Jesus’ Use of the Law of Confession, Part 1

David W Palmer

(Mark 11:23 NKJV) “For assuredly, I say to you, whoever says to this mountain, ‘Be removed and be cast into the sea,’ and does not doubt in his heart, but believes that those things he says will be done, he will have whatever he says.”

Jesus taught us the fundamental law of confession: you will have whatever you say, if you don’t doubt in your heart, and if you believe that what you say will happen. The heart and its overflow through the mouth are vitally indispensable for the law of confession to work through you.

Plus, we note that Jesus said that you have to believe that what you say will be done. The best way to approach this is to say what God says; this way, it’s easier to believe that he can bring to pass what he says than it is to believe that I can bring to pass with my own words any impossible things that I claim will happen—from my own mind.

The issue for us today is, “Did Jesus use the Law of Confession?” Did he live by the faith he taught us? We are not being sarcastic with these questions or looking for ways to discredit him. On the contrary, to fully understand Jesus and his teaching, we look for him living it. When the way we understand what he said lines up exactly with the way he lived, then we know that we are understanding correctly what he said.

Here are some more questions to bear in mind when looking at his actions to see if they line up with the way we understand his teaching.

Did Jesus speak of things that hadn’t happened yet, or didn’t exist yet, as though they did?

Did Jesus speak to things? After all, he taught us to speak to a mountain and mulberry tree (See: Mat. 21:21, Mark 11:23, Luke 17:6).

Did Jesus live by faith?

Did he believe that what he said would be done?

Let’s begin by looking at him speaking—but not to a mountain or a mulberry tree—to a fig tree. Yes, he spoke to the tree and his subsequent words and actions verify that he fully expected what he said to have come to pass:

(Mark 11:12–14 NKJV) Now the next day, when they had come out from Bethany, He was hungry. {13} And seeing from afar a fig tree having leaves, He went to see if perhaps He would find something on it. When He came to it, He found nothing but leaves, for it was not the season for figs. {14} In response Jesus said to it, “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” And His disciples heard it.

Here, we see that the Master spoke directly to the tree: “Let no one eat fruit from you ever again.” He didn’t merely say this in his mind; he spoke it out loud enough for his twelve disciples to hear it: “And His disciples heard it.”

Twenty-four hours later, this is what the disciples observed and said:

(Mark 11:20–21 NKJV) Now in the morning, as they passed by, they saw the fig tree dried up from the roots. {21} And Peter, remembering, said to Him, “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.”

Jesus spoke nine words to the tree and then moved on. The next day, Peter and the disciples took note of what had happened to the tree: “Rabbi, look! The fig tree which You cursed has withered away.” According to Jesus’s teaching (beginning in the very next verse), he must have believed that what he said would come to pass. And we also must accept that it would have come from the overflow of his heart. But, did Jesus walk around all day musing on killing trees? Let’s investigate:

(Hosea 9:10 ESV) “Like grapes in the wilderness, I found Israel. Like the first fruit on the fig tree in its first season, I saw your fathers. …”

(Joel 1:7 NKJV) He (the enemy) has laid waste My vine, And ruined My fig tree; He has stripped it bare and thrown it away; Its branches are made white.

From these passages, it seems that in God’s mind, when Israel was following God and living in his covenant that they were like a fruitful fig tree. So, this would have also been in Jesus’s mind. But, when Jesus had to deal with God’s people idolising religion and not bringing forth fruit unto God, he was definitely thinking of a fruitless fig tree. Later, his prophetic words over them and their temple show the overflow of his heart:

(Luke 13:34–35 NLT) “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones God’s messengers! How often I have wanted to gather your children together as a hen protects her chicks beneath her wings, but you wouldn’t let me. {35} And now, look, your house is abandoned. And you will never see me again until you say, ‘Blessings on the one who comes in the name of the LORD!’”

(Luke 21:6 NLT) “The time is coming when all these things will be completely demolished. Not one stone will be left on top of another!”

This same overflow of words that came from a broken heart—which had hoped for fruit from God’s people but didn’t find any—spoke prophetically to the physical fruitless tree; over it he articulated the negative outcome that was destined for Israel. The tree died within 24 hours. The temple lasted another 70 years, but what Jesus said certainly happened. This was the law of confession at work. He didn’t doubt in his heart, he believed that what he said would come to pass, and he got exactly what he said in both cases.

Today, I can only encourage you to fill your heart with God and his words. Remember to:

(James 4:8 NLT) Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.

(2 Corinthians 7:1 NKJV) Therefore, having these promises, beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

After purifying your heart and cleansing your spirit, listen for the overflow coming out of your mouth. When it comes from a pure heart that is filled with God and his word, you will be able to believe wholeheartedly that what you are saying will come to pass—without doubt. Then, if you keep your heart pure, don’t waver in your confession no matter what the enemy, world, and flesh throw at you, you will have what you say. It’s a law; it will happen every time—whether in 24 hours or 70 years—by the law of confession:

(Romans 10:8–9 NKJV) But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): {9} that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.

(2 Corinthians 4:13 NKJV) And since we have the same spirit of faith, according to what is written, "I believed and therefore I spoke," we also believe and therefore speak,