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Romans 10:10, "For with the
heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made
unto salvation."
This morning, many times man says "too much" for the position that he tries to
take. Have you ever talked with someone and caught several contradictions within
one conversation? Perhaps they made excuse for not doing something they should
then later mentioned other reasons besides the excused version for their
shortcomings? Indeed, man's natural reasoning alone is not sufficient to
enlighten him to spiritual things. (I Corinthians 2:14) But, sometimes natural
reasoning alone will nullify positions that men take about God and His work of
salvation. What God does is logical and sensible. Therefore, while logic will
not discover God's teachings by way of revelation, logic will corroborate what
God's enlightenment reveals unto us.
Consider the popular, oft-travelled "Roman Road to Salvation." These days, any
religious discussion seems to arrive at one of two places - or both. People will
eventually pull out John 3:16 or hit the "saved" passages from the book of
Romans. However, the speakers do not exhibit any working knowledge of the
context of the passages. We say not these things to poke fun at them nor to
berate them, for Paul himself dearly prayed for people like them that they be
saved to the knowledge of the truth. (Romans 10:1) These people do not, most of
the time, realize just what their belief system imposes on a verse or passage.
Romans 10:9-10, 13 are often used to promote the idea that one must believe and
specifically confess or call upon the Lord to go to heaven.
Before looking at the high and supreme importance of believing and confessing
the Lord Jesus Christ, let us examine just "how much" our study verse teaches
should it really and truly teach that man must call upon the name of the Lord to
get to heaven. Notice that Paul attributes two characteristics to two different
actions. Belief yields righteousness, while confession yields salvation. To the
common application, confession is necessary to get to heaven (i.e. be saved).
Yet, is it possible to have belief without confession or vice versa?
John 12:42 tells us about some chief rulers that believed but did not confess.
The text clearly indicates that they were believers in Jesus but out of fear of
being cast from their naturally lofty position were unwilling to confess Him.
Taking these particular people (of which I believe many today also fit into this
category), what is their plight based on the most common application of Romans
10:10? Well, if they are believers, then they are righteous, but if they are not
confessors, then they are not saved. The most logical connection to make for
these people based on such an application is that righteous believers are going
to hell for lacking the salvation that confession brings! Would any dare say
that a believer with a righteous soul gets cast into hell? The text says too
much for it to apply to eternal consequences.
Yet, knowing that such cannot be the application what is the connection and
distinction to make between belief and confession? Paul specifically attributes
two different things to the two actions. Belief in the Lord and His work does
indeed yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness. While the belief is not what
"makes" someone righteous before God, it does bring out sweetness from the
nectar of righteousness that we already possess. Belief confirms to the child of
God that they are indeed unspotted before the God of heaven. Consider the
position of the believer contrasted against those that Paul prayed for in the
opening verses. Since they were not believers in the finished work of Christ and
were going about to establish their own righteousness, true contentment could
never be enjoyed by them in this world.
Have you ever talked with someone that leaned on their own righteousness, good
works, efforts, labours, and victory to save themselves for heaven or others as
well? Their life cannot be in rest for they have not the peace that passes all
understanding in feeling themselves righteous before God. Belief in what Christ
has done confirms to our minds that we do stand just before God. Belief that He
is who He says He is, did do what He said He would do, and has sat down just as
He said He would yields an aroma of goodness (righteousness) that nothing else
can down within our soul. Confirmation of what has been done arrives on the
gallant steed of peace.
Yet, if that is the feeling of the soul, what is the purpose of confession?
Consider those chief rulers in John 12 for a minute. They verily believed in
Christ and what He was doing. By not confessing Him as they should, they lived
in fear of losing something that their natural flesh enjoyed: prominence. If we
fall prey and victim to the same lifestyle, we may have the peaceable fruit of
righteousness bringing comfort to the soul, but the enjoyment is hampered by
still having fear of loss in this world. The believer who confesses Jesus as His
Lord is not doing so to ensure that He gets to heaven, but his confession says,
"Since Jesus has given His all for me, I desire to give my all for Him. No
matter what man may say or do, I am going with Jesus all the way."
The end result of such an attitude is salvation: salvation from fear. By
confessing Jesus, we fear no reprisals for that action. By confessing Him and
professing Him as our Saviour, we show forth no shame at all for naming Him and
desiring to follow Him. By submitting ourselves to water baptism, we say that we
desire to be identified with Him and His people, no matter how afflicted the
road may get. (Hebrews 11:25) By walking in sweet communion with His saints, we
show forth a lifestyle that says, "I may not have much of what this world can
offer, but I am rich in Christ Jesus my Lord." Truly, there is a deliverance in
such behaviour that cannot be had otherwise.
Therefore, let us not ever be found berating those of other beliefs, but ever
prayerful to God for them that they might know those things that we know. Do you
find relief when you freely say, "I follow the Lamb of God" to those that ask?
Does that sweet river of peace flood your soul every time you think of Him and
His finished work? Does that story of Christ and His free grace still seem as
fresh and vibrant as the first day you received it? The answer to these
questions should be yes, yes, and yes. So, may we walk in such a way that shows
the peace, relief, and deliverance that we feel, earnestly desiring that our
fellow pilgrims that hunger and thirst after righteousness would feel these same
things as well.
In Hope,
Bro Philip |