Confession Is Made Unto Salvation

by Hugh DeLong

Paul writes: “That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation” (Romans 10:9-10).

Yes, one must believe, but one also must confess that Jesus is Lord in order to be saved. Paul said so. Jesus said so: “Therefore everyone who confesses Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-33).

Such promise of salvation is said to be for all who call on Him, for whoever (Romans 9:11, 13).

But how will they come to do this? Note, by arranging the text of Romans 9:14-15, the inverse arrangement:

• How then will they call on Him in whom they have not believed? [They won’t and can’t.]
• How can they believe in Him whom they have not heard? [They can’t.]
• How will they hear without a preacher (i.e., if the message is never preached)? [They can’t.]
• How will they preach unless they are sent (if God never reveals this saving message through His chosen messengers)? [They can’t.]

Now, just invert this. God revealed His message of salvation through Jesus. Upon hearing this, people have believed in Jesus. In believing, they have called upon the LORD. In calling upon the LORD, they will be saved.

Paul himself experienced this when he was told: “Now why do you delay? Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16)! He did, and he was saved.

Since you are reading this, you have also heard. You can be saved. You need to believe with the heart, confess with the mouth, and be baptized for the forgiveness of your sins. The question is not ‘if you can’ but ‘if you will’. Will you?