In this article, I’m going to examine another angle to confessing with your mouth that is quite different from what you will hear in most places.
We will discover some amazing links between receiving the Holy Spirit, speaking in tongues, prophesying, calling on the name of the Lord to be saved, being called by Jesus’ surname, and confessing with our mouth salvation.
As The Spirit Gave Them The Utterance
- Acts 2:4 – And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
I want to look a little deeper at the word utterance:
The Greek word for utterance is (apophthengomai) and on the surface simply means: utterance, to speak forth, say.
- However, of important note is: not a word of everyday speech but one “belonging to dignified and elevated discourse” it has the force of to utter or declare oneself, give one’s opinion. (It was the Holy Ghost declaring himself)
- And this word is used not only of prophets, but also wise men and philosophers.
This word utterance is to speak with wisdom, with authority, and as the prophets.
It is the power to say… Thus saith the Lord! (No one can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost)
The infilling of the Spirit is always associated with tongues and quite often with prophecy.
- And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams. (Acts 2:17)
- And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. (Acts 19:6)
So on the day of Pentecost when people heard the believers speaking in tongues, it was the Holy Ghost announcing or declaring his arrival and the Holy Ghost GAVE them the utterance (words that declare the Holy Ghost, words with a force behind them to authority and prophecy).
Speaking In Tongues Is Declaring The Wonderful Works Of God
- …we do hear them speak in our tongues the wonderful works of God. (Acts 2:11)
They could understand some of the words that were being said but it is obvious they couldn’t understand every word because Peter had to get up and explain it to them.
- Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels… (1 Cor 13:1)
Perhaps they heard a mixture of languages however the fact remains that whatever words they could understand… speaking in tongues was declaring the wonderful works of God.
I want to labor this point… When people get filled with the Holy Ghost and speak in tongues the words coming out of their mouth are declaring the wonderful works of God.
Just think about Peter’s explanation of speaking in tongues – This is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel… It is God pouring out his Holy Spirit.
The very fact that it is fulfilling prophecy and yet again proving that what God said would happen is happening before their very eyes is an amazing declaration of the wonderful works of God.
If You Confess With Your Mouth
This scripture is tragically taken out of context and has become some magic potion or sinners’ prayer that modern-day preachers try to get unbelievers to repeat and then when the unbeliever repeats the words they somehow magically become believers and are saved.
- 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. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Rom 10:9-13)
First of all this verse wasn’t written to unbelievers it was written to the Church in Rome… It was written to those who were already saved. To take this passage that is written to believers and try to make it apply to unbelievers is ridiculous.
Second, Jesus said not everyone who confesses with their mouth shall be saved…
- Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? (Mat 7:21-22)
It is clear these people were confessing with their mouth and they believed from their hearts because they were genuinely shocked… Have we not done this and that? We thought we were doing okay.
The key to this verse is the following statement that we have seen somewhere else before…
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved!
- And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved. (Acts 2:21)
The exact same words in Romans 10:13 is used in Acts 2:21 to describe what speaking in tongues is… the outpouring of the Holy Ghost. (Those who were calling on the name of the Lord being saved)
And in fact, if you want to find how the believers preached the gospel to non-believers read the book of Acts – the rest of the Bible is written to those who already believe.
And Peter was asked what shall we do? After explaining the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ and including that verse from the prophet Joel about whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved – he said…
- Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. (Acts 2:38)
Think about this…
When asked about what speaking in tongues is… When they asked what meaneth this? Peter explained it was God pouring out his Spirit in fulfillment of what God promised through the prophet Joel that whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved!
And Paul uses those exact words to people who already had that experience because he was writing to the Church.
What Happened On The Day Of Pentecost?
They were all filled with the Holy Spirit and spoke in tongues as the Spirit gave them the utterance. Peter clearly explained this is what happens when whosoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
And what were they doing with their mouths?
Speaking in tongues – they spoke – they CONFESSED with their mouths when they were filled with the Holy Ghost.
When people are born again today the same thing happens – there is a clear and precise moment when everyone knows a person has received the Holy Ghost.
And we all know it because we hear the person confess with their mouth as the Holy Ghost gives them the utterance – therefore the ability to speak in tongues.
- The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit. (John 3:8)
You can’t see the Holy Ghost but you hear the sound thereof and so is EVERYONE that is born of the Spirit.
- To declare to someone that because they have repeated some words or said a sinners prayer that they have the Holy Ghost is a fraud.
- To tell young children that they have received the Holy Ghost because they successfully completed a course and now can partake in communion is a fraud.
- To tell people that because they have been baptized that they now have the Holy Ghost is a fraud.
We can’t tell people they have received the Holy Ghost they tell us when they confess with their mouth that the Holy Ghost has arrived. When we hear the sound (the voice of the Spirit) – speaking in tongues.
They Do Speak The Wonderful Works Of God
When you speak in tongues you are speaking in the Spirit and the Spirit is only going to declare good things about God and Jesus Christ.
- 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. (1 Cor 12:3)
We have already seen that many people can say with their own strength Jesus is Lord and it is not enough. Why call me Lord, Lord? Depart from me I never knew you.
- Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his. (Rom 8:8)
Without the Spirit of Christ, he doesn’t know you. There are so many people from the day of Pentecost right through to today who mock speaking in tongues or say it is of the devil.
Get this… No one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed – it is not of the devil it is of God. And no one can say Jesus is Lord but by the Holy Ghost!
When you speak in tongues you are speaking good things and speaking in tongues is speaking by the Spirit of God.
- But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost. (Jude 1:20)
When you receive the Holy Ghost you receive Jesus (Jn 14:23, Jn 13:20) your mouth confesses his arrival by speaking in tongues.
- Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God. (1 John 4:2)
They That Call On The Name Of The Lord Shall Be Saved
There is another interesting twist with the word call. It does mean to call upon as the text indicates, however, the Greek word (epikaleō) can also mean: to put a name upon, to surname!
It’s not just crying out to the Lord… it is taking on his Surname – to be called one of his.
Remember…
- Depart from me I never knew you.
- Without the Spirit of Christ, you are none of his
- …And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch. (Acts 11:26)
You can only take on his name and be called one of his by receiving the Holy Spirit and then you are called Christian – which literally means Christ Ones – the ones who are anointed (Christ).
I go into more detail about this here… What Was Jesus Last Name
In summary, to confess with your mouth means to say the same thing as.
Jesus promised he would send another Comforter, the Bible tells us he is at the right hand of the Father sending the Holy Ghost and whenever someone receives the Holy Ghost they start speaking in tongues – they literally confess with their mouth that everything Jesus said is true.
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