Transcription
Glory to God. Amen. Hallelujah.
Now, before we open the word, let's just bow our heads. Father, we thank you for your holy written word. We thank you that the entrance of your word giveth light. We thank you that your word is life to those that find it and health to all their flesh. We thank you for the great Holy Spirit, the teacher of the church, who lives within us, who opens the eyes of our understanding. We trust him tonight to illuminate, to teach, to guide us into all truth in Jesus mighty name. Amen.
Now turn with me to the book of Hebrews chapter 10 and verse 23. I want you to see this verse. I want you to hear it and then I want you to say it with your mouth. Amen.
"Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering. For he is faithful that promised."
Say that after me. "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised."
Say it again. Hallelujah. "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering, for he is faithful that promised."
One more time so the devil hears it clear. "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering. For he is faithful that promised."
Now notice what it said. It did not say, "Let us try confession for a little while." It did not say, "Let us speak the word when we feel like it." No, it said, "Let us hold fast." Everybody say, "Hold fast." That means you don't let go. That means you don't quit. That means you don't turn loose of your confession. No matter what it looks like, no matter what it feels like, no matter what others say. Why? Because he is faithful that promised.
Now, you see, right here is where 99% of Christians miss it. They start out right. They'll hear the word. They'll shout about it. They'll say it once or twice. But then the symptoms show up again. The bills are still on the table. The pressure comes. And instead of holding fast to their confession, they let it slip. They start saying, "Well, I thought it was working, but I guess it didn't." And the moment you change your confession, you cut the very lifeline of your faith. The Bible doesn't say hold fast until it looks better. It says hold fast without wavering. That means when you feel strong or when you feel weak, when you see the answer, or when you don't, when the crowd is cheering you on, or when the devil is whispering in your ear, you hold fast to the confession of your faith. Amen.
Now, why can we hold fast? Why can we keep saying it when it doesn't look like it's true? Because he is faithful that promised. Glory to God. Not because we're faithful, not because we feel strong, but because he is faithful. Numbers 23:19 says, "God is not a man that he should lie. Neither the son of man that he should repent hath he said and shall he not do it. Or hath he spoken and shall he not make it good." Hallelujah.
So when I confess God's word, I'm not standing on what I feel. I'm not standing on what I see. I'm not standing on what I think. I'm standing on what he said. And he cannot lie. He cannot fail. His word cannot return void. Isaiah 55:11 says, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth. It shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please. It's my and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it."
That's why we're teaching on this subject. Why most confessions of faith don't work and how to fix it today. Because the problem is not with God. The problem is not with the promise. The problem is not with the blood of Jesus. The problem is not with the Holy Spirit. The problem is that God's people fail to hold fast to their confession of faith.
Say this with me one more time before we move on. "I hold fast to my confession of faith. I do not waver. I refuse to doubt for God is faithful that promise." Hallelujah. Glory to God. Can you say amen?
Now I want you to notice something else. Proverbs chapter 18 and verse 21. Turn there in your Bible. Don't just take my word for it. Look at it for yourself. Amen. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue, and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof."
Say that with me. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Say it again. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue." One more time. "Death and life are in the power of the tongue."
Now notice this. It did not say death and life are in the power of God. It did not say death and life are in the power of the devil. No, it said death and life are in the power of what? The tongue. Your tongue. My tongue. That little member between your teeth. Amen.
James said in chapter three that the tongue is like the rudder of a great ship. Small but it turns the whole vessel. He said it's like the bridal in a horse's mouth. Tiny but it governs the whole body. What is he saying? He's saying that your words steer the direction of your life. Your confession sets the course of your future. Listen carefully now. Your tomorrow is being built with the words you are speaking today. Your healing is in your mouth. Your provision is in your mouth. Your victory is in your mouth.
"Death and life are in the power of the tongue." Jesus said the same thing in Mark 11:23. Let's look at it. "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith."
Now notice, he did not say he shall have whatsoever he believeth. No, he said he shall have whatsoever he saith. He mentioned believing one time, but he mentioned saying three times. That means you're going to have to say it three times as much as you believe it. Why? Because it's the same part most Christians stumble over. You see, many believe in their heart that God's word is true, but they cancel it with their mouth. They say, "Yes, I know God said he would supply all my needs, but there it is." They say, "I know by his stripes I was healed, but there it is." They are releasing death and not life.
Say this with me. "My words steer my life. My words carry power. My words agree with God's word." Say it again. "My words steer my life. My words carry power. My words agree with God's word."
Glory to God. Now listen. You can talk sickness and sickness will dominate you. You can talk poverty and poverty will rule you. You can talk weakness and weakness will reign over you. Or hallelujah. You can talk health and healing will spring forth. You can talk victory and victory will show up. You can talk strength and strength will manifest because death and life are in the power of the tongue.
When I was just a young preacher, the Lord said to me in prayer, "Go through the New Testament and underline every scripture that says 'in him,' 'in Christ,' 'in whom.' Then begin to confess them with your mouth." And I began to do it. And I found out the more I said it, the more real it became in my spirit. And the more real it became in my spirit, the more it showed up in my life. The problem with many Christians is this. They think the Bible will work for them because they believe it silently. No, no, no. Faith must be released. And the primary way faith is released is through words. Faith has to be spoken. Amen.
Say this out loud with me right now. "I will speak life. I will speak health. I will speak victory. I will speak God's word only." Glory to God.
Hallelujah. That's why we're teaching this because if your words are not lining up with God's word, your confession will not work. But if your words and God's word are in agreement, then faith's confession will bring faith possession. Amen.
Now, let's look at Romans chapter 10 verses 9 and 10. Open your Bible. Don't let the devil steal this from you. Need to mark it, underline it, live in it. Amen. "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."
Now notice carefully, with the heart man believes unto what? Righteousness. But with the mouth confession is made unto what? Salvation. In other words, believing brings you right up to the door. But confession opens the door and brings the reality into your life.
Say this with me. "Believing is the foundation, but confession is the completion." Say it again. "Believing is the foundation, but confession is the completion." One more time. "Believing brings me to the door. Confession brings me inside." Glory to God.
Now think about it. If all you had to do was silently believe in your heart, then every sinner who believes that Jesus is the Son of God would automatically be saved. But they're not. They are not saved until they open their mouth and confess him as Lord. Believing is not enough. It must be released. It must be declared. Faith must have a voice. And the same principle works in every area of life. If you got saved by believing and confessing, then you get healed the same way by believing and confessing. If you receive the Holy Ghost by believing and confessing, you receive victory over sin, over Satan, over circumstances, the same way by believing and confessing. Glory to God.
Now, Mark 11:23 says it again. Jesus himself said, "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass, he shall have whatsoever he saith." He didn't say, "He shall have whatsoever he hopeth." He didn't say, "He shall have whatsoever he wishth." He said, "He shall have whatsoever he saith." Three times he said, "Saith." Once he said, "Believe." That means your confession must be louder than your feelings. Your confession must be stronger than your doubts. Your confession must be consistent with your believing.
I remember when I was on that bed of sickness as a teenager, paralyzed with my heart so weak, the doctors gave me no hope. I lay there month after month and I read this verse and I saw it. It said, "If I would believe in my heart and confess with my mouth, I could have it." And I began to whisper, "I believe. I receive my healing." I said it again. "I believe I receive my healing." I said it the third time. And something began to rise up in me. Faith began to grow. And the more I confessed it, the more real it became. And one day, I said it strong. "I believe I receive healing in the name of Jesus." And the power of God hit me. I swung my legs off that bed. I stood up. Glory to God. And I was healed. Amen.
"Confession makes it real." Say it with me. "Confession makes it real." Say it again. "Confession makes it real." One more time. "Confession makes it real."
Now, Hebrews 4:14 says, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our profession." That word profession is the same as confession. What is it saying? It's saying Jesus is the high priest of our confession. In other words, when I say what God says, Jesus takes my words and presents them before the throne of God. Hallelujah. That's why you don't dare speak unbelief. That's why you don't dare speak doubt because your high priest can only act on the word of God.
So, let me say it again. Believing brings you to the door. Confession opens the door. Believing is the root. Confession is the fruit. Believing is the foundation. Confession is the house you live in. Amen.
Say this out loud. "Faith must be spoken. Faith must be declared. Faith must be confessed. And when I confess God's word, it becomes real in my life." Hallelujah. Glory to God. Can you shout amen?
Now, let me show you something that trips up so many believers. It's what I call empty confession. Everybody say, "Empty confession." You see, some people think they're making a confession of faith when all they're really doing is paring words. They repeat a phrase because they heard somebody else say it. They say the right words, but there's no faith behind it. And words without faith are empty. They're hollow. They carry no power.
Romans 10:10 doesn't just say, "With the mouth confession is made." No. It says, "With the heart man believeth, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Did you see it? Confession must be backed by believing. Otherwise, it's just talk.
Say this with me. "Confession without faith is empty. Confession with faith is power." Say it again. "Confession without faith is empty. Confession with faith is power." One more time. "Confession without faith does nothing. Confession with faith moves mountains." Glory to God.
Now Jesus said in Matthew 12:34, "Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." That means what you continually say is what fills your heart and what fills your heart is what your mouth will eventually speak under pressure. So if the word is not in your heart then when trouble comes all you'll have is empty confession. It's like this. You can teach a parrot to say, "By his stripes I am healed." That bird flap its wings and repeat the words but the parrot doesn't get healed. Why? Because there's no faith in its heart. Amen. And many Christians are no better than a parrot. They repeat, repeat, repeat, but they never feed on the word until it gets inside their spirit. Faith confession is not just saying something. Faith confession is saying something you believe in your heart. It's the agreement of heart and mouth with God's word.
Mark 11:23 makes it plain. "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith." Now notice, you must believe that what you say shall come to pass. If you don't believe it, then saying it is empty. If you do believe it, then saying it is power. Amen.
I remember years ago a dear woman came to me in one of my meetings. She said, "Brother Hagen, I've confessed for years that I'm healed, but I'm still sick. I've confessed prosperity, but I'm still broke. Why doesn't it work for me?" And the Lord prompted me to ask her, "What do you really believe in your heart?" And she stopped, thought a moment, and then said, "Well, truthfully, I don't really believe it. I just thought if I said it long enough, it might come to pass." You see the difference? She was making an empty confession. Confession is not magic. This is not mind science. This is not chanting. No, no, no. This is faith. And faith only comes one way. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." You must first hear the word. You must feed on the word. You must let the word get down into your spirit. And when it becomes real inside, then your confession carries power on the outside.
Say this out loud. "I don't just say words. I believe God's word. I confess what I believe and what I confess will come to pass." Glory to God.
Hallelujah. Let me give you an illustration. It's like signing a check. A child can scribble on paper, but it means nothing because there's no authority behind it. But when the one with the account signs their name, the bank releases the funds. Confession without faith is like scribbling with no authority. But confession with faith is like signing with authority. Heaven backs it up. That's why Jesus said in John 14:13-14, "Whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. If ye shall ask anything in my name, I will do it." When your heart believes it and your mouth confesses it and you use his name, all of heaven moves to bring it to pass. Hallelujah.
So, let's fix it right here. No more empty confession. No more repeating just to repeat. No more saying words with no faith. Let's make sure our heart is full of the word. And then let's open our mouth in boldness. And when we do, confession creates reality.
Say this one more time. "I speak God's word with faith. My words are not empty. My words are filled with life. And my confession brings my possession." Glory to God forevermore. Can you shout amen?
Now, the first great enemy of faith, the first great hindrance to confession working in your life is ignorance of the word of God. Everybody say that with me. "Ignorance of the word of God."
Romans 10:17 says, "So then faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." Say that with me. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." Say it again. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." One more time. "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God."
Now notice it did not say faith comes by praying. It did not say faith comes by fasting. It did not say faith comes by wishing. It did not say faith comes by struggling. No, it said faith comes one way and only one way by hearing the word of God. That means if you don't know the word, you don't have faith. If you don't hear the word, you can't have faith. If you're ignorant of the word, your confession will never work because you cannot confess what you do not know. Amen.
Hosea 4:6 says, "My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge." He didn't say the sinner. He said, "My people." God's people are destroyed not because the devil is so big, not because the devil is so strong, not because circumstances are so overwhelming, but because of a lack of knowledge. Let me illustrate it. If you had a bottle of medicine on your nightstand and that medicine could cure your disease, but you never opened it, never swallowed it, never took it, would it help you? Number, the medicine in the bottle won't heal you until you take it into your system. And God's word works the same way.
Proverbs 4:20-22 says, "My son, attend to my words. Incline thine ear unto my sayings. Let them not depart from thine eyes. Keep them in the midst of thine heart. For they are life unto those that find them and health to all their flesh." God's word is medicine, but medicine left in the bottle will not heal you. You must attend to it. You must incline your ear to it. You must keep it in your eyes. You must let it get down into your heart. And then it becomes life and health. Amen.
Now listen carefully. Ignorance of the word produces weak faith. Weak faith produces weak confession. And weak confession produces weak results. But knowledge of the word produces strong faith. Strong faith produces strong confession. And strong confession produces strong results.
Say this with me. "No word, no faith. Little word, little faith. Much word, much faith." Say it again. "No word, no faith. Little word, little faith. Much word, much faith."
I remember a woman came to me once crying, saying, "Brother Hagen, please pray for me that I'll have more faith." I said, "Well, what scripture are you standing on?" She looked at me like a calf staring at a new gate. She said, "Oh, none in particular." I said, "Then that's exactly what you'll get. Nothing in particular." Amen. Faith must have a foundation, and that foundation is the word of God. If you don't know what God has said, you cannot believe it. If you cannot believe it, you cannot confess it. And if you cannot confess it, you cannot possess it. That's why the devil works overtime to keep Christians away from their Bible. He doesn't care if you pray as long as you don't know the word. He doesn't care if you sing as long as you don't know the word. He doesn't care if you shout as long as you don't know the word. Because the devil knows the word of God is the source of faith. And without faith, you cannot defeat him. Glory to God.
Say this out loud with me. "I refuse to be ignorant of God's word. I am a student of the word. I feed on the word daily and faith comes alive in me." Hallelujah. Glory to God. Ignorance is the first enemy, but knowledge of the word is the first victory. Amen.
Now, the second great enemy to faith, the second great hindrance to your confession working is wrong thinking. Everybody say it with me. "Wrong thinking."
Proverbs 23:7 says, "For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he." Say it again. "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he." One more time. "As he thinketh in his heart, so is he."
Now notice, it did not say as he believeth with his lips. It said as he thinketh in his heart. Your life moves in the direction of your dominant thoughts. If your thoughts are wrong, your believing will be wrong. If your believing is wrong, your confession will be wrong. And if your confession is wrong, your results will be wrong. That's why Romans 12:2 says, "Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God." Did you hear that? Be transformed, not conformed to this world, not shaped by the world's way of thinking, but renewed in your mind by God's word.
Now, let me give you an example. 2 Corinthians 5:17 says, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Everybody say, "I am a new creature." Say it again. "I am a new creature." Say it louder. "I am a new creature in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away. All things are become new." But you see, many Christians don't think that way. They say, "Well, I know I'm saved, but I still feel like the same old sinner I used to be." Or, "I can't expect God to heal me because I was such a terrible person before I got saved." That's wrong thinking. That's looking at yourself from the natural standpoint instead of God's standpoint. In God's eyes, when you were born again, your past was wiped out. Isaiah 43:25 says, "I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins." God said he doesn't even remember them. But too many Christians are still remembering what God has forgotten.
I remember years ago a dear lady came forward in a healing line. She said, "Brother Hagen, I know God heals people, but I just don't think he'll heal me because I lived such a terrible life before I was saved." I opened my Bible to 2 Corinthians 5:17 and read it to her. I said, "Do you believe you're in Christ?" She said, "Yes." I said, "Then the Bible says you are a new creature. The old things have passed away. God does not see that old sinner. God sees you in Christ." And when she saw it, when her thinking lined up with the word, faith rose in her heart, she confessed her healing and instantly the power of God healed her body. Glory to God. Wrong thinking will keep you in bondage. Right thinking will set you free.
Jesus said in John 8:32, "And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free." But you see, truth known is what makes you free. The truth sitting in a closed Bible won't make you free. You must know it. You must think it. You must believe it. That's why Paul said in Philippians 4:8, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things." So if the devil tries to make you think sickness, you answer back, "No, I think health. By his stripes, I am healed." If he tries to make you think poverty, you answer back, "No. My God shall supply all my need according to his riches and glory by Christ Jesus." If he tries to make you think weakness, you answer back, "No. I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Amen.
Say this out loud with me. "I renew my mind with the word of God. I think what God thinks. I believe what God says. I confess what God declares. And I receive what God promises." Hallelujah. Glory to God. Wrong thinking is an enemy. But a renewed mind is a victory.
Now the third great enemy to your faith, the third hindrance to your confession working is this. Contradictory confessions. Everybody say it with me. "Contradictory confessions." Say it again. "Contradictory confessions." One more time. "Contradictory confessions."
What do I mean? I mean, saying one thing on Sunday morning in church and saying something completely different on Monday morning at work. I mean, saying, "Yes, praise the Lord. I believe I'm healed in the prayer line." And then saying, "Well, I guess it didn't work when the pain comes back." I mean, saying, "God supplies all my needs" when you pray. But then telling everybody else, "I just don't know how we're going to make it." That, my friend, is a contradictory confession.
James 3:10 says, "Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing, my brethren, these things ought not so to be." Think about that. Out of the same mouth comes blessing. "By his stripes, I am healed." But out of the same mouth comes cursing. "Well, I guess I'll never get better." Out of the same mouth comes blessing. "My God supplies all my needs." But out of the same mouth comes cursing. "We're going under this time for sure." James said, "These things ought not so to be." It's like trying to drive your car with one foot on the gas and the other foot on the brake. You won't get anywhere. That's what happens when you confess God's word one minute and doubt the next. One foot on faith, the other foot on unbelief, and you're stuck in the middle.
Let me give you another illustration. When a farmer plants seed in the ground, does he dig it up every morning to see if it's growing? Number. If he did, it would never take root. He plants it, waters it, and keeps it in the soil until harvest. But many Christians plant their faith with their mouth on Sunday and dig it up on Monday with a contradictory confession. Then they wonder why there's no harvest.
Jesus said in Mark 11:23, "He shall have whatsoever he saith." Not whatsoever he saith on Sunday. Not whatsoever he saith when the preacher's watching. No, he said whatsoever he saith. That means your daily words, your consistent words, your ongoing confession is what brings the result.
Now listen carefully. You cannot talk sickness and have healing. You cannot talk poverty and have prosperity. You cannot talk defeat and have victory. You cannot talk fear and have faith. Amen.
I remember a man came to me once after service. He said, "Brother Hagen, I just don't understand it. I prayed. I confessed. I believed. But nothing happened." I said, "Well, what did you do when you got home?" He said, "Well, I told my wife, I don't think it's working." I said, "There's your answer right there. You planted faith in the service and dug it up at home with a contradictory confession."
James 1:6-7 says, "But let him ask in faith nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. For let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." Did you hear that? The man who wavereth in his confession, up one day, down the next, will not receive anything. But glory to God, the one who holds steady, the one who says the same thing day after day, the one who holds fast to their confession without wavering, that one will see the promise come to pass.
Say this out loud with me. "I refuse to waver. I refuse to contradict myself. I refuse to dig up my seed. I hold fast my confession and I will see my harvest." Hallelujah. Glory to God. Contradictory confession is a third great enemy. But a steady confession, an unwavering confession, a consistent confession of faith will bring the answer every time.
Now, let me show you how this works in real life. Testimonies help us see the word in action. Amen. I remember a woman in one of my meetings. The doctors had said she would never walk again. She was bedfast, paralyzed from the waist down. The doctors did everything they knew to do, but finally told her family, "There is no hope. You'll have to care for her the rest of her life." They brought her to my service, carried her in on a cot. She looked frail, her face pale, her body weak, but thank God she had ears to hear. Romans 10:17 says, "Faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the word of God." She listened as I preached from 1 Peter 2:24. "Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed."
Say it with me. "By whose stripes ye were healed." Say it again. "By whose stripes ye were healed." One more time. "By whose stripes ye were healed."
Now notice it does not say by whose stripes ye are going to be healed someday. No, it says by whose stripes ye were healed. That's past tense. That means in the mind of God, healing was already accomplished 2,000 years ago when Jesus bore those stripes. It belongs to us now. I preached that and I could see faith rising up in her eyes. After the service, I knelt beside her cot. I said, "Sister, do you believe the Bible is true?" She said, "Yes, I do." I said, "Do you believe 1 Peter 2:24 is true?" She said, "Yes, I do." I said, "Then what does it say about you?" She hesitated a moment, then whispered, "By his stripes, I was healed." I said, "Say it again." She said, "By his stripes, I was healed." I said, "Say it again." She said it stronger. "By his stripes, I was healed." The third time, she almost shouted it. "By his stripes, I was healed." And as she said it, the power of God came upon her. She swung her legs off that cot, stood up, and for the first time in years walked across the front of that church. Glory to God.
Now, did God heal her at that moment? No. God healed her nearly 2,000 years ago when Jesus bore those stripes. But it became real to her when she confessed it with faith. Her confession gave action to her faith. And faith confession always brings faith's possession.
Say this out loud with me. "By his stripes, I was healed. Healing belongs to me now. I receive it. I confess it. And it becomes reality in my body." Hallelujah. Glory to God. That's why I tell people the moment you can get them to see the word, believe the word, and confess the word, healing comes easily. It's not a struggle. It's not hard. Why? Because faith makes it simple. Faith takes what grace has already provided and confession brings it into reality. Glory to God. Testimony after testimony proves it. Healing, provision, victory, all come the same way. Believe it in your heart. Confess it with your mouth. Hold fast without wavering. And you shall have whatsoever you saith. Amen.
Now, here is the key, dear friends. You must confess what you believe, not what you feel. Everybody say that with me. "Confess what I believe, not what I feel." Say it again. "Confess what I believe, not what I feel." One more time. "Confess what I believe, not what I feel."
2 Corinthians 5:7 says, "For we walk by faith, not by sight." Glory to God. We walk by what? Faith. Not by what? Sight. That means we do not walk by feelings. We do not walk by circumstances. We do not walk by appearances. We walk by faith in the word of God. Now, feelings will lie to you. Feelings will change. One day you feel good, the next day you feel weak. One day you feel like shouting, the next day you feel like crying. But the word of God never changes. Jesus said in Matthew 24:35, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away." Glory to God. That's why your confession must be based on what you believe from the word, not on what you feel in your body or see with your eyes. If you only confess when you feel it, you'll never have it. Faith is not based on feelings. Faith is based on facts, the facts of God's eternal word.
Hebrews 13:5-6 says, "He hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me." Did you notice that he hath said, so that we may boldly say? Faith speaks what he said, not what we feel. I remember when I was bedfast as a teenager, paralyzed. My body felt weak. My heart felt like it was failing. My flesh said, "You're dying." But the word said, "By his stripes, ye were healed." And I had to choose. Will I confess what I feel or will I confess what I believe? And I said it again and again. "I believe I receive my healing. By his stripes, I am healed." My body didn't feel healed yet, but I kept confessing the word. And one day, the healing power of God raised me up. Hallelujah.
Say this out loud with me. "I am not moved by what I see. I am not moved by what I feel. I am moved only by what I believe. And I believe the word of God." Glory to God.
That's what Abraham did. Romans 4:19-21 says, "And being not weak in faith, he considered not his own body now dead, when he was about an hundred years old, neither yet the deadness of Sarah's womb: He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what he had promised, he was able also to perform." Did you hear that? Abraham did not consider his body. He did not consider Sarah's body. He considered the promise of God. He confessed what he believed, not what he felt. And God made him the father of many nations. If you want results, stop talking feelings. Stop talking symptoms. Stop talking circumstances. Start talking the word. Start confessing what you believe. Start declaring the promise of God. Amen.
Say this again. "I confess what I believe. I do not confess what I feel. Feelings change. God's word never changes. And I walk by faith, not by sight." Hallelujah. Glory to God forevermore.
Now, I want to make this practical for you. It's one thing to hear the word preached, but it's another thing to apply it every single day. Amen. The Lord said to me years ago while I was on the bed of sickness, "Go through the New Testament and underline all the verses that say 'in him,' 'in Christ,' or 'in whom.'" Then begin to confess them with your mouth. I did it. And I've been teaching believers to do the same ever since. Why? Because those verses tell you who you are, what you have, and what you can do in Christ.
Everybody say, "In him." Say it again. "In him." Say it louder. "In him, in Christ, in whom?"
Now, there are about 130 of those verses scattered throughout the New Testament. Most of them are in the epistles because the epistles are written to the church. Amen. That's where we find our identity in Christ. Let me give you a few examples.
2 Corinthians 5:17, "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new." Say this out loud with me. "I am in Christ. I am a new creature. Old things are passed away. All things are become new." Glory to God.
Now skip down to verse 21. "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him." Say it out loud. "I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am right with God. I stand clean. I stand holy. I stand accepted. Not because of me, but because of him." Hallelujah.
Ephesians 1:7. "In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace." Say it out loud. "In him I have redemption. In him I have forgiveness. In him I am free. In him I walk in grace." Glory to God.
Romans 8:1. "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus." Say it again. "I am in Christ Jesus. There is no condemnation. Guilt is gone. Shame is gone. I am free." Hallelujah.
Now listen carefully. When you take these verses, underline them in your Bible, write them down, and start confessing them daily. They become more real to you. The first time you say it, it may feel strange. The second time it may sound weak, but the more you confess it, the more it becomes a reality in your heart. And the more real it becomes in your heart, the more it shows up in your life. Confession brings possession. Not because you're trying to make it true, but because it is already true in Christ. Confession doesn't make the word true. The word is true whether you confess it or not. Confession makes the word real to you.
Say this with me. "I confess who I am in Christ. I confess what I have in Christ. I confess what I can do in Christ. And it becomes real in my life." Glory to God.
That's why I tell believers, don't spend all your time in the Old Testament. Thank God for it, but live in the epistles. Find out who you are in Christ. Confess it. Meditate on it. Speak it out loud. And your faith will grow stronger every single day. Hallelujah. Can you say amen?
Now, let's deal with this next part. If your confession has been wrong, then your believing has been wrong. And if your believing has been wrong, then your results have been wrong. But here's the good news. You can fix it today. Hallelujah. Everybody say this. "I can fix my confession today." Say it again. "I can fix my confession today." One more time. "I can fix my confession today."
Now listen carefully. It's not enough to stop saying the wrong thing. You got to start saying the right thing. It's not enough to be silent. You got to open your mouth and speak God's word. Amen. You see, some folks say, "Well, I just won't say anything at all." No, that won't work. Silence never defeats the devil. Jesus didn't remain silent when Satan tempted him in the wilderness. He opened his mouth and said, "It is written." That's the weapon of faith. That's the sword of the spirit. That's the word in your mouth.
Ephesians 6:17 calls the word of God the sword of the spirit. A sword is not decoration. A sword is not to hang on the wall. A sword is to use in battle. You must wield it. You must swing it. And how do you swing the sword of the spirit? By speaking it out of your mouth.
Now hear me. Wrong confession is talking about what the devil is doing. Right confession is talking about what God has already done. Wrong confession is talking about your weakness. Right confession is talking about his strength. Wrong confession is talking about lack. Right confession is talking about his supply.
Philippians 4:13 says, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." Now, wrong confession says, "I can't. I'm not able. It's too hard." But a right confession says, "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:19 says, "My God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." A wrong confession says, "We'll never make it. We're going under. We can't pay our bills." But a right confession says, "My God supplies all my needs according to his riches and glory."
Isaiah 53:5 says, "With his stripes we are healed." A wrong confession says, "I guess I'll always be sick. I can't get better. The doctor said it's incurable." But a right confession says, "By his stripes, I am healed." Glory to God.
Say this out loud with me. "I will not confess weakness. I will not confess lack. I will not confess sickness. I will confess the word of God. I will confess strength. I will confess supply. I will confess healing. I will confess victory. And I will have what I say." Hallelujah.
Let me give you an illustration. You can't turn off darkness by trying to get rid of it. You can only turn on the light. And the moment you turn on the light, the darkness flees. In the same way, you don't fight wrong confessions by struggling not to say them. You overcome wrong confession by filling your mouth with right confession. You flood your words with the light of God's word. And when you do, the darkness of unbelief has to flee.
Hebrews 10:23 says, "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised." So you don't fix your confession by trying harder. You fix your confession by holding fast to God's word. Amen. So let's fix it right now.
Say this with me. "I fix my confession today. I say what God says. I speak life. I speak faith. I speak victory. And my words line up with God's word." Glory to God. That's how you fix wrong confessions. Amen.
Now, here's something every believer must understand. Your confession is not just empty words. Your confession is backed by authority. The authority of the Lord Jesus Christ. Hallelujah.
Luke 10:19, Jesus said, "Behold, I give unto you power, authority to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Say that with me. "I have authority over all the power of the enemy." Say it again. "I have authority over all the power of the enemy." One more time. "I have authority and nothing shall hurt me."
Now notice Jesus didn't say I'm going to give you authority someday. No, he said I give you authority. That means you have it right now. Not when you feel strong. Not when you feel holy. Not when you feel spiritual. You have it now because he gave it. Authority means delegated power. It's like a policeman standing in the middle of the street. He lifts up his hand and a truck weighing 40 tons comes to a stop. Now, the policeman doesn't stop that truck with his muscles. He stops it with his authority. The entire government backs up his badge. And when you stand in Christ, lift up your voice and confess the word of God. The devil doesn't bow because of your strength. He bows because of your authority. All of heaven backs up your words when they agree with God's word. Hallelujah.
Ephesians 2:6 says, "And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus." That means you're not under the devil's feet, the devil is under your feet. Ephesians 1:22 says, "And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church, which is his body." If all things are under his feet, and you are his body, then all things are under your feet, too. Glory to God.
Say this out loud with me. "I am seated with Christ. I have authority in his name. The devil is under my feet and I rule with Christ Jesus."
Now listen. Confession is how you exercise your authority. Authority unused is authority wasted. You can have a badge and never step into the street. You can have a gun and never draw it. You can have authority in Christ and never use it and the devil will run over you every time. But when you open your mouth and say, "In the name of Jesus, Satan, take your hands off my body. Take your hands off my children. Take your hands off my finances." That's authority speaking. And when authority speaks, the enemy must obey.
Mark 16:17 says, "And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils." Notice it doesn't say, "These signs will follow the apostles." It doesn't say, "These signs will follow the preachers." It says, "These signs will follow them that believe." Are you a believer? Then authority belongs to you. Hallelujah.
Say this with me again. "In Jesus' name, I have authority. I rule over sickness. I rule over lack. I rule over fear. I rule over demons. They are under my feet. And I hold fast to my confession of faith." Glory to God forevermore. Amen.
Now, we're coming to the heart of it, dear friends. Hebrews 10:23. We started with it and we'll return to it again. "Let us hold fast the confession of our faith without wavering; for he is faithful that promised." Everybody say this. "Hold fast." Say it again. "Hold fast." Say it louder. "Hold fast the confession of my faith without wavering." Glory to God. That's what separates the victorious Christian from the defeated Christian. Holding fast.
Not saying it once, not saying it twice, but saying it again and again. Holding fast and never letting go.
Now notice the Bible didn't say hold fast until you feel better. It didn't say hold fast until things improve. It didn't say hold fast until people agree with you. No, it said hold fast without wavering. Why? Because he is faithful that promised. Hallelujah. Faithful is the one who gave the promise. Faithful is the one who wrote the covenant. Faithful is the one who shed his blood to back it. Faithful is the one who cannot lie. Faithful is the one who said, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my word shall not pass away."
Say it out loud. My God is faithful. His word is faithful. His promises are faithful. And I hold fast without wavering.
Now James 1:6-7 says, "Let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. Let not that man think that he shall receive anything of the Lord." You see it? Wavering cancels the blessing, but steady confession brings steady results. Abraham understood that. Romans 4:20 says he staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief, but was strong in faith, giving glory to God. He staggered not. He held fast. He said if God promised it, he will perform it. And after 25 years of confession, Isaac was born. Glory to God.
I remember one time I was in a meeting and a man came forward needing healing. He said, "Brother Hagen, I've been confessing the word for 3 weeks and I don't see anything happening." I said, "Well, Abraham confessed it for 25 years before he saw Isaac." Three weeks is nothing. Keep confessing. Hold fast. Don't quit. Don't waver. God is faithful.
Say it again. Hold fast without wavering. Say it louder. Hold fast without wavering. Say it until it burns in your spirit. Hold fast without wavering. For he is faithful that promised. Hallelujah.
Now listen. The devil will try to make you waver. He'll whisper, "It's not working." He'll shout, "You're wasting your time." He'll send people to say, "You're crazy to keep confessing that." But when the devil talks, don't argue. Just answer back with the word. Just say, "It is written, God is faithful. I hold fast. I will not let go." Glory to God.
Say this out loud with me one more time. I hold fast to my confession. I refuse to waver. I refuse to doubt. I refuse to quit. For my God is faithful and his word will come to pass. Hallelujah. Amen.
Now, let me close this teaching with a story because stories help truth come alive. I remember years ago I was holding a meeting down in Texas. A man came every night sitting about halfway back on the right hand side. He was thin, pale, and looked like death itself. The doctors had sent him home from the hospital saying, "There's nothing more we can do. You've got six months at best. Just get your house in order." But that man opened his Bible and heard me preach. Every night I preached the same thing. Mark 11:23-24. "Whosoever shall say unto this mountain, Be thou removed, and be thou cast into the sea, and shall not doubt in his heart, but shall believe that those things which he saith shall come to pass. He shall have whatsoever he saith. Therefore, I say unto you, what things soever ye desire, when you pray, believe that you receive them, and ye shall have them."
Everybody say, believe you receive them, and you shall have them. Say it again. Believe you receive them and you shall have them. One more time, believe you receive them and you shall have them.
That man came to me one night after service. He said, "Brother Hagen, I've been confessing Mark 11:24 every day. I say it over and over. I believe I receive my healing. I believe I receive my healing. The doctors say I'm dying, but I keep saying I'm healed." I said, "That's right, brother. Keep saying it. Keep holding fast. God is faithful to that promise."
Three months later, I was preaching in another town. And who walks through the door but that same man this time full of color, full of strength, shouting praising God. He said, "Brother Hagen, I just came to tell you the word works! I kept confessing it. I kept saying it. I held fast without wavering, and the doctors can't find a trace of the disease! Glory to God! I am healed!" Oh, glory to God! That's the power of confession, that's the power of holding fast, the power of refusing to waver.
Now let me tell you something. That man could have agreed with the doctors. He could have confessed what he felt. He could have said, "I guess I'll die." But he chose to say what God said. He chose to confess the word. And because he confessed the word, he received the promise.
Say this out loud with me. I choose to say what God says. I choose to confess the word. I choose to believe I receive. And I will have what I say. Hallelujah. Glory to God forevermore.
Now, I want to leave you with something very practical, something you can take home, something you can do every single day. Because faith is not just for Sunday morning in church. Faith is for Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, every day of the week. Amen.
So, here's my challenge to you. Start a daily confession habit. Just as surely as you eat food for your body every day, you must feed your spirit with the word of God every day. Proverbs 18:21 says, "Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof." Did you hear that? Death and life are in your tongue. What you say is what you eat. What you confess is what you possess. If you want life, then speak life. If you want victory, then speak victory. If you want healing, then speak healing.
Now, don't make it complicated. You don't need a thousand scriptures. Just start with three or four every morning and every night. Amen. Let me give you a simple daily confession set.
Confession number one: Healing. By His stripes I am healed. Healing is mine. Health is mine. Jesus bore my sickness and I walk in divine health. (1 Peter 2:24, Isaiah 53:5)
Confession number two: Provision. My God supplies all my needs according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus. I do not lack. I do not want. I have abundance in Christ. (Philippians 4:19, Psalm 23:1)
Confession number three: Victory. Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world. I overcome by the blood of the Lamb and the word of my testimony. (1 John 4:4, Revelation 12:11)
Confession number four: Identity in Christ. I am the righteousness of God in Christ. I am a new creature. Old things are passed away. All things are become new. (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)
Glory to God. If you will say those four confessions every morning when you wake up and every night before you go to bed, your faith will grow, your words will change, your circumstances will change, and your life will change.
Hebrews 4:14 says, "Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the son of God, let us hold fast our confession." Jesus is listening for your confession. The angels are waiting on your confession. The devil is afraid of your confession. Glory to God.
Say this out loud with me as we close. I commit today to daily confession. I will speak God's word in the morning. I will speak God's word at night. I will hold fast to my confession and I will see God's promises come to pass in my life. Hallelujah. Glory to God. Amen. And amen.