Call to Salvation

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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation (Romans 10:9-10).

Every man, woman, boy, and girl ever born, and that’ll ever be born into this world has already been “saved” by Jesus Christ. When He died, He died to save all humanity. However, salvation is only a vital experience in the life of the one who has consciously affirmed the lordship of Jesus over his or her life. You receive salvation, or are saved, not just by believing in Jesus, but by taking the further step of affirming His lordship.

Read our opening scripture again and notice that it didn’t say, “if thou shall cry and ask God to save you, you shall be saved.” The Bible way to receive salvation isn’t by your tears or good works. Salvation is a gift from God: “For “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God” (Ephesians 2:8). The Bible tells us about a Roman centurion named Cornelius. He was a devout and generous man; yet he wasn’t saved (Acts 10:2).

One day, an angel of the Lord appeared to him and said, “…Send “…Send men to Joppa, and call for Simon, whose surname is Peter; who shall tell thee word, whereby thou and all thy house shall be saved” (Acts 11:13-14). Salvation is a gift received by the affirmation of the right words. Once you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and confess with your mouth that He’s Lord over your life, instantly, you become a child of God; eternal life is imparted to your spirit. It’s an extraordinary miracle!

The world needs to know that it’s not difficult at all to receive salvation; it’s no use trying fruitlessly to atone for your sins or impress God with your “good works.” It makes no difference that you’re the nicest or meekest person around; you can’t trust in your good deeds to save you. There’s a definite act required for salvation: it’s the confession of the Lordship of Jesus, believing in your heart that God raised him from the dead.