SO YOU ARE SAVED…REALLY? Chapter 1 Salvation is a process not a one line confession! With the advent of Pentecostalism, it became popular to teach people that all one had to do to be saved was simply to confess the Lord Jesus as Lord. This doctrine was based almost entirely on the scripture verse in: Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. This concept of Salvation is based on the fact that Man does not have to do anything on order to be saved other than to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. No doubt other scriptures that supported this concept were quoted to buttress the point. ‘Salvation is free!’ Has been the great proclamation till now and yes it is thank God! But the next verse is never taken into consideration considering the joyfulness of the news that salvation is free. Romans 10:10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. The function of the heart is clearly stated in the above verse of scripture, plainly explaining to us that the process of believing on Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour as declared in the previous verse is simply the process of believing unto righteousness...(‘for’ means because…showing that it is a continuing explanation of the previous verse). You cannot believe on the Lord Jesus Christ without believing unto righteousness! The mouth only confesses salvation after the heart has been made obedient to Christ through repentance unto righteousness. Believing and confession are never a simultaneous event. We know that obedience is counted as believing because only a few verses later we read: Romans 10:16 6 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report? Paul says not everyone has obeyed the gospel because Isaiah had said; “who has believed our report, or our message?” in other words judging by his expression – “who has believed our report?” Isaiah was pointing out the fact that so few had believed his report and those of others that the number was not worth mentioning hence who or how many indeed has believed our report. So we see here that believing the report or message is entirely hinged on obeying it; no one can be said to have believed until there is faithful obedience to the message. In the same vein no one can be said to have believed on the Lord Jesus Christ until there is complete obedience to his words…his good news…his gospel. Hence repentance must needs precede confession with the mouth, for repentance is the proof of believing that there has been a change of mind and a change of direction in life from one’s former lifestyle to the one Jesus Christ has commanded us to live – one of righteousness. You are saved because first you have obeyed the words of the Lord concerning righteousness and now that you have repented of your former lifestyle you are now qualified to confess your salvation with your mouth…not before. Romans 16:25-26 Now to him that is of power to stablish you according to my gospel, and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery, which was kept secret since the world began, 26 But now is made manifest, and by the scriptures of the prophets, according to the commandment of the everlasting God, made known to all nations for the obedience of faith: The preaching of Jesus Christ, the revelation of the mystery, and the scriptures of the prophets…in short; the scriptures in their entirety were made known to all nations FOR THE OBEDIENCE OF FAITH! FAITH IS OBEDIENCE! BELIEVING IS OBEDIENCE! Believers are actually those who obey the teachings of Christ and his apostles on a moment by moment basis. We deceive ourselves when we assume that just because we have ‘given’ our lives to Christ we are born again. Whether you gave your life to Christ or you received Christ into your life, either way; if you are not allowing Christ to live His life vicariously in you through obedience to his teachings, then indeed our being born again is most doubtful and we need to re-examine ourselves. From Genesis to Revelation, a walk with God is simply a life of obedience. Romans 4:3 For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness. This refers to the time when God asked Abraham to sacrifice his only son Isaac and because he OBEYED, he is said to have BELIEVED God and therefore his belief or obedience was counted as righteousness. sJames 2:21-23 Was not Abraham our father justified by works, when he had offered Isaac his son upon the altar? Seest thou how faith wrought with his works, and by works was faith made perfect? And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God. These scriptures show beyond a shadow of doubt that Abraham’s obedience was what was counted to him as righteousness; it is also what is referred to as believing God. Without obedience there is no believing and without believing we have not yet become the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. Romans 6:17-18 But God be thanked, that ye were the servants of sin, but ye have obeyed from the heart that form of doctrine which was delivered you. Being then made free from sin, ye became the servants of righteousness. Again we see that word OBEYED. There is no escaping the fact that obedience is irrevocably linked with righteousness. The Roman Church did not just confess with their mouths after some presumptuous believing; they OBEYED FROM THE HEART the teachings that were handed down to them, they were set free from sin not only by the forgiveness of sins but by the practical outworking of repentance…they CHOSE to become servants of righteousness by turning their backs on sin! This is what I am saying: it wasn’t in one altar call that they BECAME servants of righteousness, it happened gradually as they OBEYED from the heart the teachings that were handed down to them. Yes you should receive Christ as your lord and saviour, but the proof or genuineness of your salvation will come in the days and weeks and months and years to come…will you still be obeying from the heart the teachings of Christ and his apostles? Culled from my book - SO YOU ARE SAVED...REALLY? (Not yet published!)
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 20:45:23 +0000
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