?”
The question is:
“WHAT DID CHRIST AND HIS APOSTLES TEACH?”
Open the Scriptures.
Examine the context.
Compare the conversion accounts.
Test the conclusions.
ALLOW SCRIPTURE TO INTERPRET SCRIPTURE.
The Biblical Pattern
Biblical Studies & Books by Kevin L. Walker
The Biblical Pattern 