It is vital that we see that it is the acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ as our savior that allows us to go to Heaven.  Let’s consider a few verses that make that perfectly clear.

  • Romans 10:9, “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.”
  • Acts 16:31, “And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.”
  • John 3:36, “He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him.”
  • 1 John 5:12, “He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.”
  • Ephesians 2:8-9, “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast.”

The Lord Jesus stated emphatically in John 14:6, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”  The Lord Jesus is THE way to God.  He is the ONLY WAY to God and to spend eternity in Heaven.

It is as born-again Christians (those who are already saved) that we are instructed to confess our sins to God.  Let’s read 1 John 1:7-10 which tells us, “But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”  I want to repeat that this instruction is for those who are already saved. 

In order to truly “walk in the light” the confession of sins is so necessary.  In fact, when we do walk in the light, we will find ourselves with a desire to confess our sins and be cleansed from them.

Notice that in verse 7, “sin” is in the singular, “cleanseth us from all SIN.”   In verse 9 “sins” is in the plural, “if we confess our SINS.” Sin refers to the corruption of the old man still present in us, and the sins flowing from that old nature in us need to be acknowledged before the Lord. To confess our need of cleansing from present sin is essential to “walking in the light”.  As a believer, confessing our sins does not save us, nor does it keep us saved.  We confess our sins to maintain pure fellowship with the Lord.  It is impossible to “walk in the light” with unconfessed sins in our lives. 

We see that it is because God is faithful and just that He forgives us in a practical sense when we confess our sins to Him.  God is faithful to honor His own promises; He is righteous to perform what He has said He will do.  We read of Abraham’s complete trust in the promises of God in Romans 4:21, “And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform.”  We also have the assurance of God’s faithfulness in 2 Corinthians 1:20, “For all the promises of God in him are yea, and in him Amen, unto the glory of God by us.”  So, when we humbly confess our sins to our loving Father, not only will He forgive us of our sins, but He will “cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 

Dear reader, have you put your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ as your savior?  I trust that you have and are walking in the light.  If you have unconfessed sins, I encourage you to bow before the Lord right now and confess those sins to Him and receive His practical forgiveness and be cleansed from your acts of unrighteousness.  (CC)  (650.2)