How Does A Person Become A Christian?
Romans 10:5-13
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them. 6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Throughout chapters 9–11, Paul is examining and answering four related questions:
Why did so many of the Jews refuse to accept Jesus as Messiah?
In light of Jewish rejection of Jesus and Gentile acceptance of Jesus, has God replaced the Jews with the Gentiles as His chosen people?
Is there any hope that the Jews who previously rejected Jesus as Messiah might one day turn back and believe?
In light of all of the above, what is God up to?
In our previous day’s reading (vv. 10:1–4), Paul has explained that Jesus as Messiah was a difficult concept for the Jews to accept; many of them “stumbled” over Jesus and consequently missed the life that He came to bring.
Here, Paul makes the point that the Old Testament had said that if you want life, you have to obediently follow the Law:
5 For Moses writes about the righteousness that is based on the law, that the person who does the commandments shall live by them [Romans 10:5].
The problem (as Paul has explained in chapters 1–7) is that no one was actually able to follow the Law. But the good news is that though no one else was able to perfectly keep the Law; Jesus Himself perfectly followed it and, though He died in place of disobedient Israel, God raised Him from the dead; through His obedience Jesus now offers the blessings of the Law to all who trust in Him. Paul calls this “the righteousness based on faith” (v. 6).
And then Paul explains that faith is trusting that God has already done in Christ what needed to be done—we don’t have to do it:
6 But the righteousness based on faith says, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the abyss?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead) [Romans 10:6–7].
In other words, there is no need to try and bring Christ down from heaven, since He has already made that journey, and there is no need to try and descend into the place of the dead—that is, “the abyss”— to raise up God’s people, since Jesus has already descended to the dead and ascended to sit at the right hand of God the Father Almighty, holding in his hand the keys of death and Hades (Revelation 1:18).
No, there is no need to do any of that, because Christ has already done it. Rather, all you have to do is trust:
8 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); 9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” [Romans 10:8–13].
You just need to trust—have faith in—Jesus;
This faith is both an internal decision to trust Jesus (“believe in your heart”) and an external action that conforms to the internal decision (“confess with your mouth”);
Anyone who trusts in Jesus will be saved;
And there is one salvation for both Jews and Gentiles—everyone is saved by the same way—by faith.
Have you placed your trust in Jesus by internal decision—belief in your heart—and external action—confession with your mouth?
Who around you can you lead to Christ in this way? Be praying for the opportunity.