Stepping Stones

Is yours a religion of easy formulas—a one, two, three steps and done kind of religion? You may need to take a deeper look at your formula.
‘Confess—Believe—Saved’ sounds like a simple solution to a future destination problem but is it? There is a tendency in modern cultures to redefine terms to mean what we want them to mean for our convenience but is the LORD agreeable with that approach to relationship with Him. We have already looked into the universal sin consequence in the first chapters of Romans but in Romans 10, Paul speaks of the answer being ‘near’ us if we confess and believe that the LORD has honored the sacrifice of Jesus on our behalf:

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); ¹

You have what you need to go further with the LORD, you know enough about what He has done on your behalf to enter into relationship with Him without some secret He hasn’t made clear to all.
There is an interesting factor in koine Greek that we don’t have in English—verbs in English are past, present or future tenses which becomes the way we think of actions as being at a point in time either past, present or future. Koine Greek has that and what we would think of as a continuing tense, that which is happening now but continuing in process through the future. This tense is in use in these verses with ‘confess,’ ‘believe’ and ‘saved.’ These are not only ‘point-in-time’ verbs but that which we continue to practice actively.

“… 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.” ²

Contrary to the cultural expectation of a ‘one-and-done’ experience, we are to continue in our confession and belief in Jesus as Lord such that this is lived out presently in our lives and not as a memory of something passed behind us with only an expectation of a future outcome. ‘Saved’ is a continuing experience in which we are continually being made whole in the Lord. Our confession is our covenant with Him and our expressing a life lived in the conviction of what He has already accomplished continuing to be True and Active in our lives. This is an active state rather than passive; it has been accomplished but continues to be resulting in a changed life as well as destination.

For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ³

The ‘belief’ continues to be active and results in our relationship with Him being such that we are content in Him and seek not to earn our own way for He is the Way, the Truth and the Life. ⁴

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. For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” ⁵

No one can earn more favor with God than that which God gives through faith in Jesus and God’s finished work. ‘Saved’ is a gift God gives and we are all undeserving of the gift; it is only when we accept the gift on God’s terms that we are safe in Him, secure in relationship and rescued from the consequences of our past sins.
Amen and thank You, LORD!