Monday Sept. 23 Romans 10:5-13
I have many fond memories of my Grandmother, and one of my favorites is sitting snuggled up next to her on the couch as she read the Bible. I loved listening to her voice and watching her eyes twinkle as she read aloud the verses. She found great joy in reading God’s Word, and the book of Romans was one she treasured most. I remember her often quoting verse 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead you will be saved.” After she would say, “It doesn’t get much simpler than that. The Gospel in a nutshell.” I’m sure it would surprise her to know that as easy as she found Paul’s words, others find just as troubling. Why? All because of the word “and”.
In Ephesians 2:8-9 Paul tells us, “For by grace you have been saved, through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works, so that no one may boast.” The Apostle makes it clear that there are no works we could ever do to earn salvation. It is a gift that God so graciously offers to all who believe and receive Messiah Jesus as their Savior. Yet here in Romans Paul says we that we must believe and confess that Jesus is Lord. But how can that be? Doesn’t making confession mandatory fall in the category of works? Is Paul adding conditions the Lord never intended?
The truth is, Paul was never saying that confession was a requirement to be saved. Instead, he meant confession to be evidence of being saved. When Paul wrote his letter to the Romans, it was a tumultuous time for Christians. It was one thing to be a follower of Jesus, or confess Him as Savior behind closed doors. But to confess Him as your Savior publicly, meant certain persecution and possibly death. Paul himself was beaten, imprisoned, and eventually beheaded for his faith. He knew full well the weight of a public confession. He also knew that those who were truly saved, would not only believe in their hearts, but confess it with their mouths for the world to hear; no matter the consequences.
Sadly, the times we live in are not that different then the times of the early church. Everyday, Christians around the world are being persecuted and killed for their faith. No follower of Jesus is exempt, yet we are called to confess just the same. After all, how can we walk in obedience to God spreading the Gospel throughout the land without confessing Jesus as our Savior. And although we may experience mistreatment or worse, we can find comfort knowing as Paul did that, “the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us”! (Rom. 8:18) And better yet, when we are faithful in our confession of Jesus as Lord, He promises, “Everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven.” (Matt. 10:34)
