First Work of Faith: Confessing Jesus Christ

[robert derrick]

The first proof here is that the words God and man speak are works.

The proof here is that the words God and man speak are works.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

God speaking is work: The spoken word is work.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

We are judged by our works.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

All men are judged by their works, and since that includes our words, then our words are also our works to be judged by.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.

Heresy is a false teaching spoken and/or written to others, and is a work of the flesh judged by God: Our spoken, as well as written words, are works of judgment.

The second proof is even simpler:

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Since our words are included as works to be judged by, then our words of confession, whether with the mouth or on paper, are our work of faith to be saved by.

Faith without works is dead and saves no man, because faith alone has no confession Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

As James says plainly, faith alone is dead, because it has no works, whether by spoken and written word, by hands and feet.

 

[robert derrick]

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

We are justified or condemned by the words of our mouth: those who confess the Lord Jesus are saved and justified by Christ. There is neither salvation nor justification for them that confess not the Lord Jesus.

He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.

Those that confess not the Lord Jesus Christ are condemned already, because they do not believe from the heart Jesus Christ is Lord.

Faith alone is dead and unbelieving, until confession is made of the Lord Jesus unto salvation and justification of God.

God commands to hear the words of our mouth the Lord Jesus, to save us. God does not hear faith alone, that man only says he has without the works of salvation.

Those who claim faith only, without doing the first work of confession unto Christ Jesus, are not saved nor justified by God.

Without the works of salvation, beginning with confessing Jesus Christ, there is no salvation of God.

 

[robert derrick]

The first work of salvation, to confess Jesus Christ, is overcoming the first challenge to our faith that Jesus is Lord, because it is the first time spiritually and physically we ever resist the devil, who says He is not.

Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.

Our first work of the Spirit of Christ dwelling within us, is fighting the good fight of faith to resist the devil, and confess with our mouths the Lord Jesus. Until we do so, we are not saved. And if we cannot do so at anytime, we are not saved.

 

[robert derrick]

No man while sinning with the devil in works of the flesh, can confess our Lord Jesus to the glory of God by the Spirit of Christ.

Confessing with our mouth unto salvation, is only by believing unto righteousness from the heart.

For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Faith alone is dead, because it is not in the heart unto righteousness, but is only in the imagination of the mind unto salvation alone without doing righteousness of God.

No man, while doing unrighteousness against God, can believe unto the righteousness of God, because he is denying the faith of Jesus in his heart while sinning with the devil. Any words of faith at that time are lip-service only of dead faith alone.

And why call ye me, Lord, Lord, and are not doing the things which I say?

Not every one that is saying unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that is doing the will of my Father which is in heaven.

People can speak the words that Jesus is Lord with their lips and read those words from the Bible, but only confessing the Lord Jesus from the heart unto righteousness, is unto salvation.

 

[David in NJ]

The proof here is that the words God and man speak are works, and confessing Jesus Christ is the first work of faith to be saved.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

God speaking is work: The spoken word is work.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

We are judged by our works.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

We are judged by our words: Our words are works we are judged by.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.

Heresy is a false teaching spoken to others, and is a work of the flesh judged by God: The words of our mouth are works of judgment.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Confessing with our mouth is a work of faith. Only with confession of Jesus Christ with our mouth unto salvation, can we be saved. Confessing Jesus is the first work of faith to be saved. It's not possible to be saved by faith alone, without the first work of confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith without works is dead and saves no man, because faith alone never confesses with the mouth Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

Faith comes before works = believing is not a work of man.

Titus 3:1-8
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

 

[robert derrick]

Faith comes before works = believing is not a work of man.

Titus 3:1-8
Remind them to be subject to rulers and authorities, to obey, to be ready for every good work, to speak evil of no one, to be peaceable, gentle, showing all humility to all men. For we ourselves were also once foolish, disobedient, deceived, serving various lusts and pleasures, living in malice and envy, hateful and hating one another.

But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit, whom He poured out on us abundantly through Jesus Christ our Savior, that having been justified by His grace we should become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.

This is a faithful saying, and these things I want you to affirm constantly, that those who have believed in God should be careful to maintain good works. These things are good and profitable to men.

You're welcome to your own gospel mantra.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

No man is saved by faith before doing the first work of confessing the Lord Jesus with our mouth.

You gospel of being saved by your own faith alone before doing so, is obviously false.

Faith alone is dead, because faith alone says or does nothing. God's faith only saves when we do what He commands all men to confess: The Lord Jesus.

 

[David in NJ]

You're welcome to your own gospel mantra.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

No man is saved by faith before doing the first work of confessing the Lord Jesus with our mouth.

You gospel of being saved by your own faith alone before doing so, is obviously false.

Faith alone is dead, because faith alone says or does nothing. God's faith only saves when we do what He commands all men to confess: The Lord Jesus.

You are not welcome to preaching a false gospel of works.

You cannot work salvation into your life.

That is why God instituted a death penalty for working on the sabbath.

Christ is our Sabbath Rest and faith to believe in Christ comes from God's work - Not yours.

 

[Robert Gwin]

The proof here is that the words God and man speak are works, and confessing Jesus Christ is the first work of faith to be saved.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

God speaking is work: The spoken word is work.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

We are judged by our works.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

We are judged by our words: Our words are works we are judged by.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.

Heresy is a false teaching spoken to others, and is a work of the flesh judged by God: The words of our mouth are works of judgment.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Confessing with our mouth is a work of faith. Only with confession of Jesus Christ with our mouth unto salvation, can we be saved. Confessing Jesus is the first work of faith to be saved. It's not possible to be saved by faith alone, without the first work of confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith without works is dead and saves no man, because faith alone never confesses with the mouth Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

The first work of every Christian is taking in knowledge of God and Jesus Jn 17:3. As you learn more about them then you will either draw away or make changes in your life to align yourself closer to God. Then you continue to press on to maturity in hopes and intentions of serving God for an eternity sir.

 

[robert derrick]

You are not welcome to preaching a false gospel of works.

Tell it to Paul.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

That's your second admonition. I'm not required to do more. You're more than welcome to the gospel of your own word and faith alone.

 

[robert derrick]

The first work of every Christian is taking in knowledge of God and Jesus Jn 17:3.

Taking in knowledge is hearing only, which is not work, until confessing the Lord Jesus.

Faith and knowledge alone saves no man.

 

[David in NJ]

Tell it to Paul.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

That's your second admonition. I'm not required to do more. You're more than welcome to the gospel of your own word and faith alone.

Oh Boy, i'm in trouble now - LOL

Confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus is not a work unto salvation.................LOL

It is the essence of Faith(not a work) speaking from within us that which the Holy Spirit imparted to us.

God does the work of Salvation in us = we just follow His Call and move of the Spirit from within.

AFTER Salvation is imparted to us then God leads us in His works of righteousness which HE Alone prepared for us that we should walk in.

For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast. For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.
Ephesians 2:8-10

Your work salvation is a false gospel.

 

[Behold]

Faith isn't a work.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Notice that its the "heart that believeth"......... as this is the Faith.

The mouth confessing is not.

See, you can pretend you believe with your mouth, but God sees your Heart is unbelief.

This is why Philip told the Eunuch....."if you believe with all your HEART.......(that is faith)....then you may be water baptized".

God accepts Faith, that is in the Heart.

The confessing, the water, the works......all this comes after "faith is counted as righteousness, because you are Justified BY FAITH".


You're not saved by faith......you are justified by Faith.

God is the Savior......not faith.

God saves you through your faith.....Its "GOD GRACE given as the Gift of Salvation...THROUGH you faith.

End Result?

BORN AGAIN, HAVING Eternal Life.. becoming a "new Creation in Christ"

 

[Robert Gwin]

Taking in knowledge is hearing only, which is not work, until confessing the Lord Jesus.

Faith and knowledge alone saves no man.

Did you disagree with my statement Rob?

 

[robert derrick]

Confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus is not a work unto salvation.................LOL

It's work to God, not to you.

It is the essence of Faith(not a work) speaking from within us that which the Holy Spirit imparted to us.

And saves us only when we confess the Lord Jesus. Words are works we are judged by.

God does the work of Salvation in us = we just follow His Call and move of the Spirit from within.

And saves us when we first follow His command and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus.

AFTER Salvation is imparted to us then God leads us in His works of righteousness which HE Alone prepared for us that we should walk in.

Salvation is not imparted but obtained, after we confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus, God saves us. Not before.

Your salvation before confessing the Lord Jesus with our mouth, is your gospel of your own faith alone. And you are welcome to it.

Your work salvation is a false gospel.

To you, yes, certainly. Including the gospel truth that all faith alone without works is dead and saves no man.

 

[Charlie24]

The proof here is that the words God and man speak are works, and confessing Jesus Christ is the first work of faith to be saved.

And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made. And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

God speaking is work: The spoken word is work.

And the sea gave up the dead which were in it; and death and hell delivered up the dead which were in them: and they were judged every man according to their works.

We are judged by our works.

For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned.

We are judged by our words: Our words are works we are judged by.

Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies.

Heresy is a false teaching spoken to others, and is a work of the flesh judged by God: The words of our mouth are works of judgment.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Confessing with our mouth is a work of faith. Only with confession of Jesus Christ with our mouth unto salvation, can we be saved. Confessing Jesus is the first work of faith to be saved. It's not possible to be saved by faith alone, without the first work of confessing with our mouth the Lord Jesus Christ.

Faith without works is dead and saves no man, because faith alone never confesses with the mouth Jesus Christ is Lord to the glory of the Father.

Robert, can you explain what Paul is saying here?

Rom. 4:4-5

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

 

[robert derrick]

Faith isn't a work.

The faith of God is: it is both the substance and the evidence of things not seen.

Faith alone without works is not the faith of God that saves. There is no substance to faith, without evidence of faith.

Notice that its the "heart that believeth"......... as this is the Faith.

Believeth unto righteousness is the faith of Jesus. Your believing only is your own dead faith alone.

The mouth confessing is not.

True. Absolutely. Confessing with our mouth to be saved is not faith alone, but the first work of faith that saves and justifies us by the faith of Jesus.

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

No. Though by faith alone, men may imagine it can.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

Yes. Those who do the word know the truth. Not those trusting in blind and dead faith of their own alone.

See, you can pretend you believe with your mouth, but God sees your Heart is unbelief.

There is lip service of one's own faith alone. But only confessing the Lord Jesus from the heart believing unto righteousness saves the soul.

God judges faith alone and unbelief alone the same.

This is why Philip told the Eunuch....."if you believe with all your HEART.......(that is faith)....then you may be water baptized".

True. Though water baptism does not save nor cleanse the soul. It is the answer of a good conscience and confession of the Lord Jesus.

God accepts Faith, that is in the Heart.

When we do as He commands and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus. He rested from His work of saying, Let there be light, and we rest from our works, when we confess the Lord Jesus.

For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Until we confess the Lord Jesus with our mouth, His light does not yet shine in us, though faith is sown by hearing the word.

Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Faith is the light, and work is the shining.

Faith alone without works is the light hidden under the table, and does nothing to save the soul and lighten the whole house and life.

The confessing, the water, the works.....

Confession is the work that saves. We don't confess water, we get dunked in it.

.all this comes after "faith is counted as righteousness, because you are Justified BY FAITH".

No man is counted as righteous without doing righteousness.

Little children, let no man deceive you: he that doeth righteousness is righteous, even as he is righteous.

The first righteous work we do by faith, is confess the Lord Jesus.

Faith sown is counted for righteousness sown in the heart, but without doing the word of righteousness, no man is counted as righteous with the Lord.

The light, seed, faith, and righteousness sown in the heart by hearing, is alone, until we do His commandment and confess the Lord Jesus unto salvation by faith. That is when we are saved, because faith is no more alone.

You're not saved by faith......

This is theological sophistry.

By whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God.

For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

you are justified by Faith.

True. Not by faith alone, but only with works of faith, beginning with confessing the Lord Jesus.

Ye see then how that by works a man is justified, and not by faith only.

You were not saved by faith alone, but by confessing with your mouth the Lord Jesus, which does not need be in company with any other than the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The devil will also know it, because he hears it from your own mouth.

Beforehand, you believed what was sown in your heart, but only when you obeyed the word and confessed Jesus with your mouth, were you saved. It was the first time in your life on earth, that you truly did the good work and fought the good fight of faith, by resisting the devil who says He is not Christ nor Lord nor Savior of your soul.

God is the Savior......not faith.

Not faith alone.

What doth it profit, my brethren, though a man say he hath faith, and have not works? can faith save him?

No.

God saves you through your faith.....Its "GOD GRACE given as the Gift of Salvation...THROUGH you faith.

False. The faith is the gift of God unto salvation. It is the word and the seed sown in the heart by hearing the gospel of salvation.

God's grace is only given to those who want help to do the faith and be saved by faith.

There is no grace of God for sinning, because the sinner doesn't want the help of God's grace to resist the devil and overcome temptation.

Only those who want the help of grace to not sin, shall find grace to help in time of need. There is no grace helping men to sin.

False grace is given in the vain imagination of men, for vain help not to be condemned with the world, while sinning with the world.

BORN AGAIN, HAVING Eternal Life.. becoming a "new Creation in Christ"

True, once we confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus:

And these are they by the way side, where the word is sown; but when they have heard, Satan cometh immediately, and taketh away the word that was sown in their hearts.

And continue in that faith with good confession of the Lord Jesus:

And have no root in themselves, and so endure but for a time: afterward, when affliction or persecution ariseth for the word's sake, immediately they are offended.

Faith sown in the heart by hearing is dead and alone, until made alive by confessing Jesus Christ as Lord. If that confession becomes lip-service only, by denying Him through dead works, that faith is dead and alone.

Our faith and salvation is only as good as the work of faith we are doing. No one sinning with the devil has the faith of confession that saves. By faith alone we can believe we are saved, but it is as dead as the dead works we are doing at the time.

 

[robert derrick]

Did you disagree with my statement Rob?

Yes. Hearing the word only is not a work of faith, but hearing only. The word is sown in the heart of all who hear the gospel preached, but only those doing the word confessing the Lord Jesus, shall be saved.

Faith and knowledge only is nothing without doing it.

Gnosticism is not only false knowledge, but is also vain philosophy that does nothing.

 

[David in NJ]

It's work to God, not to you.


And saves us only when we confess the Lord Jesus. Words are works we are judged by.




And saves us when we first follow His command and confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus.




Salvation is not imparted but obtained, after we confess with the mouth the Lord Jesus, God saves us. Not before.

Your salvation before confessing the Lord Jesus with our mouth, is your gospel of your own faith alone. And you are welcome to it.

To you, yes, certainly. Including the gospel truth that all faith alone without works is dead and saves no man.

We are not saved by 'works to God.'

For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God,
not by works, so that no one can boast.
For we are God’s workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance as our way of life.

 

[robert derrick]

Robert, can you explain what Paul is saying here?

Rom. 4:4-5

"Now to him that worketh is the reward not reckoned of grace, but of debt.

But to him that worketh not, but believeth on him that justifieth the ungodly, his faith is counted for righteousness."

The context is of the law of Moses and works done without faith of God unto righteousness.

God uses Paul to rebuke Jews pursuing their own righteousness by works of their own making, without faith in the God of Israel, even as he did all his life as Saul of Tarsus.

But Israel, which followed after the law of righteousness, hath not attained to the law of righteousness. Wherefore? Because they sought it not by faith, but as it were by the works of the law.

For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge. For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.


Righteous works without faith of God justify no man.

Plenty of unbelievers make for good neighbors and honest providers for their homes, but are not saved without faith in Jesus, whether Jew or Greek.

Being saved by works alone without faith, and being saved by faith alone without works, are both false. Paul rebukes one, and James rebukes the other.

 

[robert derrick]

We are not saved by 'works to God.'

Whatever.

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.

Word spoken are the first works of God to create all things, and words confessed ofnthe Lord Jesus, are the first works of sons of God to be saved by Him.