Everyone wants to be sure that they are on the right path in life. We don’t want to waste our time or end up frustrated when we realize our wrong choices led us in the wrong direction. There is only one path to heaven, and that is through Jesus Christ (John 14:6). Paul shows us today how we get on that path. It is by taking the path of salvation.
Romans 10:9
“If you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
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Paul is writing to the Romans, people he hasn’t met yet, to tell them what it takes to be a follower of Jesus Christ. The purpose of the whole book is for him to lay out the basics of Christianity to a group of Christians that most likely started from Pentecost. In this passage, he lays out what one must do to be saved.
It’s a Matter of the Heart
People often want to reduce this down to a formula or a mechanical prayer, but in reality, it is a response to what the Holy Spirit is doing in your heart. When you confess with your mouth you are proclaiming to everyone that Jesus Christ is Lord. You do that because you believe in your heart that He is the Son of God who was sent to be the one who was crucified on the cross and then rose again. This saves us from the cost of our sins, which is death.
Beware of a False Gospel
Beware of those churches who make salvation too easy or too hard. Those who make it too easy tell you that God loves you and that he wants the best for you all you have to do is believe. While that sounds close to what Paul is saying above there is one vital part missing, your sin. Jesus came to earth to be the perfect sacrifice for your sin. If you don’t realize you are a sinner that needs to be saved God’s love will never be enough for you. We also need to beware of those churches which require too much for you to follow Jesus. These are the one who say you are only saved if you have been baptized in water or the Holy Spirit. While those are important, they are not necessities to be saved. The path of salvation is open to everyone, and all it takes is belief in your heart and a confession through your mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord.