Christians used the word “saved” a lot. What do we mean when we talk about salvation? Romans 10 provides details that can help us answer that question.
You can play, download, or read the transcript of this Take Note Podcast below.
Be Saved
Romans 10:9-15
- This passage introduces the words “saved” and “salvation”
- Those are words we use often if we know Jesus Christ
- The fact is, we call Him our “Savior”
- Which provides the same general idea
- That we are rescued from something
- We know what that “something” is based on passages like John 3
- It gives us two general concepts
- Those who believe on Him are saved from death and condemnation (death and hell)
- In verses 16 through 18 it says…
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved. He that believeth on him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.”
- This is why we repeat the words saved and salvation
- And this is what they mean
- Rescue from sin and the consequences of sin through Jesus
- Rescue from death and condemnation
- Today, from Romans 10:9-15
- We talk about rescue
- And “Be Saved” is our theme
- Let’s read our full text in Romans 10
- Then we’ll have a closer look at each individual verse…
Romans 10:9-15
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.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
- You heard the references to being saved and salvation
- They are going to be a key part of our focus today
- We get right into it from the first verse…
Romans 10:9
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.
- Based on the passage we read earlier in John, this passage, and many others
- We make the very plain assertion that salvation is all about belief
- Or, as it is also referred many times, faith
- What is it that this passage means by belief?
Believe = “to think to be true, to be persuaded of, to credit, place confidence in” “the conviction and trust to which a man is impelled by a certain inner and higher prerogative and law of soul” “to trust in Jesus or God as able to aid either in obtaining or in doing something: saving faith”
- This is a belief that leads to action
- It is not a mere affirmation of fact – although it is that
- But it means more
- When rescue is needed, that man being rescued must place his full confidence in the rescuer
- No ability to save ourselves – fully trusting the Savior
- And this is a belief that is true and deep
- It is from the heart…
Romans 10:10
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
- It’s a belief that leads to verbal affirmation
- We say we believe and we give testimony
- It only makes sense that we would
- Because of the joy that it brings
- And because of a desire that others would hear
- Among many other reasons…
Romans 10:11
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
- And how could we be ashamed?
- We could not rescue ourselves
- We needed help
- No one who is in desperate need of help is ashamed to get it
- We are thankful
- We speak to the heroism and the kindness of the rescuer
- The scripture affirms (experience affirms) that this is the case…
Romans 10:12
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
- All need rescue
- All have the opportunity to be rescued
- Rescue is available to all
- Those who are rescued have unity
- There is no division between us because
- We were unified in our helplessness
- We were unified in our eternal thankfulness for the Savior
- We were unified in our mission to serve…
Romans 10:13
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
- This is wonderful
- This means something to us
- We are thankful for it
- But we also want them (the whosoevers) to know!
- We want them to be unified with us (also) in the Savior…
Romans 10:14
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
- We see the logical next step here
- Some have obviously not heard that there is a Rescuer
- They need to know – so they can believe
- Someone – obviously those who have already been rescued – must tell them
- We want to tell them, but we also have a mandate to tell them…
Romans 10:15
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
- Our Savior (and His church) send us to do it
- We have a commission
- A commission is an official authorization to do work
- On behalf of someone else
- And this is a blessed work
- There is beauty in the one who delivers the message
- The Savior is always the hero of the story
- But the one who shouts the news that rescue is available plays a wonderful part too
- Let us be the people who shout the good news of salvation to all