Heart Belief and Mouth Confession | GRACE, THE POWER OF THE GOSPEL by Andrew Wommack

Heart Belief and Mouth Confession

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

Salvation isn’t based on your being holy. It’s based on heart belief and mouth confession. This, of course, is much more than just saying some words. It’s talking about a firm commitment, a complete reliance, and an absolute trust in Jesus Christ as your Lord and Master. You’re dependent on Him for salvation. What a tremendous passage of scripture!

However, this verse has almost become a religious cliché. We’ve become so familiar with it that we don’t understand its importance. But the religious people Paul wrote to understood.

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This was totally contrary to the methods they taught for salvation. They taught a performance-based system of works. They had a rigorous schedule of holiness and observed all these rituals and laws. They were on a treadmill of work, work, work. Then Paul came along and preached, “All you have to do is make Jesus your Lord and believe in your heart that He’s been raised from the dead. He’ll live in you and you’ll be saved. Just receive it by faith.” This was radical to the Jews of that day.

It’s still radical to a lot of people today! Many folks simply won’t believe that it’s just faith in Jesus alone that produces salvation. They also believe that they must be holy. But it’s not what Paul was saying here.

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

Romans 10:10

It’s heart belief and mouth confession. It’s not just saying words. Many people today repeat what’s called “The Sinner’s Prayer,” but they’re just mouthing words. They are the right words, but unless they’re coming from a heart of faith, it’s just sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal. First you believe it in your heart. Then you speak it with your mouth. It’s a combina-tion of the two. There must be an outward profession on your part, but it works only once you have a heartfelt faith.

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Zealous in Wales

Sometimes we’ve actually just gotten people to repeat after us without really first believing it in their heart. Our tour group in Wales was doing some street ministry. We were singing and a crowd gathered. Some of us were working among the crowd and sharing the Gospel with people. One fellow in our group was zealous. He witnessed to everything that moved! Although he had a good heart, he didn’t exactly know the right way to do it.

As this fellow was talking to a woman who was standing right behind me, I listened to how he was presenting the Gospel. He was trying really hard to get her to pray this prayer with him. Finally, she gave in and said, “Okay.”

“Now repeat after me: I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ…”

When you truly believe from your heart, God will never disappoint you.

“I confess with my mouth the Lord Jesus Christ…”

“And I believe in my heart that God has raised Him from the dead…”

Pause… “I can’t pray that.”

“Why not?”

“Because I don’t believe that Jesus is alive from the dead. I believe He was a historical figure, but not that He was raised from the dead. That’s all just a lie.”

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So this young guy who was trying so hard to lead her to the Lord said, “Well, it doesn’t matter what you believe. Just say this prayer after me and you’ll be saved!”

I had to intervene and tell him, “No, this isn’t the way you do it. According to the Word, it does matter what you believe in your heart. It’s not just mouthing the words—even if they are the right words. It’s with the heart that you believe and with the mouth that confession is made.”

Stick with the Gospel

The scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

Romans 10:11

When you truly believe from your heart, God will never disappoint you. He’s faithful. If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, you will be saved.

This isn’t talking only about the initial born-again experi-ence. It also means everything that comes as a result of what Jesus Christ did—healing, deliverance, and prosperity. If you need healing in your body, all you have to do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart, and according to the Bible, you’ll be healed. If you’ve done that and haven’t seen healing manifested, then somehow or another there’s a deficiency in

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your faith. Stick with the Gospel, meditate on these things, and understand that God has already done it. You are dead to sin— and therefore dead to sickness and poverty. In your born-again spirit, you’ve already got your healing, financial provision, or whatever you are believing for. The moment your natural mind is renewed to the truth of God’s Word, it will begin to manifest in the physical realm.

In God’s eyes, there is no difference between those who have lived a holy life and those who have committed many sins.

God has already provided—through the atonement of Christ—everything we’ll ever

need. Now it’s up to us to believe and receive. My study of Ephesians entitled You’ve Already Got It! takes a closer look at this truth and reveals practical insight that will really facilitate and accelerate your receiving from God. Along with my teaching Spirit, Soul & Body, I believe that You’ve Already Got It!1 contains some of the most helpful truths God has ever shown me. Without understanding these vital truths from God’s Word, you won’t be able to experience very much of what Jesus died to provide.

No Difference

There is no difference between the Jew [the religious zealot] and the Greek [the heathen]: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.

Romans 10:12

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In God’s eyes, there is no difference between those who have lived a holy life and those who have committed many sins. The same access to Him is granted on the basis of faith. The person who hasn’t lived holy will have more problems in this life than the one who has. But as far as your relationship with God is concerned, the only way to Him for everyone is by grace through faith. It doesn’t matter if you’ve lived holy or not, if you can release faith in what Jesus Christ has done, you can receive the benefits of salvation.

Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.

Romans 10:13

This is true for both the initial born-again experience and for the ongoing receiving for the rest of your life of everything Christ has provided for you through His death, burial, and resurrection. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord, shall be forgiven, healed, delivered, prospered—every benefit that’s ours through what Jesus Christ did comes to us by grace through faith.

Give Up the Treadmill

Paul also discussed these two different types of righteous-ness in Philippians 3. In essence he said, “Is anyone trusting in their own holy living for right standing with God? If anyone

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Regardless of how good we could ever be, our holiness is still limited and imperfect.
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could, it should have been me. I was circumcised on the eighth day, born of the

stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin. No one was more Hebrew than I was! Concerning my knowledge and practice of the law, I was among the elite religious group known as the Pharisees. Our entire lives were consumed with legalistic obser-vation of the law. Concerning zeal, I actively hunted down and persecuted the

followers of Jesus. I was blameless concerning the law. I may not have kept every precept, but it certainly wasn’t because I didn’t try. I gave it all I had. I ran that fleshly treadmill with all my heart.” (Phil. 3:4-6.)

What happened that caused Paul to give up the treadmill?

What things were gain to me, those I counted loss for Christ. Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ.

Philippians 3:7,8

Paul was saying, “I had a standard of holiness that nobody could excel. No one was more zealous and diligent than I. But I gave it all up for Christ.” Here is Paul’s reason for giving up everything:

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That I may win Christ, and be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith.

Philippians 3:8,9

In this passage Paul was saying that the righteousness that comes through Jesus is infinitely greater than any righteousness he could have ever obtained on his own. Actually Paul said the same things in Philippians 3 as he did over in Romans 9 and 10. He gave up everything—all of his trust in his own goodness and holiness—so that he could be found in Christ. That meant not found with self-righteousness, but with a righteousness that came through Jesus—through faith in Him.

The righteousness God gives us at salvation is infinitely greater than any righteousness we could ever obtain on our own. Regardless of how good we could ever be, our holiness is still limited and imperfect. But the righteousness that comes from God through faith is perfect. It’s His righteousness!

I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; if by any means I might attain unto the resur-rection of the dead.

Philippians 3:10,11

Paul was saying, “I had a standard of righteousness that

exceeded any of my critics, but it didn’t do me any good. I

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We just need to give up, run up the white flag of surrender, and start trusting in God’s grace.
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didn’t have any real joy or peace in my life until I quit relying on myself and started trusting in God’s righteousness. What keeps religious people from experiencing peace with God is the fact that in their hearts they’re trusting in themselves. By doing so, they aren’t submitted to the righteousness that comes from God.”

Run Up the White Flag

These truths we’ve discussed in this brief synopsis of the book of Romans are still just as pertinent today as they were back when Paul wrote them. Our current religious system causes people to trust in their own goodness and performance for

right relationship with God. We can never be good enough to have God owe us right standing. He has to give it to us as a gift. Nobody is good enough to earn relationship with God through their performance. The fact that we’re trusting in our own performance is the very reason why Satan is able to defeat us.

The devil doesn’t come to us and criticize God’s ability. He just tells us that the Lord won’t use His power on our behalf because we are so sorry. So it’s not really an issue of whether God has the ability, but rather it’s His willingness to use His ability on our behalf. The reason why we doubt God’s willingness is

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because we think that He moves in our life proportional to our performance. We’re under a law mentality. Even though we’re born again and not offering Old Testament sacrifices for our sin, receiving the mark of circumcision in our bodies, or praying three times a day, we still have the same mentality.

We’re traveling down the same road to the same destina-tion. All we’ve done is change vehicles. Instead of taking all of those Old Testament rules and regulations, we’ve picked out a few of them and added some more. Common vehicles today include being baptized a certain way, belonging to a certain church, reading your Bible an hour a day, being holy, not wearing jewelry, having your dress a certain length, piling your hair up on your head, and not wearing makeup, among others. You must do this and you can’t do that.

If you’re basing God’s acceptance of you on any of your actions, then you aren’t believing the Gospel. You may not think it’s law because it isn’t Jewish tradition, but it’s still a law mentality. It’s the same thing, just substituted with other elements.

That’s the very reason why so many people are frustrated today. They aren’t enjoying the peace and victory God brings. They haven’t understood that salvation is a gift. Instead of trying so hard to do all these things, we just need to give up, run up the white flag of surrender, and start trusting in God’s grace.

When you do that, Satan can’t condemn you. There isn’t any condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus and walk

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after the Spirit. When you’re born again and walking after the Spirit, you don’t experience the frustration of trying to please God by your own effort. (Rom. 7-8.) Let the brand-new nature of your born-again spirit flow through you. (Gal. 2:20.) When you do, Jesus lives through you and you enjoy freedom. Nothing can condemn or successfully come against you.

There’s a level of victory that most Christians have never attained because they are still so law minded and trying to please God by their own efforts. When they fail, Satan comes in and condemns them, saying, “You sorry thing! God won’t do it because of you.”

Mix with Faith

The Gospel dispels that deception. It brings us back to a place of recognizing that God hasn’t had anybody who is qual-ified working for Him yet. He moves in our life because of mercy and grace, not justice. Once you understand that, God’s love will abound in your heart more than ever before. Once you understand the Gospel, love comes. And once you understand God’s love, your faith will work because faith works by love. (Gal. 5:6.)

How could you doubt the One who loved you so much that He gave His only Son for you while you were still a sinner?

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but free from sin.
you free to sin,
This understanding doesn’t set
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How much more does God love you now that you’re born again? Even though you’re still not everything you’re supposed to be, you’re His child and He loves you.

If you could accept the greatest of all miracles—the born-again experience— when you were a sinner, separated from God, nothing going good for you, now that you’re born again how much more

should you be able to see these small things like healings of disease, deliverance from demons, and miracles of provision? Those things pale in comparison to receiving the initial born-again experience!

If we could really understand this and start walking in God’s grace, our faith would abound. Victory would follow and we’d find out that the Gospel truly is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes. But you must believe it. The Gospel doesn’t produce automatically. It has to be mixed with faith.

Unto us was the gospel preached, as well as unto them: but the word preached did not profit them, not being mixed with faith in them that heard it.

Hebrews 4:2

We must know the Gospel, understand the Gospel, and believe the Gospel. Then that Word will profit us.

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Father, I Love You!

I hope that this study through the book of Romans has really opened your eyes to the truth that God loves you independent of your performance. This understanding doesn’t set you free to sin, but free from sin. As you understand God’s goodness, sin’s dominion over you is broken and you are led to repentance. I pray that God gives you revelation of this right now so that your mind can be renewed to this awesome spiritual reality. May these truths work in your life to the point that you are far more conscious of righteousness than you are of sin. (Heb. 10:2.)

In light of everything the Lord has just revealed to you about your relationship with Him, why don’t you take a moment right now to pray?

“Father, I thank You for making me righteous by faith in Your Son. Thank You for giving me right standing with You as a free gift. Please help me to comprehend these truths more fully and to apply them to my daily life. I want to glorify You with holiness, but for the right reason. By faith, I receive these truths from Your Word into my heart. Thank You for being so good to me. I love You!”

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Receive Jesus as Your Savior

Choosing to receive Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the most important decision you’ll ever make!

God’s Word promises, “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 confes-sion is made unto salvation” (Rom. 10:9–10). “Whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved” (v. 13).

By His grace, God has already done everything to provide salvation. Your part is simply to believe and receive.

Pray out loud, “Jesus, I confess that You are my Lord and Savior. I believe in my heart that God raised You from the dead. By faith in Your Word, I receive salvation now. Thank You for saving me!”

The very moment you commit your life to Jesus Christ, the truth of His Word instantly comes to pass in your spirit. Now that you’re born again, there’s a brand-new you!

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Receive the Holy Spirit

As His child, your loving heavenly Father wants to give you the supernatural power you need to live this new life.

Every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened… If ye…know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

Luke 11:10,13

All you have to do is ask, believe, and receive!

Pray, “Father, I recognize my need for Your power to live this new life. Please fill me with Your Holy Spirit. By faith, I receive it right now! Thank You for baptizing me. Holy Spirit, You are welcome in my life.”

Congratulations! Now you’re filled with God’s supernatural power. Some syllables from a language you don’t recognize will rise up from your heart to your mouth. (1 Cor. 14:14.) As you speak them out loud by faith, you’re releasing God’s power

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from within and building yourself up in the spirit. (1 Cor. 14:4.) You can do this whenever and wherever you like.

It doesn’t really matter whether you felt anything or not when you prayed to receive the Lord and His Spirit. If you believed in your heart that you received, then God’s Word promises you did. “Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them” (Mark 11:24). God always honors His Word; believe it!

Please contact me and let me know that you’ve prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior or to be filled with the Holy Spirit. I would like to rejoice with you and help you understand more fully what has taken place in your life. I’ll send you a free gift that will help you understand and grow in your new relationship with the Lord. Welcome to your new life!