Confession

This discussion will never appear anywhere in any Church bulletin and it will never be a part of any sermon series at any Church.

It is absolutely not popular. Why? Because it lets God be God. It allows Him to be in charge and not man, and man doesn’t like that.

Well where does salvation come from?

John 3:16-21

16 "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. 17 For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because he has not believed in the name of God's one and only Son. 19 This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. 20 Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. 21 But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God."
NIV

OK, if someone accepts Christ then they are saved. But, can’t they lose their salvation, especially if they do wrong things and not confess? Well, read this:
Eph 1:12-14
13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession — to the praise of his glory.
NIV
According to what the Bible actually says—NO! You’ve been SEALED as His until you are redeemed.

What?! Are you saying that salvation can never be lost? Well, how was it gained in the first place?
Eph 2:8-10
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith — and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.
NIV
So are you saying that you had nothing to do with it? Yes I am. It was a gift and now that it has been given you have it. YOU had nothing to do with it. God gave you a gift when you believed. That’s it. In other words you attended the party and got your gift.

Now, I should tell you that I started my research to figure out if what I believed about confession was true or not (that confession has absolutely nothing to do with salvation or being a good and proper Christian) and I have found out that’s true, but I have come across something that’s quite interesting. Your rewards in Heaven do have everything to do with what you do on Earth after you are saved.

I have to say that honestly I didn’t anticipate that I would find that. It’s OK with me, I just didn’t expect to find that. It’s true that your Christian life can’t possibly have any effect on your salvation – that is what Jesus took care of, but your rewards in Heaven DO have everything to do with what YOU do here on Earth after you have been saved.

It’s actually very simple. If you haven’t been saved, you won’t go to Heaven, and thanks to Jesus, that’s a done deal. But what rewards you will get in Heaven, now that depends on YOU and what YOU have done here on Earth after you have become a Christian.

Just read the following scriptures. You will see that what I am saying is true. Life is just between you and God, not you, God and what anyone else sees or thinks. He knows everything and that’s all that you need to ever be concerned with. If anyone says anything at all to you just ask them to back up their need to speak out to you and I guarantee that they can’t do it!

Matt 5:11-12
12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven
NIV

Matt 6:1
6:1 "Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven.
NIV

Matt 6:6-8
6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
NIV

Luke 6:34-36
35 But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. 36 Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.
NIV

Col 3:23-25
23 Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart, as working for the Lord, not for men, 24 since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward . It is the Lord Christ you are serving. 25 Anyone who does wrong will be repaid for his wrong, and there is no favoritism.
NIV

Heb 11:26
26 He regarded disgrace for the sake of Christ as of greater value than the treasures of Egypt, because he was looking ahead to his reward .
NIV

Rev 22:12
12 "Behold, I am coming soon! My reward is with me, and I will give to everyone according to what he has done.
NIV

So it is clear that the rewards: 1) Only go to God’s children, 2) Are given in Heaven, 3) Are based on what you did as God’s child.

So it’s no longer important what people think. God knows your heart, so if you’re His, since you’re working for Him, He’ll see and know it! And that’s ALL that’s important!