The Simplicity of Salvation

We might argue there is nothing simple about the book of Romans. It is the most deeply theological of Paul’s writings. There are times when he pushes us to the limit in our comprehension. Then there are times that he lets off the throttle and reminds us how simple his message is. Our passage tonight is an example of that.

He has just mentioned that his hearts desire is to see Israel saved (10:1). Now he explains how they can be.

v. 5 “righteousness based on the Law” Paul has hammered this point. Moses wrote the first five books of the bible, and they were well known to the Jews. They believed if they kept the Laws Moses wrote they would be saved.

They were right and wrong. Technically if a person never broke one of God’s Laws, they would be righteous before God. The problem is no one could do that. Paul quotes Moses from Leviticus 18:5. Listen closely to that verse:

You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them: I am the Lord.

The word “if” is important.

The same Law that promised life if kept promised death if broken.

Galatians 3:10

For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.

James 2:10

For whoever keeps the whole law but fails in one point has become guilty of all of it.

v. 6-7 “but” we have the contrast

“the righteousness based on faith” This is the righteousness Paul has been teaching about. It is the righteousness of Jesus given to believers through faith.

He quotes Moses again. This time he goes to Deuteronomy 30:12-13. Let me give you the context of that passage.

God is telling them what to do if they find themselves under His judgment. Specifically, if disobedience they are disciplined and taken captive by another nation this is what they are to do. God tells them to turn to Him in repentance. If they do, He will restore them.

He says it will be simple for them. Here is the quote from Deuteronomy:

“For this commandment that I command you today is

not too hard for you, neither is it far off.

It is not in heaven, that you should say, ‘Who will ascend

to heaven for us and bring it to us, that we may hear it

and do it?’ Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should

say, ‘Who will go over the sea for us and bring it to us, that wemay hear it and do it? But the word is very near you. It

is in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.

God told them it was simple. Salvation was possible. He made it plain for them.

Paul chooses to use this verse in relation to the simplicity of salvation in Christ.

“to bring Christ down” We don’t have to take a journey to heaven and convince Christ to come. He has already come.

“to bring Christ up from the dead” When Christ died no one had to go and resurrect Him. He raised Himself up.

We could neither go and get Christ from heaven nor could we have raised Him from the dead. God did it all.

v. 8 Here Paul quotes Deut. 30:14. He applies it to the gospel. Salvation is easily accessible.

It is near you- God has brought the gospel to you.

It is in your mouth- You can easily articulate it.

It is in your heart- You can possess it.

His mention of the mouth and heart show simplicity. Faith and confession. Anyone can believe and confess.

This will be a problem for those who reject Christ. When they stand before the Lord they cannot say the way of salvation was:

Too far away

Too difficult to understand

Too hard to access

v. 9 Now Paul gets specific about what is required for salvation.

“If you confess Jesus is Lord”

Jesus is already Lord. We use the phrase “make Jesus our Lord.” I don’t think that’s a good way to pit it. We don’t make Jesus anything. He is Lord whether we recognize it our not.

“Lord”= Master. To be saved we must submit ourselves to Christ. We acknowledge Him as our own Lord.

“with the mouth” doesn’t mean all the Lord requires is lip service. In Matthew 7:21 Jesus said “Not everyone who says unto Me Lord, Lord, shall enter the kingdom of heaven.”

The confession must be sincere. It must be true. Our words must reflect our heart.

Do you understand salvation in this way?

What is Jesus Lord over in your life?

What have you submitted to Him?

To submit to Him means you submit to His Word. Does your life reflect the Lordship of Christ.

Baptism is a wonderful way to confess Jesus is your Lord. But it only starts there. Your life confesses Jesus is Lord.

“believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead” Belief in the bodily resurrection is essential to salvation. The resurrection is the proof that Jesus is who He claimed to be:

God

The One and only Savior

Sinless

v. 10 Paul explains in more detail how salvation occurs.

“With the heart one believes and is justified” It must be a convictional belief. It is not merely in the mind. It is a felt belief. It is believed heartedly. It is also an experienced belief. Christ in us confirms our salvation.

1 Cor. 12:3

no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, except by the Holy Ghost.

We are justified through our faith in Christ.

“with the mouth confession one confesses and is saved” We are not saved by saying the words “Jesus is Lord”. Our confession is the result of our salvation.

We might get confused here. Let me help you out. The principal element in salvation is faith.

You can confess all day long, but if you don’t have faith it doesn’t matter.

You can get baptized, try and obey the Bible, do good works, etc. If those things aren’t the result of faith in Christ, you aren’t saved.

Paul uses confession as proof that one has believed in Christ. If you don’t confess Christ, it is clear you have not believed ion Him and are not saved.

v. 11 “Everyone who believes on him” Here we see Paul puts the emphasis back on faith rather than confession.

“put to shame” To die without Christ is shameful. Those who reject Christ are eternally shamed.

v. 12 “for there is no distinction” There is not one way for the Jews and another way for the Gentiles.

“the same Lord is Lord of all” This is because there is only one God.

Let’s make a couple of application points:

1)There is only one God who saves. Many believe that if a person sincerely believes in a god they will be saved. It’s not true. Paul says there is only one Lord for all people groups.

2) There is only one people of God. As I have said before, the Gentiles are not God’s stepchildren. The church is the people of God. God bestows His riches on those who call upon Christ.

v. 13 “Everyone” Both Jew and Gentile can be saved.

“calls on the name of the Lord” This is the only requirement. This might sound easy to us. To the Jews this would not be easy. They would have to admit that Christ is Lord. The language Paul uses is OT language.

To call upon the name of the Lord for salvation meant to call upon the Creator.

Psalm 79:5-6

How long, O Lord? Will you be angry forever? Will your jealousy burn like fire? Pour out your anger on the nations that do not know you, and on the kingdoms that do not call upon your name!

Psalm 116:4

Then I called on the name of the Lord: “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

Paul was quoting Joel 2:32.

He’s also clearly equating Jesus with the name of the Lord (v. 9). He is telling Jewish people if they want to be saved, they must call on the name of Jesus. For them to do that with a clear conscience they would have to believe that Jesus is God.

Isaiaha 43:11

I, I am the LORD, and besides me there is no savior.

To call upon Christ for salvation is to recognize His Deity. He is Lord of all.

While salvation is simple, it also requires sacrifice. It is not difficult to know how to be saved. It may be difficult for us to let loose of things to be saved.

For the Jews it would have been a system of belief that they wrongly interpreted.

For us it might be a particular sin.

To confess Christ as Lord requires a change in our belief and a repentance from whatever controls us. There is nothing in this world losing our soul over. Christ is a loving Lord who offers us more than the world does. We should love Him and joyfully confess His lordship over our lives.