Believing Heart and Confessing Mouth
To be saved, one must both believe in their heart and confess with their mouth that Jesus is Lord.
A.W. Tozer emphasizes the significance of both belief in the heart and confession with the mouth as essential components of salvation. He explains that public confession is a vital step in joining the church and fostering fellowship among believers. Tozer highlights Romans 10:8-10, illustrating that true faith involves both internal belief and external proclamation of Jesus as Lord. He urges those who have not experienced spiritual rebirth to recognize the importance of this confession, likening Jesus to the door of the ark that leads to salvation. The sermon calls for a genuine commitment to faith and community in Christ.
Text
If you want fellowship with the church, if you have not formally joined, there are two ways to do so. One is to pray in public, give money, show enthusiasm and fill out a card. The other is to do first things first--join the universal church--and then also fill out a card. An important part of joining the church is public confession. Why does the Lord want us to make a public confession? The Bible says, "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: That if you confess with your mouth, 'Jesus is Lord,' and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved (Romans 10:8b-10).
The heart believes and the mouth confesses. Both are necessary to salvation. Even the thief on the cross made his poor pitiful confession. That is why God wants us to fellowship with each other, get together and tell the world and tell each other--because with the mouth confession is made for salvation. My plea is for those who have never undergone the marvel of the regeneration of new birth to take this seriously. Remember you get into the ark through the door, and Jesus Christ is the door. If you reject the ark, you reject the door, and if you reject the door you perish in the flood.
Sermon Outline
- The Importance of Public Confession
- The Example of the Thief on the Cross
- The Call to Salvation
- The Door to Salvation is Jesus Christ
- Rejecting the Door Leads to Perishing
- The Role of the Mouth in Salvation
Key Quotes
“The heart believes and the mouth confesses.” — A.W. Tozer
“The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” — A.W. Tozer
Application Points
- To experience salvation, one must first believe in their heart that Jesus is Lord.
- Public confession is a necessary step in the salvation process.
- Jesus Christ is the door to salvation, and rejecting Him leads to perishing.