Why Confessions Fail

One of the things Christians do that amuses me a lot is when someone comes to me and says 'I'm strong', or 'I've been strong for the past two weeks'. I just feel like saying, 'what exactly is wrong with these people.' I can still remember how my roommate back then in school used to announce to us that his money has finished, 'I'm very rich this period'. I usually wonder who in the world taught them to talk that way.

There's no difference between the word 'sick' and 'strong' when it's used to mean the same thing. When you say, "I'm very rich" as a replacement to 'I'm broke', there's really no difference. Simply put, to be strong has become another synonym for sick in your vocabulary and I honestly don't believe a Christian should communicate that way. There's no place in the Bible where we're encouraged to use beautiful words to express bad intentions.

It's very ridiculous to say something like, 'My dear, I couldn't go to work yesterday because I was very strong'. What exactly do you want to achieve? What good does it do to you or to your attempt to be well? Saying, I'm rich when you want the listener to understand I'm broke will not make you rich. Neither will saying "I'm strong" make you well. Words from the lips make a difference in the spirit only when they are consistent with your belief and the convictions you have in your heart.

The Bible teaches us to make confessions. So many things depend on your confession as a Christian. Your salvation depends on it as well as your daily victory. To receive salvation, the Bible tells us to confess with our mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in our hearts... (Rom. 10:9). When you confess Jesus with your mouth without believing in your heart, you won't be saved. The same thing applies to every other thing in the bible.

David and Paul said, 'I believe therefore I spoke' (2 Corinth 4:13). Effective confession must be in that order. It's speaking your faith, your belief, your convictions. You must believe first in your heart. Today, many Christians do exactly the opposite and expect it to work. They confess what they don't believe. They have no convictions about the things they confess. They confess that they are strong not because they believe they are or because the word says they are but because they think they will become strong by saying I'm strong.

Confession is a powerful tool but it must come from inside. When you believe you're strong, you have no reason to tell your boss that you can't come to work because you're strong. That's a negative confession done using positive words. That won't work. David made a powerful confession standing before Goliath: 'All those gathered here will know that it is not by sword or spear that the Lord saves; for the battle is the Lord's, and he will give all of you into our hands.' David knew what he was saying, he believed it and he confessed his convictions. When you believe it and confess it according to the Word, you will get the result the Word promised.