Confess And Believe Series

Confess and believe

Romans 10:9, Acts 4

Good morning church- glad to have those in house and those online this morning. I hope you have come with a heart open and tender as I title the message confess and believe.

We are in the last week of our series Christianity 101. We are in the book of Romans Chapter 10:9 and then also put your finger also in Acts chapter 4.

Last week we looked at Romans 8:28. “We know that in some things..NO all things God works together for the good of those that love him, who have been called according to his purpose.” We know that if you are not a believer that you cannot claim the promise that all things work out because you are not a believer and that is not your promise.

You cannot stand on God’s promises as a believer and not be a believer.

Our text this morning takes us to the verses where Paul talks about professing our trust in Jesus Christ and confessing Him as Lord.

Romans 10:9-“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.”

Confession with your mouth

Remember we have talked how important our words are to the Lord.

Idle words will be addressed (MT. 12), curse words and words of damnation will be addressed (Col 3:8), words of encouragement and words of empathy will be rewarded (1 Thess. 5:11).

So yes, our words of confession and words of adoration to the Lord will not only get his attention, but will bring us into His Presence.

Confess with your mouth and Believe in your heart that Jesus died for your sins and was resurrected by God the Father. That if you believe that and not just giving lip service- you are saved, you are assured of going to heaven and Jesus has paid your debt.

THE DEBT HAS BEEN PAID FOR ALL. JESUS WILL NEVER SUFFER DEATH AGAIN. BUT THOSE WHO CONFESS HIM AS LORD AND BELIEVE THAT HE WAS RESSURRECTED WILL BE THE ONES SAVED FROM THE WRATH OF SIN.

Paul in the preceding verses of confession explains it –

Paul’s heart was that the Jews would come to Christ and be saved from the wrath of disbelief.

To explain to them and show them that they cannot possible be righteous in themselves (law) but only through Jesus.

We are only righteous because of what Christ has done for us.

(8) “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is the word of faith we are proclaiming;”

What you are confessing has to be the truth (Jesus) and it has to be from the heart (belief)

Illustration

How many of you have corrected your kids when they were small and made them say they are sorry to their brother or sister and their response was something like this… Sorrrrrrrryyyyyyyy. They didn’t mean it, they didn’t want to say it. They only said it because you were standing over them and threatening them with punishment if they did not do it. The only benefit you hoped they would take away is not do it again.

The same would be if an adult prisoner and your sitting amongst a board of people evaluating you to see if you have been rehabilitated and to see if you have learned your lesson to be put back into society. You will probably do whatever it takes to make them believe that you are re habilitated even if you are not.

So that you could get out of that prison.

Apostle Paul knew that the Jews had a mistaken zeal for God because He had until conversion a mistaken zeal for God. Paul was ready to admit to them they had a zeal for God but that it is misdirected. Jewish religion was based upon the meticulous obedience to the law. The law could not save you (he found out by knowing (the truth) of Jesus.

Sabbath law-

Told you exactly how far you could walk on the Sabbath. Not one step farther!

You could not lift more than two twigs of weight.(though all would pull their sheep out of a hole if push came to shove)

No food could be cooked on the Sabbath.

In the event you were sick, you could keep a person from being worse but …YOU COULD DO NOTHING TO MAKE THEM BETTER.

You could not eat pork… they were zealous but they were zealous of their religion and had no relationship with God.

By the Jewish standard, they could earn credit with God like it was a business. It was a matter of law and achievement.

Paul points them back to the fact of calling Jesus Lord- kurios (kur-ree-os). Early Christianity were to say that Jesus was Lord. To call Jesus Lord according to their thinking was to put him on the same level of the emperor and of God himself. To say Lord was to pledge to him obedience, and reverent worship. To have in our hearts Jesus as unique.