We can understand salvation from the scriptures only with the mind of Christ. Apostle Paul in answer posed to him about how to get saved, responded under the inspiration of the holy spirit in Romans 10:9 that,If thou shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and shall believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shall be saved. The two key phrases are confessing with the mouth and believing in the heart.
What is confessing?
Confessing entails the boldness to speak about an unshakable fact upon knowledge which is defensible. It is a public declaration that Jesus is the Son of God ordained to take away the sins of the world through his blood. It is a public acknowledgement of one’s weakness and inability to extricate himself from the shackles of sin and bondage.
It is a public declaration of one’s total surrender to Christ for his redemption. It is an irrevocable relationship of absolute obedience to the instructions of Christ. It is a public denial of self in any matter that conflicts with God’s will, purpose or interest. It is a demonstrable act of commission and omission in favour of Christ. It is a visible act that speaks for itself.
What is believing?
Believing is a notion about a fact which though not visible to the eye is yet factually manifest. It is the notion of an existence of a fact which informs the confession inclusive of conduct. It is placing that notion above all others or making all others subordinate or inconsequential. It is being stubbornly hooked unto an existential fact without any or an iota of compromise. It is commitment to living and dying with that notion without surrender even in the face of death.
What then is salvation?
Apostle Paul is therefore saying that salvation is testifying to the truth whether or not visible about who Jesus Christ is in the life of man by the vehicle of the tongue based on the findings of the heart. Salvation is therefore an act which is a reflection of the state of the heart. A right heart produces a worthy confession whilst a negative heart produces a perverse confession. In other words salvation is the fruit of the heart. It is not mere words of faith, belief or association with Christ.
It is a relationship that transcends the individual to the entire family in that a redeemed heart will nurture a saved family whilst an unsaved soul will place the family under curse. Apostle Paul says in Acts 16:31 that Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shall be saved, and thy household.
Christianity today
The challenge facing Christians today is the failure to appreciate what confession means and the nexus with the heart. In truth Matthew 12:34 says, For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks. See also Luke 6:45. In our world today, we preach virtue and practice vice so the world is chaotic and getting worse by the day.
The focus has now shifted to prosperity, power and prophecy rather than change of heart and confessing Christ for who and what he is. We find it convenient to tell what people want to hear rather than what God wants to tell his people or wants from his people. This is largely influenced or motivated by pleasures of this world. Gravitating towards worldly pleasures disconnects us from God so we cannot hear his voice or we do not listen to his voice or we cannot discern which of the voices is his.
What salvation is not?
We read in Matthew 15:8-9 and Mark 7:7 that, These people honor me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the precepts of men. In effect Jesus is saying hypocrisy is not confession neither is confession hypocrisy.
Good work is not salvation but salvation produces good works. An association with Christian activities or patronizing church attendance, songs, dance etc. is not salvation but salvation would encourage you to do so. These activities do not qualify one for eternity but salvation does. Salvation is not self-control but God control. Psalms 51:17 says The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou will not despise.
Maintaining one’s salvation
We are to work out our salvation with fear and trembling as recorded in Philippians 2:12. This is because it is a terrible thing to fall into the hands of the Lord if we should lose one should lose his salvation, Hebrews 10:31. That being the case, one has to tread cautiously in one’s daily life. The surest way to do it is as prescribed in Colossians 3:17 that, in all you do, do it as if it is for the Lord. Anything short of this standard could be detrimental. It is a very high bar.
We can only correct the errors in this life not hereafter. Hebrews 9:27 says it is appointed once to die and after death judgment. No plea would be taken after death for one would have had all the resources in this life to change before death. No prayers or mass can change your destiny hereafter. Only salvation in this life can. The heart is the fountain of our character, whether sweet or bitter waters. Jesus will judge our hearts not our confessions or deeds because deeds are deceptive. Heaven and hell are real.
Prayer
Dear Lord Jesus, I confess with my mouth and believe in my heart that there is no other name in heaven or earth or among men by which I can be saved. Wash me in your precious blood, save my soul from sin today. Come into my heart as Lord and Saviour and lead me in the path of righteousness for your name’s sake. Amen !!!
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