Word by Mail

ROM 230 - How to Be Saved - Rom 10:5-13 In our last 3 msgs (all Rom Ch 9) we've seen somepretty incredible truths about God & ISRAEL We started - Israel & God's Faithfulness& then - Israel & God's Sovereignty& finally - Israel & God's Salvation & while there were Incredible GOD-SIZED truthsin all 3 of these msg's The one compelling argument that ran thru all of them Was Paul's desire for the Jews - to acceptGod's plan of salvation thru faith in Jesus Christ alone The 1st msg (beg of Ch 9) started with Paul in great agonydesiring that his kinsmen Israel would Be Saved & the last of these 3 msg's ended with a similar anguish in Rom 10:1 Paul says - ESV1 Brothers, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved.There were some huge truths in those 3 msg'sbut none more huge - than Paul's desire for Israel to be Saved & so now - Paul continues this Greatest of all Messagesby showing you & I exactly HOW we can be SAVED Let's Pray Ch 10 began with Paul's heart breaking for the salvation of Israel HOWEVER - Paul also put the responsibility for their Rejectionsquarely on their own actions Rom 10:3 - ESV3 For, being ignorant of the righteousness of God, and
seeking to establish their own,
they did not submit to God’s righteousness. We ended our last msg with Vs's 3 & 4but I need to start here again today Because this explains WHY so many peopleReject God's plan of Salvation today We all know peopleWho are doing the SAME THING with God - that the Jews did they are - seeking to establish their own righteousness - with God  & in Rom 10:3 - we see the 3 steps most people takein Rejecting God's Plan of Salvation #1) (v.3a) They are ignorant of the Righteousness of God The NLT says . . . they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself They don't understand but instead of Listening to God's Waythey do EXACTLY what V.3 says next#2) (v.3b)They seek to establish their own righteousness Don't we see people all around usWho believe they are EARNING their righteousness before God Usually - it sounds something like this"I'm a pretty good person, I think God will accept me" But they don’t understand God's ONLY WAYof making people right with Himself & instead of Listening to God's Way They try to ATTAIN a level of "Goodness"they think God will accept Which is exactly what Paul is saying the Jews were doing BUT - God's way is NOT ATTAINING to - IT'S SUBMITTING to It's NOT ACHEIVING RIGHTEOUSNESSit's SURRENDERING to HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS & because people don’t understand this (V.3A)they seek to establish their own righteousness (V.3B) Then comes the Death Nail at the end of Vs. 3  #3) (v.3c) They do not SUBMIT to God's Righteousness #1) They don’t understand God's way#2) They think they can establish their OWN way#3) They REJECT God's Way of making them righteous They Refuse to Submit to God's Way of Salvation They think their way of EARNING righteousnessis BETTER than Submitting to God's Way - by Faith & in the end - if they continue in their OWN Righteousness They will force God to Reject themAND their "Pretty Good Person" approach to righteousness Because - - as the next Vs says Rom 10:4 - ESV4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Christ is the END - meaning the FULFILLMENT of the law
For Righteousness - to Everyone who believes THAT is why - people's OWN attempts at RighteousnessWILL NOT WORK   Now - as we continue in Rom 10:5Paul is going to address the DIFFERENCE between trying to EARN your Righteousness by THE LAWVS's RECEIVING your Righteousness - BY FAITH Vs's 5 - 8 can be difficult Vs's - but if we look at them in contextthey won’t be so hard to understand & the CONTEXT is - Paul is COMPARINGtwo ways to Receive Righteousness & because these are difficult Vs's - I'd like to use the NLTto show that Paul is simply making a comparison here a Comparison of EARNING Righteousness by THE LAW (or effort)VS - RECEIVING Righteousness by FAITH let's read V.5 to V.8 - so we can see the big picture  Rom 10:5-8 - NLT  Rom 10:5-8 - NLT5 For Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.
6 But faith’s way [the comparison] of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven’ (to bring Christ down to earth).
7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead’ (to bring Christ back to life again).”
8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: V. 5 starts by saying - the law’s way of making a person right with
God requires obedience to all of its commands BUT FAITH'S WAY (V.6) - of getting right with God says; DON’T SAY - I have to go up to heaven to bring Christ downin other words - To EARN my righteousness & (V.7) DON’T SAY - I have to go to the place of the deadto bring Christ back to lifein other words - To ADD to Christ's sacrifice (or again - to Earn) We can't climb to heaven to earn our RighteousnessWe can’t descend into the depths to earn our Righteousness We CAN NOT EARN Our Own Righteousness & in my experience - THIS is the biggest LIEthat "Good People" - believe  These People actually DO WANT to go to Heaven & actually - they DO BELIEVE there will be SOME BASISby which they will be JUDGED - to be accepted by God But - the LIE they believeis that they can Establish their OWN Righteousnessusually by being a "good person" & they believe God will ACCEPT THEIR Righteousnessthat they've come up with - themselves But Guys - We CAN NOT EARN Our Own Righteousness We don’t get to come upwith our own way of righteousness & PLS HEAR ME - God Does NOT grade on the CURVE Meaning - the fact that you’re a better person than someone elseisn’t going to hold ANY WATER - when you stand before God  OK - let's go back to our txt here in ROM CH 10   In Vs's 5-8 - Paul was actually quoting a portion of a textthat comes from Deut CH 30 - Vs.11 - 20 this is a great text (Mark it down & read it)& really - it could pretty much fit - right into the New Testament Starting in Deut 30:11 - Moses says basically;This commandment is not too hard for you -it's not in heaven that you have to go get it -it's not beyond the sea that you have to go get it -No, the message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart so that you can obey it.& Paul is grabbing that quote from the law - & saying LOOK God's Commandment is still very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart - so that you can obey it & then - look at the end of ROM 10:8 - NLT. . And that message is the very message about faith that we preach & now Paul is actually going to take that OT quote - & apply it(in the same order) - to Salvation in Jesus Christ Again - his last quote from DEUT is (V.8) -
“The message is very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart.” & then he ties that (in the same order)to God's plan of salvation in Rom 10:9 Rom 10:9 - ESV9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. FIRST - Paul connects God's Plan of Salvation in Christto a quote that the Jews knew well - from the Law That God's command was - very close at hand;
it is on your lips and in your heart - so that you can obey it & that's why Paul expresses it - in THIS orderConfess with your mouth - & Believe in your Heart Because that's the same order as the Deut 30 Quote  But then - in Rom 10:10 - he turns it aroundto the more Literally Accurate order of things Rom 10:10 - ESV10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with
the mouth one confesses and is saved. So now - He's moving on to God's Plan of Salvationfor ALL people (which we'll see in a minute) & in these 2 Vs's (9 & 10) - We have one of the SimplestAND - one of the Most Powerful explanations in all the Bible of HOW you & I can be saved today Let's read Vs's 9-10 together   But as we doPlease try to see them as ONE EVENT They can kinda look like TWO separate eventsBut they're NOT This is ONE EVENT of Faith& then a RESPONSE to that Faith Rom 10:9-10 - ESV9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. It's VERY IMPORTANT that we don’t get side-tracked herewith questions like:1) Which comes first - Confession or Belief2) is Confession required IN ADDITION to belief Guys - These Vs's show Two-Sides of the Same Event We already saw that the ORDER in V. 9was put that way - to match the ORDER in the Deut 30 quote & then Vs. 10 is the more LIT correct ORDER Salvation by FAITH ALONEhas been the Primary Focus - of the entire BOOK of Romans But on the other side - of the "FAITH ALONE" coin  IF you Truly Believe in your heart - then Confessing with your mouthwill be your ONLY Natural Response Kenneth Wuest - Quoting James Denny (two Great Bible Scholars)(Romans in the Greek New Testament, p. 178)“A heart believing unto righteousness, and a mouth making confession unto salvation, are not really two things, but two sides of the same thing." So - Paul is talking about ONE CONCERTED action here ONE ACTION of FAITH& then the RESPONSE - that comes from that FAITH as Mat 12:34 says - ESV34 . . . For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. Our Salvation is BY FAITH ALONE & IF that Faith is REAL
it will come out - in the "confessions" of our life  So - Let's get on to the REAL POINT Paul's making here If you want to be Saved TODAY ?? & Pls Believe me - - you NEED to be Saved TODAY !! If you want to be Saved today - Please listen very carefully Rom 10:8 - ESV   Rom 10:8 - ESV8 . . . “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” . . Don’t be distracted - because Salvation is VERY NEAR YOU Rom 10:9 - ESV9 . . . if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. To believe that God raised Jesus from the deadis to believe in the Gospel Msg that CULMINATES
in the Resurrection of Jesus Jesus came down from Heaven in Human FleshHe lived a perfect lifeHe died on a cross - in your placeHe was buried& ROSE again on the 3rd Day conquering sin & death - FOR YOU & your salvation comes - by you BELIEVING in your HeartTHAT Gospel message & when you truly believe in your heart - WHO Jesus Christ IS& WHAT He's DONE for you personally Then the sign will be - that you will Confess with your Mouththat JESUS IS LORD !! & even more specifically - that He is your LORD !!  Listen again - as Paul Restates this same truth in V.10 Rom 10:10 - ESV10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. With the HEART - one believes & is JUSTIFIEDJustified means - to be declared righteous by God If you will BELIEVE in Jesus Christ TODAYthen you WILL BE Justified by God & when you open your mouthand confess that Jesus Christ is YOUR LORD It will be the Evidencethat you have truly BELIEVED in your Heart But please know - This "Confession"is not just the reciting of a few magic words Listen to Handley Moule - A great Classic Bible Scholar Handley Moule (the epistle to the Romans, pg 218)The "confession with the mouth" here in view is, surely, nothing less than the believers open loyalty to Christ. It is not a reciting of the Creed. It is the witness of the whole man to Christ as his own discovered life and Lord. Again - as Mat 12:34 says34 . . . For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. & when Jesus Christ is TRULY your LORDYour WORDS - & your LIFE - will be a Confession to that fact  Guys - HERE is the M.I.P. (Most Important Point) Salvation comes by Believing in your Heartthat Jesus Christ is Who He says He is & the Evidence of that Faith - is you confessing with your mouththat HE IS YOUR LORD How can we say that SO ABSOLUTELY ??because of the Next VERSE ! Rom 10:11 - ESV11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” EVERYONE - ANYONE - Who BELIEVES in Jesus Christwill NOT be put to shame This is a quote from Isaiah -it's the 2nd time in this passage Paul has used it (9:33) & Guys - this is referring to that Great Daywhen you stand before the Creator & Judge of the Universe & there will be some people - who THINK they'll convince Godthat they were a "Pretty Good Person" But please hear me when I tell you - they WILL be put to shame Because when you stand in front ofthe PERFECT Holiness & Righteousness of the Almighty God  You will NOT EVEN TRY to convince Him - that you beinga "Pretty Good Person" should be enough & at that moment - you will acceptHis Perfect & Righteous Judgment - Upon Your Sin HOWEVER - “Everyone who believes in Jesus Christ will NOT be put to shame.” HOW ?? -- WHY ?? -- HOW can God do that ?? Because of what ROM 10:4 has already said - ESV4 For Christ is the end [fulfillment] of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. Jesus Christ FULFILLS the Law - For RighteousnessFor EVERYONE who BELIEVES THAT is God's Plan of Salvation Some will TRY to stand before Godwith their OWN plan of salvation - & they will be put to shame But Jesus Christ is the FULFILLMENT of God's Law -For Righteousness - to EVERYONE who Believes !! Everyone - Who Believes !!!  Look at - Rom 10:12 - ESV    Rom 10:12 - ESV12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. It doesn’t matter WHO you are todayor where you've come from The SAME LORD - is LORD of ALL & He will POUR OUT - His Mercy & His Grace Upon YOUif you will CALL on Him Today This Phrase - "to CALL on Jesus" means simplyto APPEAL to Him - to SAVE YOU The picture here - is that of someone who's Drowningor in some way "Slipping Away" or "Being Lost" & that person calls out JESUS !! SAVE ME !! & if you will CALL ON HIMBelieving in your Heart - & Confessing with your Mouth He WILL SAVE YOU   So the ONLY Question is - HAVE YOU called on Him TODAY - RIGHT NOW YOU can CALL on the Name of the Lord& you WILL be Saved !! HOW do I know - - - Because of the Very Next Verse   Rom 10:13 - ESV   Rom 10:13 - ESV13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” I want to give you a chance to Call on the Name of the Lord today To say JESUS - SAVE ME !To Tell Him - you believe in your HEARTWHO He IS - & WHAT He's DONE for you & I want to give you a chance - to confess with your mouththat JESUS is YOUR LORD  But before I ask you to do thatI'm going to ask the men to Pass out Communion & as they pass out the Communion Elements - Let me say If you're Dead-Set on NOT making Jesus Christ your LORDit's OK to let the Bread & the Cup pass by you Because if you do take the Elements of CommunionI'm going to ask you to make Jesus Christ your LORDbefore you partake of them I want to give you a chance - To BELIEVE in your HEART& to CONFESS with your MOUTH That JESUS CHRIST IS LORD - &, that he is YOUR Lord  So - pls take this time right now - to make that Decision Do you Believe Jesus Christ is WHO He says He is Do you Believe the Gospel Messagethat Culminates in His RESURRECTION Do you Believe it enough to Receivethe Free Gift of HIS Righteousness - in place of your own You decide now - while Communion is being passed out Then I'm going to ask youto Confess your belief to God in a moment