How Do We Receive This Needed Salvation

The fourth question we need to ask along the Romans Road is, “How do we receive this needed salvation?” We find our answer at Romans 10:9 – 10, 13.

“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. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. . . For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved”” (ESV). These verses contain three words we will use to develop the following diagram.

I believe a word of caution is needed here. I have watched many people who are subjected to pressure by a person’s witness or brought to an emotional state of mind to where they raise their hands or walk down the aisle to pray the sinner’s prayer or accept Jesus Christ into their hearts before God had properly prepared them. Our saying a prayer or even confessing with our mouth can be done without the heart being ready. Unfortunately these people go away thinking they are Christians, but they are not. These may very well make up the multitude Jesus was talking about in Matthew 7:22 – 23, “On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness’” (ESV). Over time these people realize that not much has changed in their lives and they begin to fall away from their walk with the Lord. These do not validate their salvation because they do not endure to the end.

I pray that this lesson helps you understand that spiritual life takes place in the heart and it affects the understanding of the mind. Spiritual life is a brand new life created by God. It is not a change of life we make with decisions of the mind apart from a new heart.