The Key to Salvation

 

ROM. 10:4-15

SUBJECT: Salvation Through Faith

THEME: We receive God’s righteousness (salvation) through Faith in the complete work of the Lord Jesus Christ, the Savior. 

RELEVANCE: Those who are saved believed on Jesus Christ and those who are lost stumbled at Jesus Christ (Rom. 9:30-33). The key to salvation is faith in Jesus Christ! Rom 1:16-17, For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek. 17, For therein is the righteousness of God revealed from faith to faith: as it is written, The just shall live by faith.

A prayer burden for souls is essential to a church’s success in proclaiming the gospel and reaching sinners for Christ. 

INTRODUCTION: can we unreservedly entrust our eternal future with God?  Can we rest in God for our own eternal destiny? The truth is we can rest in God’s salvation because it is received by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Many people miss God’s salvation and blessings because they assume God is unfair, inconsistent, merciless or baseless. But there are five considerations we need to ponder.

MESSAGE:

I.  THE SOURCE OF SALVATION IS JESUS CHRIST (Rom. 10:4-5)

Rom. 10:4-5, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

         A.  AS INDICATED BY THE IDEA OF FAITH UNDER GRACE

Rom 10:4, For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. 

ILLUSTRATION:  10:4 We might reword this verse to say that Christ is the end of the Old Testament Law to the believer after the Cross, as George Washington was the end of the British law to the American after the Revolutionary War. (See 2 Cor. 3:6-11; Heb. 7:11-19; Gal. 3:24-26; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14.)

This principle points us to Jesus Christ as the Source of God’s righteousness!  Secondly, when a sinner receives the Lord Jesus Christ as his Savior, the law nothing else to say to him.  Through the death of his Substitute, he has died to the Law.   He is through with the law and with the futile attempts to achieve righteousness through it. 

         B.  AS INDICATED BY THE IDEA OF WORKS UNDER THE LAW

Rom 10:5, For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.

              1. The Purpose Behind the Law Was to Show Sinners That They Are Sinners

The law reveals sin, to convict and condemn the transgressors.  It can never impart righteousness.  The penalty for breaking the law is death.  In His death Christ paid the penalty of the law which man had broken.

              2. The Purpose of the Law Was to Point Us To Christ Who Fulfilled It

This principle, like that of Faith, also teach us to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ because of the Impossibility of living up to the law.

Gal 3:23-26, But before faith came, we were kept under the law, shut up unto the faith which should afterwards be revealed. 24, Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25, But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster. 26, For ye are all the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.

              3.  The Idea Behind the Law Is That Through “Doing” We’ll Have Life    Vs Rom. 10:5.

In other words, if a man can obey the law perfectly and perpetually, he would not be condemned to death.  But even if a man could do this from today forward, they still would have to die for the sins that our past.  Therefore, any hope of a man obtaining righteousness by doing is doomed to failure from the very outset.

Rom 3:21-28, But now the righteousness of God without the law is manifested, being witnessed by the law and the prophets; 22, Even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23, For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24, Being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: 25, Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 26, To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 27, Where is boasting then? It is excluded. By what law? of works? Nay: but by the law of faith. 28, Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.

II.  THE AVAILABILITY OF SALVATION IS THROUGH JESUS CHRIST (Rom. 10:8) "But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach" (Rom. 10:8).

God is saying that the Gospel is not hidden, distant, or inaccessible.  In fact, the opposite is true; the Gospel is nigh, accessible, and available to all—everyone. This is true because of two historical facts.

       A.   GOD SENT TO US HIS SON (INCARNATION OF CHRIST) (Rom. 10:6)

But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above)" (Rom. 10:6).

            1.  This Is Impossible for Man to Do

We cannot go all the way to Heaven to get Christ and bring Him down to the earth in order for folk to believe.

            2.  This Is Not Necessary for Man to Do

The fact of the matter is that He already came down from Heaven and was born into the human race.  We must accept this by faith. 

      B.  GOD MIRACULOUSLY RAISED HIS SON (RESURRECTION OF CHRIST) (Rom. 10:7) "Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead)" (Rom. 10:7).

            1.  This Is Impossible for Man to Do

We cannot go even into the depths of the Grave to bring up Christ again from the dead.  This is humanly impossible!

            2.  This Is Not Necessary for Man to Do

It also is not necessary for us to raise Christ from the grave, He already accomplished this.  We must accept this by faith.  The Incarnation and Resurrection are two elements of the saving faith in the Gospel. The Righteousness of God is nigh, near, accessible, intelligible, and easily understood! It is communicated in the gospel, to be saved a person must accept the Incarnation and the Resurrection.

III.  THE PROCEDURE OF SALVATION IS FAITH IN JESUS CHRIST (Rom. 10:9-10) "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" (Rom. 10:9).

        A.  CONFESSING THE LORD JESUS

I Jn 2:23, Whosoever denieth the Son, the same hath not the Father: (but) he that acknowledgeth (Confess; Rom. 10:9) the Son hath the Father also.

              1.  To Confess the Lord Jesus is the same as acknowledging that the Babe born in Bethlehem’s manger is the very Lord of Glory, that the Jesus of the NT is indeed the Lord Jehovah of the OT.

              2.  To Confess the Lord Jesus is to acknowledge Him as the Supreme Sovereign over all Humanity and not merely the Jews. One must deal with Him if they are to be saved; He is the Way, the Truth and the Life! 

              3.  To Confess the Lord Jesus is NOT an act of 100% Submission to Him as a Condition of Salvation. Yes, He is Lord of all and Yes, He is Jehovah God and every repentant sinner must acknowledge this!  However, to require total commitment of every aspect of ones life as a condition of salvation is not scriptural.  The problem is, we don’t even know yet all that He requires of us, so to what degree do we submit?  When we present the gospel, the sole condition for salvation must be maintained based on faith for justification.

         B.  BELIEVING WITH THE HEART UNTO RIGHTEOUSNESS

Rom 10:9-10, 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.

                  1.   The Element of Heart-based-Faith in the Resurrected Christ   vs 9

God has raised Christ from the Grave as proof that Christ completed the work necessary for our salvation, and that God is satisfied with that work.  Believing this with the heart means that we trust God through our mental, emotional, and volitional powers.

                  2. The Exercise of Heart-based-Faith to have a Righteous Status   Vs 10

Saving faith consist in the personal appropriation of the Person and work of the Lord Jesus Christ.  We receive credit for righteousness through faith in Him!

                  3.  Some have made oral confession a condition of salvation based on 10:10: "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The Bible, of course, does not impose this limitation. Paul evidently was stressing the same truth found in James 2:20; that is, a genuine possession of Christ in one's heart will surely lead to a confession of Christ with one's mouth. The fruit will prove the root. (See Matt. 10:32; Luke 12:8; John 12:42-43; Matt. 12:34.) The method, then, of righteousness, is faith in Christ not a work of confession; however, confession is the natural result of saving faith in the heart!

IV.  THE RANGE OF SALVATION IS ANYONE WHO BELIEVES (Rom. 10:11-13) "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved" (Rom. 10:13).

Paul had earlier shown that all were lost. He now says that all can be saved. Compare the "whosoever" mentioned here with that in Revelation 20:15.

God’s glorious salvation is for all people, both Jew and Gentile.  There is no difference (vs 12) or no distinction as far as the availability of salvation is concerned.  Here we see the universal scope of the grace of God.  Even the phrase “Lord over all” (vs. 12) strongly implies that Salvation is to Jew and Gentile alike.

Rom 9:33, As it is written, Behold, I lay in Sion a stumblingstone and rock of offence: and whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

1 Pet 2:6, Wherefore also it is contained in the scripture, Behold, I lay in Sion a chief corner stone, elect, precious: and he that believeth on him shall not be confounded.

Acts 10:43, To him give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him shall receive remission of sins. 

John 5:24, Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life. 

APPLICATION: The scope of the gospel clearly includes all who will believe on Christ.  This refutes the teaching of a limited atonement by the Calvinist and it also refute the teaching of the Universalist who claim we all are going to be saved eventually and are going about it differently.  To the Calvinist God says “whosoever”!  And to the Universalist God says “whosever believeth!”

V.   THE PRESENTATION OF SALVATION TO OTHERS (Rom. 10:14-15)

"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? 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!" (Rom. 10:14-15). 

There are three reasons why God sends preachers, pastors, evangelist, and teachers.

       A. A SINNER MUST CALL UPON THE LORD TO BE SAVED.

       B. A SINNER MUST BELIEVE IN ORDER TO CALL.

       C. A SINNER MUST HEAR IN ORDER TO BELIEVE.

APPLICATION: How often do we share Christ with others?  How often do we present the gospel?  I realize that some have greater opportunities than others but are we taking advantage of the opportunities we have?  What about at work on breaks or during lunches? What about neighbors and associates? Are we using our social media platforms to share the gospel?  Maybe keeping track of our own personal efforts is a good idea?  Be a witness of Christ!

CONCLUSION: Taken as a whole, people do not seek after God. Regardless of their claims…. They are satisfied with their own pagan religions. They make baseless assumptions about God’s goodness and judgment. But many people will respond when they hear the gospel! Relatively speaking the Gentiles responded more favorably than the Jews, and it may surprise us how open people are to the gospel.  While the Gentiles were flocking to the Lord, Isaiah portrays Him standing with outstretched hands, pleading with the Nation of Israel, and they only response is disobedience and stubborn refusal.  God is still yearning for His earthly people, and I believe He wants to use you and me, us gentiles to reach them with the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  We should not only appreciate the Jews, but we should love them for Jesus’ sake and send the gospel to them! The same can be said for people all around the world.

The teaching for receiving God’s righteousness (salvation) is by Faith in the completed work of Jesus Christ and not even the best of human efforts. This is why many people are presently unsaved because of unbelief. We can rest in God’s salvation because it is received by faith in His Son, Jesus Christ. Many people miss this simple reality, God’s salvation, and multiplied blessings because of their lack of faith in Christ and not the unfairness or inconsistency of God.

      1.     Do you have the righteousness of God?    

      2.     Are you trying to establish your own righteousness?

      3.     Are you merely hoping for positive results in the end?

      4.     Are you praying for someone specifically to be saved? Do you have anybody that you are earnestly pleading with God to save? 

      5.     Are we witnessing to whosoever?

      6.     Are you presenting the Gospel faithfully?

      7.     Are we exploring new ways or methods to present that same old ‘good news’?

The Danger of Stagnation

God calls His people to diligently progress in spiritual growth to full maturity—“Let us go on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1). William Newell (Hebrews Verse by Verse) describes perfection as “the process of the Holy Spirit within the believer will conform him to the image of Christ in faith, holiness, love, and knowledge….” God desires for Christians to develop their spiritual senses with the Word, discern good and evil, and become fully assured of their heavenly hope in Christ.  God will grow believers, but they must cooperate with His divine purposes. To do so will require diligent exercise of faith and a tenacious persistence, but the result is inheriting the promises of God (6:12-20).  

The writer of Hebrews has explored the most encouraging ministry of the Christian’s Great High Priest, the Lord Jesus (Heb. 4:14-16).  His service to the believer is certainly enough to promote continuous spiritual progress (5:9, 10). But there is the possibility that some believers will not advance in their faith (5:11-14), and some may even draw back from the full commitment of continuing with Christ (6:4-8). The purpose of this writing is to explore this very real possibility.  

THE CONDITION OF SPIRITUAL STAGNATION

Progression in the faith is God’s desire for each believer, but stagnation is when the Christian’s life plateaus far short of maturity. Hebrews 5:11-6:12 addresses this important issue of spiritual stagnation, sluggish Christian growth, and even apostasy.  Instead of diligently pursuing full and fruitful adulthood in Christ (6:10-12) some were slothful and lazy regarding the life of faith. As a result, these plateaued believers were grossly immature.

Hebrews 5:11-13, insightfully shows their level of juvenility. Accordingly spiritual childishness is an inability to listen to the Word and apply it to life (5:11). There is also little or no ability to instruct from the Word and share it with others (5:12a). Immaturity is also marked by an inability to appreciate any teachings beyond the foundational truths (5:12b-13).  Finally, juvenility results in an inability to use the Word of righteousness for decision making (5:13). Obviously a condition of stagnation is sheer spiritual bankruptcy.

STAGNATION CAN RESULT IN APOSTASY

What can be expected for not progressing to Christian adulthood? Hebrews 6:4-6 holds the answers to what a lazy approach to spiritual matters will produce. This passage confronted the condition of spiritual stagnation, but it remains one of the most difficult passages in the Bible to interpret. Never-the-less it shows that a person who is spiritually stagnant can expect several negative developments. Backsliding, little or no zeal for Christ, vulnerability to error, shaming the Name of Christ, feelings of insecurity, vast theological confusion, and very little spiritual fruit are just some of the plagues of spiritual irresponsibility.

Because they fail to recognize the priesthood and intercessory ministry of Jesus Christ, they likely are frustrated with Him and blame Him for some perceived inadequacy in Christianity.  They suffer from an unjustified diminishing confidence in Christ. It is no stretch of the imagination to say that some may have become frustrated with Christ and the faith life. The persecutions they endured dishearten some and a few others were embittered by the chastening of the Lord. Thus their form of stagnation was heavily seasoned with the pains of confessing Christ in a hostile climate. Of course these developments only exacerbated the problem.

The first need here is to define the problem of apostasy—“fall away” (Heb. 6:4, 6). The writer would like to address the subject of Jesus the High Priest of the order of Melchisedec (6:20). However, he is unable to do so because of the mental and spiritual dullness of these infantile believers. In addition some had fallen away and there was the possibility that others may follow. To “fall away” (v. 6) means to commit apostasy in some degree. Newell said, “The inner meaning of the word translated “fallen away” in Hebrews 6:6 is that of a secret departure from God.” He continued by adding, “it is not a falling into sin that is meant, but a falling away from God, from Christ, from salvation, a renouncing of truth.”

In the strictest sense apostasy is a rejection or repudiation of a previously held belief or confidence in the Christian Faith. Apostasy in the broader sense encompasses various degrees of departures from faith ranging from instances of ‘unbelief’ (Heb. 3:12, 13) all the way down to ‘reprobation’ (2Tim. 3:6-8). It could include a refusal to trust the Lord for a specific matter as well as full rejection of Christianity and actively trying to dismantle it. The spectrum would include both grossly backslidden and theologically confused believers who cast off their confidence in Christ. Obviously full apostasy and reprobation refers to unbelievers. Apostasy does not result in the loss of eternal life; salvation is based on faith and trust in Christ’s work (Heb. 5:9; 7:24-28; 9:12; 10:14; See also Heb. 6:13–20; see also John 5:24; 10:26–30; Rom. 8:28–39). But, defection from the Faith, apostasy, and the withdrawal of one’s Christian profession (Heb. 3:6, 14; 10:23-25, 35-39) is the issue at hand.

The assertion that such a failure is not possible for a real believer is an unbiblical dogmatic idea designed to accommodate a theological system. It is born of theological tidiness and convenience, not the truth. Walvoord and Zuck (The Bible Knowledge Commentary) observed that Paul spoke of a certain Hymenaeus and Philetus who claimed that the resurrection has already taken place, and in doing so they destroyed the faith of some genuine believers (2 Tim. 2:17-18). Paul was being a solid realist who took assaults against the faith very seriously. Some of these Jewish believers were on the verge of giving up their confidence in Christ and the NT teachings about Him. Thus the writer was constantly challenging them to commit to Christ, keep the faith, and continue to walk with Christ confidently (Heb. 3:6, 14; 4:14; 6:9; 10:35; 13:9; Jn. 8:31; Acts 13:43; 14:22).

Secondly the weight of an act of apostasy must be discerned along with the meaning of two key phrases in this warning passage. It is “impossible” for the enlightened to be renewed unto “repentance” while they are still disregarding Christ’s finished work and present ministry as High Priest (6:4, 6). Verses four through six must describe true believers. To “renew them again unto repentance” (v. 6:6) refers to a fresh commitment to Christ and the Christian Faith. This is not another salvation experience, but a full rededication of oneself to Christ. Restoration is possible if they repent, but it remains impossible as long as they doubt the value of Calvary and the intercession of Christ as High Priest.

There may have been mere professing Christians who had decided to reject Christ and Christianity fully. In any congregation of any substantial sizes there is the possibility of unsaved individuals lurking in the ranks. These may have been encouraging others to do the same; this is apostasy in its fullest sense (Heb. 3:12).  Pressing on to spiritual maturity; however, requires living by faith in Christ the great High Priest who is with the Father in Heaven, and not turning back to the ABCs of faith (6:1-3).

THE IMPACT OF APOSTASY

This is serious because such sinful actions actually denounce Christ. These people “crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh” (Heb. 6:6). They are constantly putting Christ “to an open shame.”  They brought shame to the name of Christ every time they worshipped through the temple system after having made a profession of faith in Christ.  Temple worship was very visible, public, and open, therefore any participation in this worship form was openly discrediting and denouncing Christianity.

This relates ominously to modern Christians who turn to the gurus or celebrity figures for answers to help with life’s challenges, but seldom considers Christ.  Believers will look to sociologists, psychologists, Hollywood figures, talk show hosts, horoscopes, the politically elite, the government, and the hyper educated for resources and answers. The same could be said for believers who place their confidence in a church, denomination, or religious distinction while they blatantly ignore Christ. The difficulty here is these same Christians seldom look to the all sufficient Christ and a life of faith.  They shame Christ when they ignore Him while becoming enamored with human idols and by actually taking godless counsel from mere people. If they have a great High Priest making intercession for them in the very presence of God, if they have available to them grace and mercy to help in time of need, then why act as though they do not!

The Scriptures regularly warns against the possibility of apostasy as an actual and genuine danger. Logically, only real believers can apostatize, unbelievers cannot. These warnings are for genuine Christians today who are in the same danger of falling away from an open and healthy profession of Christ as Savior, Lord, and High Priest. In many respects it is not full scale apostasy that most will commit.  Instead it is a more insidious form where believers incrementally and increasingly stop professing Christ in more and more areas of their experiences. Eventually there is little or no obvious claim Christ has on their lives. Perhaps for social or professional expediency they do this. Maybe some deny Christ for reasons along the lines of political correctness. No doubt, some disassociate themselves from Christ in order to accommodate a highly secularized culture. Others are very quiet about faith in Christ because they embrace the modern social values of ‘tolerance’ and pluralism.  Others are simply ashamed of Christ and faith in Him. Some have been all but commanded to never mention their faith in Christ especially stifling any evangelistic zeal. So to avoid professional repercussions they comply. Such ‘Christians’ have been effectively neutralized by their lack of progress, confession, commitment, courage, and faith. Stagnation and apostasy are extremely serious matters in this light.

If a person is diligent and persistent about growth in Christlikeness then these qualities will advance them a great distance down the highway of fulfilling God’s will. However, if they are lazy and slow to learn then this would debilitate much of their potential. It is far better to heed the writer of Hebrews, “Let us go on unto perfection” (Heb. 6:1).