40 Favorite Scriptures

Dr Jim Brown's TruNorth Devotional
40 FAVORITE Scriptures
Day 32 | WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE SAVED?
WHAT DOES IT TAKE TO BE SAVED?

Romans 10:9-10
“If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
(NKJV)

People – even churchgoers – have various ideas about what it takes to be saved and heaven assured.

Let me list a few common ideas which are NOT what it takes:
Church membership
Baptism
Tithing
Feeding the poor
Giving money to relief organizations
Going on a missions trip
Memorizing Bible verses

Although all these things are good and meaningful and you should do at least some… none will provide you with salvation.

And as proof of that, consider the thief on the cross. He recognized Who Jesus was, and Jesus responded to that by assuring him, “Today you will be with me in Paradise” (heaven).

The Church at Rome was apparently somewhat confused as well and so Paul cuts to the chase and highlights two crucial things required for salvation.

1. Confess with your mouth that Jesus is LORD. This means recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God. We do not gain salvation by works.
2. And believe in your heart (mind, will, and emotions) that God raised Jesus from the dead.

Believing in your heart that Christ is the Savior results in justification –that is, being made righteous (or born again) – free from the guilt of sin and thus acceptable to God.

Confession with your mouth shows you acknowledge and admit openly about your faith which results in confirming your salvation.

You might keep this simplicity of salvation in mind as you talk to friends and family who, in the back of their minds, might think it too difficult to become a Christ-follower.

Prayer: LORD, thank You for the simplicity of the Born-Again experience. You are my Savior, my Lord, and I’m so glad we can celebrate your Birth and Resurrection. Amen.