that if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.
Truth to Learn
Christ must be both your Master and your risen Savior.
Behind the Words
“Confess” is translated from the Greek word homologeo, which is a compound word made up of homos, meaning “together, or the same” and a form of logos, meaning “something said.” Actually it is more accurately the thoughts or ideas behind what is said. Hence, homologeo means “to agree with, or to have the same thoughts as someone else.”
The word “Lord” is the Greek word kurios, which means “one who is supreme in authority.”
“Saved” is from the Greek verb sōdzō, meaning “to save or to deliver and protect from harm.” It is expressed here in the future tense. In other words, it does not mean “you are saved” but “you will be saved.”
Meaning Explained
This verse and the next comprise another of the pinnacles of the book of Romans. This may, in fact, be the highest of the peaks. Paul proclaims here how the righteousness of faith is obtained. Remember, Paul has told us that all of us are sinners.
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, (Romans 3:23)
And that the result of sin is death, that is, separation from God.
For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
Now, Paul tells us that the way to gain the righteousness of God, that is, the way to be saved from the death that sin has caused, is to confess and believe. We are told that we must agree with God that Jesus is our Lord.
Putting this all together we see that Paul is telling us that we need to agree with God that Jesus is the supreme authority over us. This means that He is our Lord, which requires submission on our part. We also need to believe that God has raised Jesus from the dead, which is proof that He is the sinless Son of God, and that His death was sufficient payment for our sins. If we do these things, Paul says that we will be saved.
If we do not do both of these things, that is if we do not submit to Jesus’ supreme authority or if we don’t believe that He is risen from the dead, then we will not be saved. All those people who believe that Jesus was a good man, perhaps even a prophet but who is now dead, will not be saved. Those who believe that Jesus was raised from the dead but have not submitted to His lordship over their lives will not be saved.
Application
Have you confessed that Jesus Christ is your Lord and Master? Do you believe that God has raised Him from the dead? Those may be the two most important questions you will ever answer!
In God's service, for His glory,
Copyright © 2018 Will Krause. All rights reserved
