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What must I do to be saved?
Decisions...Decisions...Decisions
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
- Some decisions come easy. Yes, I will marry you!
- Some decisions carry small consequences. Do I order the chicken salad or the tuna salad?
- Some decisions bring lots of stress. Do I take the better job even though the move will uproot my family?
The biggest decisions are life-changing, even eternal. The greatest decision we will ever make centers on what we do with Jesus Christ. Knowing about Jesus is not enough. Our need for salvation is answered in Jesus, but we each must decide whether we will commit to that truth and trust Him—or not.
In his letter to the Romans, Paul emphasized the critical importance of this decision. It’s the choice of a lifetime.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Romans 10:1-3
1 Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness.
The Jewish people of Paul’s day had a great “zealous for God,” so why didn’t they already have salvation? Because their zeal was “not based on knowledge.” The Jews believed they had good standing with God because of the law, their religious traditions, and their religious activity. They were sincere in their endeavors, but their sincerity was tragically misplaced. No matter how hard they tried, they could never be good enough to earn favor with God.
They weren’t alone in their zeal without knowledge. At the core of most religions is the belief that people are basically good and can work their way to God. Even in the church, a lot of people fill their lives with religious activities and good morals, thinking these things will give them a connection to God. But merely being a religious person is not enough.
This is what makes Christianity unique. Christianity focuses on what Jesus did; other religions focus on what we should do. God came down to earth in the Person of Jesus and lived a sinless life. In His perfect righteousness He took our sin on Himself, willingly went to the cross, and died in our place. Then He rose three days later from the grave, having defeated sin and death. For this reason, there is no other way of salvation; Christ alone saves.
Jesus said: “I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (John 14:6).
Christians have been saved because of the blood of Christ. If that weren’t amazing enough, when we trust Jesus for salvation, His righteousness is credited to our account. No one else can do this for us. No one else died to save us. Christ alone saves.
The answer we need is all wrapped up in Jesus. But knowing about Jesus is not enough. Having a zeal for God—or even knowing the truth about Jesus—does not guarantee salvation. We have to act on that knowledge.
Romans 10: 8b -10
If knowing the truth about Jesus isn’t enough, what do we need to do? Paul used two verbs to give us the answer.
- Confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord.” To confess something means literally “to speak the same thing.” The word “Lord” comes from the Greek word kurios, which signifies Jesus’ sovereign power and authority. So, when we confess, we are agreeing with God that Jesus is the sovereign Lord with authority over all—including our lives. We further agree with God by living in submission to the rule of Jesus.
- Believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead. To believe in the death of Jesus doesn’t go far enough. I know Jesus is Lord because even death cannot hold Him. He died for me, but He is alive because God raised Him. Without the resurrection, Jesus would have been just a really good man who died a very tragic death. The fact that separates Jesus from all other religious leaders is that Jesus died and rose from the dead—and is alive today. God approved of Jesus’ sacrifice by raising Him from the dead, and He is the One and only Lord.
Confess and believe. We shouldn’t view these as two separate actions. One is an inward belief and the other is an outward confession, but you really can’t have one without the other. They are two sides of the same coin.
When you fully believe in your heart, you can’t help but confess and live out that belief.
Confessing and believing are not a form of “easy believism.” Far from it. “Easy believism” teaches grace without repentance, salvation without commitment. Many want Jesus to save them from hell, but they don’t want to live their lives for Him. But we can’t accept Jesus as our Savior without embracing Him as Lord.
Submitting to Christ’s lordship is essential for salvation. When we confess Christ as Lord, we are essentially saying: “Jesus, You alone are sovereign. You alone have all power. You alone are my Master. Therefore, I surrender to You. My life is no longer mine—it’s Yours.”
Romans 10:11-13
11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Who is able to confess and believe in Jesus? Anyone and everyone. The gospel is for Jew and Gentile alike. The word “anyone” demonstrates the openness of God’s call to salvation. God makes no distinction between people; He desires for all people to be saved. Salvation is available for all people regardless of ethnicity, race, or background.
The only requirement is that every individual must trust in Christ to receive that salvation. God’s salvation is for all people by grace through faith in Christ. “The same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him.”
God is rich to all! It’s not that He responds to everyone who prays a prayer, but extends special favor only to certain people, such the Jews or those who are especially upright or religious. No. God extends His riches—all the blessings of living in His presence—to everyone who calls on His name.
Those who call on the name of Jesus are changed, regardless of who they are (or who they used to be). I recently worked alongside a Japanese believer to share the gospel in Brazil. During the same time, a group from my church worked alongside believers from Nepal to reach kids in Kansas City through Vacation Bible School. This is a great expression of the power and extent of the gospel. The gospel extends around the world to save Americans, Brazilians, Japanese, and Nepalese. Everyone.
Any of us can come to faith in Christ—and we can share that faith with anyone. And we must share our faith. Because salvation in Christ is the only hope for a lost world.
LIVE IT OUT
What actions will you take this week in light of the truth that salvation comes through faith in Jesus Christ alone?
Consider the following suggestions:
- Accept. If you have not yet believed in Jesus and confessed Him as Lord, do so now. Trust Him for forgiveness from your sin. Turn to Him for a new life. Read the inside front cover of this study for guidance on following Christ.
- Examine. Make time this week to assess your relationship with Jesus. Are you growing closer to Him? Are you studying His Word? Are you sharing the truth of the gospel with others?
- Start. Help launch a new Bible study in your church, neighborhood, or community with the purpose of reaching those who need to hear the truth about Jesus.
You’re going to make around 70 decisions today. Be sure to make one that has the potential to be life-changing, either for you or for someone you know.
Teacher's Notes:
Today’s lesson asks the question: What must I do to be saved? And it requires a Decision!
We make decisions all the time. Some decisions are fun to make, some are hard. Many decisions require little thought or commitment. But our greatest decision has to do with what we will do with Jesus Christ.
- A knowledge about Jesus is not enough.
- Our need for salvation is answered in Jesus, but we must each decide whether we will commit to that truth and trust Jesus…we have to make that decision to be saved.
In Romans 9-11, Paul sought to explain Israel’s unbelief and God’s rejection of the chosen people in the context of God’s redemptive plan of the ages.
- Paul addressed God’s sovereign choice of Israel to serve Him. Their selection had nothing to do with their worth but with God’s purpose. They were His by faith.
- The only way anyone gains right standing with God is by faith in His redemptive plan.
I. The Israelites were Zealous for God - Romans 10:1-3 (NIV) Brothers, my heart's desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. 2 For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. 3 Since they did not know the righteousness that comes from God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God's righteousness.
Paul addresses two major points here to the Jews in Rome:
1. His heart’s desire.
2. The zealousness of the Israelites
What was Paul’s greatest desire and prayer? Can we claim this same desire for the lost?
- For the Israelites, his Jewish brethren - that they may be saved
- In a moment of personal transparency, Paul shared with his “Brothers” in Rome, his hearts desire. Paul was concerned about a people, a people who had known the privilege of being God’s sovereign choice, but who had also rejected His Messiah – the One God had sent to fulfill His redemptive plan and purpose.
- Paul could not think of the eternal security of believers without thinking of the eternal condemnation of unbelievers. Therefore, his whole being reached out with concern for the lost, especially for the Jews that were lost – because he was once like them.
- Paul expressed his heart’s desire in his prayer to God. Paul was a faithful preacher, and he knew the power of the gospel, but he also knew that preaching and personal desire were not enough. God must move in their hearts. This is why he interceded on their behalf in prayer. To intercede is to place one’s self in a position to plead on behalf of another. True intercessory prayer is an expression of our desire that God’s holy purpose be accomplished in someone’s life. By praying for the salvation of others we position ourselves in the will of God, for He is “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (2 Peter 3:9).
- The desire of our hearts and our prayer to God ought to be that others be saved.
The word saved is an all-encompassing word that refers to the work of the Lord to deliver and liberate people from the threat of the enemy. Satan is that enemy and he threatens us with his lies. Salvation is from:
- The presence of sin that would threaten us
- The power of sin that would overwhelm us
- The penalty of sin that would destroy us
- The pleasure of sin that would deceive us
Paul said they were zealous for God. What are some synonyms for “zeal”?
- Enthusiastic, keen, passionate, fervent, vehement, intense … about their relationship to God
Paul said, “I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge.” What did he mean? It appears that something is wrong with their zealousness, what is it?
Good Aspects of Zeal
- zealous for God
Bad Aspects of Zeal
- not based on knowledge
- sought to establish their own righteousness
- didn’t know the righteousness that comes from God
- did not submit to God’s righteousness
We admire people with great passion who give tireless energy, generous resources, and unwavering support for a cause or belief. However, an overzealous spirit can lead to misunderstanding and misappropriation. This is what happened to Israel. They were a people called out by God, but they replaced responsibility with privilege. They focused greater attention on their religious practice instead of on the authority of a personal relationship with the Lord. They became intent on exalting themselves by seeking to establish their own righteousness, rather than submitting themselves to God’s righteousness. (Rom. 10:3)
- Zeal without knowledge in this sense becomes little more than fanaticism. It can lead to misguided action. Paul was a zealous Pharisee who was bent on destroying the gospel and all believers.
- Knowledge in this case includes an emphasis on intelligent comprehension, understanding, or perception. It is full discernment rather than just having the facts about something. It includes experience, not just observation. It deals with reality, not just opinion. We might say they had a “head knowledge” of the things of God – which is good and necessary – but they lacked “heart experience” with Him – which is essential.
- Knowledge without passion is lifeless. To have knowledge without allowing what you know to lead to change offers no lasting benefit. Many people are well informed about religious things, and even about things related to God, but they have not been transformed by allowing the Holy Spirit to apply what they know to their lives. The unbelievers of Israel - “they did not know the righteousness that comes from God”.
You should zealously submit to God’s direction … not just be zealous for sake of being zealous.
Where in our culture do we often see zeal without knowledge?
- the protestor at a political rally who says he is for fascism but has no idea what it is
- sports – Monday morning quarterbacks who will tell you exactly why his team lost
- people claiming to have a good time at a party, but are really harming themselves with their actions
- when you pig out at the pizza buffet and feel miserable afterwards … you didn’t know when to quit
- people who advocate certain policies without realizing how they will end up causing more harm than good
How can a person in today’s world have great zeal for God or religious activities and yet be misguided?
- zeal alone is not enough - must have that personal relationship with Jesus
- must be guided by Scripture and by the Holy Spirit
- it’s like sincerity … you can be sincere about your beliefs, but be sincerely wrong (a lot of experience, but bad experience)
- your excitement and business about things religious may have nothing to do with God’s plan for you or for your situation
Why is it so appealing to establish your own standard of righteousness instead of following God’s standard?
- you get to make the definitions of “righteousness”
- those definitions always fit the way you live
- if I set my own standards, I can set them so I always achieve them
- my own standards will be easy to meet
- if I cannot meet some definition of righteousness, I will change the definition
Why will establishing my own standard of righteousness fail?
- it is always far below God’s standard
- my own standard will be inadequate and complete
- in reality, I will often times not even meet my own standard
- my standard doesn’t matter
- it is only God’s definition of righteousness that counts
Salvation is more than the outcome of religious practice – it comes from knowing and allowing the gospel of Christ to permeate our lives inside and out.
Point: Salvation is Given, not Earned
II. What is Necessary for Salvation? - Romans 10:8b-10 (NIV)
The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart," that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming: 9 That if you confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved.
What were the simple instructions Paul gave regarding personal salvation? (10:9-10)
- confess with your mouth “Jesus is Lord”
- believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead
What does it mean to confess Jesus as Lord?
- It’s more than just verbally, out loud saying those words
- Confessing means agreement with, commitment to a truth, choosing to allow God to be the Lord of your life, the boss
Recall the Campus Crusade for Christ diagram about Jesus being Lord of your life.
What does the dual response of “believe” and “confess” indicate to you about salvation?
- There is an inward, heart and mind commitment to the Truth of Christ’s work of redemption for you personally
- There is also an outward declaration and life-style choices which demonstrates what you have chosen to believe
What makes it hard for Jews to believe Jesus Christ is the Messiah?
- someone who had been crucified must be a really bad person
- they saw the Messiah as a political or military leader
- they anticipated the Messiah as leading them out from under Roman domination
- their idea of the Messiah didn’t fit Jesus who came teaching things that were counter to what the religious leaders taught
- the religious leaders saw Jesus as an opponent or competitor, they had worries about their own positions
- Jesus seemed to undermine their authority
What hinders non-Jews from believing Jesus Christ is the Lord and Savior of the world?
- requirements to please God are too simplistic … “Just believe???”
- we are conditioned to performance requirements
- many believe they have no need for being “saved” … “I’m a good person”
- others reject outright the concept of Jesus having been raised from the dead
- the Muslim world believes that they alone have “Truth” … all others are infidels
So if someone is watching us, how would they know that we confess Jesus as Lord?
- Here is where “works” come in – they will be the result of our faith, our belief
- Jesus said in John 13:35 (NIV) By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." We will be motivated by Christ’s love to minister to others around us.
The gospel of Jesus Christ is a message of personal faith in Him as Lord. Only by trusting and believing in Jesus as Lord can we lay claim to God’s righteousness and receive His salvation. A confession consistent with conviction leads to conversion.
Point: Salvation Comes through Confession and Belief
III. The Universal Nature of the Gospel - Romans 10:11-13 (NIV)
As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame." 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile--the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Taken together, these verses affirm the universal nature of the gospel.
- Everyone has the same need.
- Everyone is invited to come on the same terms.
- Everyone who comes receives the same outcome.
- All people are in need of a Savior, for all have sinned.
What promise is given to anyone who puts their faith in Christ?
- You will never be put to shame - you will be saved
Is there any distinction in the way that Jews and Gentiles obtain their salvation?
- No difference
- The Lord is no respecter of persons – that is, He doesn’t show favoritism.
Racial or ethnic distinctions make no difference to God. Why do they sometimes still make a difference to us?
- People different from us sometimes make us uncomfortable - we don’t understand their culture. They dress, speak, act different and in our thinking they are either wrong or not as good as us. We judge their behavior and customs on our norms and standards and decide they are inferior.
How can we overcome that kind of bias?
- See them as God sees them
- Ask God to give us a love and concern for their souls
- Make an effort to learn about them, learn to appreciate some of their culture
- Get to know someone of another culture
- If you are not sure of their spiritual condition, get to know them well enough to share the Gospel message with them
How does the gospel transform people’s lives?
- No longer carry a load (emotionally, spiritually) of guilt
- Peace with God - peace within one’s self
- Turns people’s lives around
- May result in change of vocation (“let him who stole, steal no more”)
- Brings peace and joy to one’s relationships with others
- Presence of God’s indwelling Holy Spirit produces Fruit of the Spirit … love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, gentleness, self-control, faithfulness
Point: Salvation is Available to All
Conclusion:
What must I do to be saved? Paul says that salvation is found by faith in Christ – alone. And that this calls for a great commitment to Him as Lord.
Who are you desiring and praying for salvation? Is there a spouse, sibling, friend, coworker, or even a people group?
What evidence can others see in your life of your confession and belief that Jesus is Lord?
Hope to see you on Sunday!!
In His Love,
David & Susan
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