Day 232.
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. (Romans 10:9 ESV)
This verse sums up the role of a Christian in his own salvation. Jesus does the work, and the Holy Spirit gives us faith, and you must confess and believe. It sounds so easy. And it is, in a way. The death is paid already. The holy spirit is poured out. All you must do is confess with your mouth and believe in your heart. But it is hard to. In Paul’s context, to confess that Jesus is Lord meant you were stating to the world that Ceasar is NOT lord, which put you at great risk from the Romans, especially in the days of Nero who was in power during or soon after Paul wrote this letter. You didn’t confess that lightly. You counted the cost. Believing in your heart that Jesus went to the cross for you is essential to make such a confession that was the equivalent of you also “taking up your cross.” On the one hand it was easy – just saying a mere sentence and believing, on the other it cost everything.
How about you? Do you believe and confess to this degree?
McCheyne’s Bible Reading Plan: 1 Sa 12, Ro 10, Jer 49, Lk 17
