If You, You Will Be

Week 4

Romans 10:9 (NIV)  -  That 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.

·         “if you…you will be”  

      God, through His love and grace has provided salvation.  Salvation was purchased for everyone and is given freely.  But in this verse we find a caveat.  There is a requirement that must be met to be saved.  “if you…you will be” .  It is not just in this verse but throughout the Word of God we are given this ‘if you – then” requirement.  Salvation is the free gift of God but we must accept the terms of the covenant.  Paul told us in Act 17:30 “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commands all men everywhere to repent”  That is part of the “if you” that needs to be done.  Salvation is a free gift “if you” repent of your sins and “if you” confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and “if you” believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead.  We must meet the terms or there is no covenant.

·         Will Rogers once said, "There are two eras in American History, the passing of the buffalo and the passing of the buck." Humans like to be absolved of responsibility, it is easy to abdicate our responsibility when we can place blame on someone else. Many have abdicated their responsibility to God because of a misappropriation of the doctrine of election. (Believing that God chooses the winners and losers, who will be saved and who will not be saved.) I have heard it said that Romans 9 teaches election while Romans 10 teaches human responsibility. Let us hold fast to this truth, - God calls "whosoever will" to come, if we fail to answer His call we must shoulder that blame, and that truth applies to more than salvation.

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     Jesus is Lord! 

     What does that mean to you? How is that lived out in our day to day lives? Consider what Paul says just seven verses earlier - "For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness. " Romans 10:2-3 Saying "Jesus is Lord" is the beginning and end of submitting to God's righteousness. Confessing "Jesus is Lord" brings us to act upon His sovereignty in our lives. We cannot simultaneously call Jesus Lord and say no to His call and command upon our lives.

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          Jesus is Lord! 

     Thomas cried, "My Lord and My God" when he saw the resurrected Jesus in John 20:28. Seeing Christ for who he is and proclaiming His sovereignty go hand in hand. It is impossible to truly know Him as Lord and not make Him known. His glory is beyond compare and His beauty fills the eyes of those that know Him. Today consider what the prophet Isaiah says in chapter 44:6-8 (NIV)
"This is what the LORD says-- Israel's King and Redeemer, the LORD Almighty: I am the first and I am the last; apart from me there is no God. Who then is like me? Let him proclaim it. Let him declare and lay out before me what has happened since I established my ancient people, and what is yet to come-- yes, let him foretell what will come. Do not tremble, do not be afraid. Did I not proclaim this and foretell it long ago? You are my witnesses. Is there any God besides me? No, there is no other Rock; I know not one."

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     To "believe in your heart" is more than just mental assent. 

     Thinking is of the mind. Believing is of the heart. Our physical senses and mental ability tell us that death is permanent and final. Believing in God's Word and His infinite power brings us to something more than can be reasoned in the mind. Jesus is risen! Resurrection Power belongs to God! Believing in your heart means "living in accordance with", if you really believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead you will live in accordance with who you are in Christ. The word believe is an action verb. If you believe you will take action. You will walk in the truth of God's Word.

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      Resurrection Power! 

      The grave could not hold him! Death is defeated! Our present is changed! Our future is secured! If God is for me who can be against me?
"No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 8:37-39 (NIV) We win! So get up and move that ball down the field! (That was a gratuitous football analogy because the Superbowl is only 2 days away.)

 From the Dead!   
 There is a cause and effect in believing that God has raised Jesus from the dead.  On the cross Jesus became the substitutionary sacrifice for us.  He died in our place becoming the payment for our sin.  Sin that had rendered us dead as the Scripture says we were “dead in our trespasses and sins”.  He gave His life because we had no life to give.  Jesus descended into the depths of the graveyard of mankind and led the captive free.  When we put our faith in Jesus He leads us out of that graveyard in resurrection power.  Born again!  Led from death to life  as we follow Christ.  “And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins” Eph 2:1.