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Say It!
Know It! Do It!
by Captain Michael
Ramsay
Romans 10:9 & 13
Romans 10:9: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is
Lord’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the
dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:13, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.”
These two verses are critical verses in that famous ‘Romans
Road to Salvation’ – there are many different versions to
Romans Road but these two verses, 9 and 13, seem to be regular
stops so I thought that we would visit them now. The periscope
has in it a ready-made 3 points:
1)
Romans 10:9: “That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is
Lord’ and
2)
Believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you
will be saved.”
3)
Romans 10:13, “For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord
will be saved.”
1)
Confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth. Say it.
2)
Believe in your heart in His resurrection. Know it.
3)
Call on the name of the Lord. Do it.
We
need to remember, pertaining to Salvation both now and
forever, that in order to fully take advantage of the
Salvation that God has offered to the whole world as a free
gift (Romans 6:23; John 3:16-17), we should: 1) Say it! 2)
Know it! And 3) Do it!
1)
Say it! Romans 10:9: “…confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is
Lord…’
This is important. Whenever I hear this verse I immediately
think of Peter, the rock upon which Christ was to build His
Church (Matthew 16:13-16; cf. Mark 8:27-29, Luke 9:18-20). We
know this story, right? Jesus tells Peter that He is going to
use Peter to help build His Church. This is the point where
Jesus gives him the name ‘Peter’ as a nickname – that wasn’t
his given name; Simon was his given name – Peter means ‘Rock’
or even ‘Rocky’. Simon ‘Rocky-Peter’ here is to be one of
Christ’s main ‘go to’ people after Jesus’ resurrection. We
remember the story about how Jesus told Rocky-Peter that he
would deny Him three times before the cock crows twice.
Shortly after Peter’s third denial that he even knows Jesus;
the rooster crows and Peter is devastated (Matthew 26:69-75;
cf. Mark 14:66-72, Luke 22:55-62, John 18:15-27).
Point #1 about Salvation today: Say it! (Cf. also Luke
21:12–15; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11; 1 Peter
3:13–16, 21) Simon Peter had his chance to confess Jesus as
Lord but he declined it. Now, if the story had ended there it
would be sad indeed but John 21:15ff, records Simon Peter’s
restoration as Rocky, as Peter.[1]
The Resurrected Lord asks him three times to feed his sheep
and he agrees to it.[2]
Near the conclusion of the book of John, Jesus then blows on
Peter -and the other disciples- giving him the Holy Spirit
(John 20:22). Luke picks up the story of Rocky-Peter in the
book of Acts where Rocky-Peter is there at Pentecost, taking
the lead as the Holy Spirit -like a starting pistol- sends the
disciples and more out to proclaim salvation to the world. In
Acts Chapter 2 it is recorded that, after they share the
gospel in many different languages as the Spirit enables them,
the Lord adds to their number daily those being saved (cf.
also Deuteronomy 30:14; Matthew 10:32, 2 Corinthians 4:13-14;
Philippians 2:11). Point 1, Romans 10:9: Say it!
Peter and the disciples say it and many are saved. And just to
underscore that Peter did fully recover from his earlier
denial, church tradition states that in the end Peter even
earned his martyr’s crown. He was apparently crucified upside
down as he left his life here for heaven to await the
resurrection. Point 1: Say it! This brings us to Point 2.
2)
Know it! Believe in your heart in His resurrection.
It
is very important to proclaim the gospel but that is not the
end of it. Speaking is one thing but believing can be quite
another. If you have any doubt about that, think about the
general reputation (accurate or not) of our elected
politicians – speaking is one thing, believing what you say is
quite another.
Paul in this section of the Scriptures is really addressing
the whole problem of Israel (Romans 9-11; cf. also
Deuteronomy 30, Leviticus 18). He is addressing the problem of
the Law and their relationship to the Law and their
relationship to God. He is very concerned about people who are
quite happy to say what needs to be said – the Pharisees, as a
group, did believe in the resurrection in general and as a
group were quite evangelistic (cf. Acts 23:7-8)! But believing
in your heart in Jesus’ resurrection is quite a different
matter (1 Corinthians 15:17; cf. 2 Corinthians 4:13-14). The
Apostle Paul - who was a Pharisee - celebrated the fact that
Jesus has been raised from the dead but sadly many Israelites
and even many Pharisees did not. It pained Paul that people
who were zealous for God’s Law were indeed missing out on the
benefits of the culmination of that Law: Jesus, the one to
whom the Law points (cf. Romans 9:1-5; 10:1-4; Matthew
5:17,18; Luke 16:16; Acts 4:12; Galatians 3:19-24). Salvation
is about, Point 1, Saying it, confessing that Jesus is Lord,
and it is also about, Point 2, Knowing it, really believing in
your heart in the resurrection and in Jesus’ resurrection,
which is the central part of not only’ Paul’s message but of
all of Christianity (Romans 6:9, Romans 9:16; 1 Corinthians
15:17, 20; 2 Corinthians 4:13-14; Ephesians 1:20-23;
Philippians 2:9-11; Colossians 3:1-4; Hebrews 2:9; Revelation
1:17-18; cf. Deuteronomy 30:14, Acts 4:12, cf. also Isaiah
28:16).[3]
N.T. Wright tells us, “Almost all early Christians known to us
believed that their ultimate hope was the resurrection of the
body. There is no spectrum such as in Judaism. Some in Corinth
denied the future resurrection (1 Corinthians 15.12), but Paul
put them straight; they were most likely reverting to pagan
views, not opting for an over-realized Jewish eschatology.”[4]
Belief in the resurrection and the resurrection of Christ is
central to Christianity.[5]
To
review what we know so far about Romans 10’s three points of
Salvation:
1)
Say it! - Confess Jesus as Lord with your mouth.
2)
Know it! - Believe in your heart in His resurrection.
3)
Do it! Call on the name of the Lord.
3)
Do it! Call on the name of the Lord.
This is important. Saying it is good. Knowing it is better.
Doing it is imperative (This fact is also implied in v. 9).[6]
The Scriptures speak about this quite a bit (cf. for ex:
Leviticus 18:5 and Deuteronomy 30:11-16, which are cited in
vv. 5-8; Luke in Acts 2:16-21 and this passage by Paul are
both quoting from Joel 2:32).[7]
I believe that Matthew actually paints this picture vividly.
In Chapter 25:31ff is recorded the parable of the sheep and
the goats. In that parable you have two groups of nations.
Both groups – the sheep and the goats – 1) say and 2) know
that Jesus is Lord. But it is only the sheep that 3) do
anything about it. As a result, it is only the sheep that are
saved. The goats that didn’t do anything go off to where there
is a weeping and a gnashing of teeth. Matthew 7:21 is quite
clear on this matter. It is recorded there that the Lord says
“Not everyone who calls me ‘Lord, Lord’ will enter the kingdom
of heaven but only he who does the will of my Father in
heaven”: Say it! Know it! Do it!
We
must actually call on the name of the Lord. We have to call on
Him. We have to trust him.[8]
This is important. For example, it is one thing for me to
confess that I know my wife; it is another thing to believe in
my heart the many wonderful things that have been done through
her: these are wonderful things but my relationship with Susan
only grows when I actually call on her, when I actually spend
time with her. I can say she is my wife all I want; I can
believe she is my wife all I want; but we only actually have a
marriage if I bother to see her, to call on her sometimes.
This is important. Christianity isn’t some academic pursuit.
Christianity isn’t some code. Christianity isn’t some rules
and regulations. Christianity isn’t some club. Christianity
isn’t some principles to live our life by. Christianity is a
relationship with the risen Christ. Jesus Christ rose from the
grave and He promises that, Romans 10:13 “…everyone who calls
on the name of the Lord will be saved.” He loves us and He
wishes that none would perish. Salvation in our text today is
as easy as 1, 2, and 3; so, it is my prayer today that every
one of us will:
1)
Say it! - Confess Jesus as Lord with our mouths.
2)
Know it! - Believe in our hearts in His resurrection.
3)
Do it! – That we would call upon the name of the Lord.
Psalm 34:8, “Taste and see that the LORD is good; blessed is
the man who takes refuge in him.” Matthew 11:30: “For my yoke
is easy and my burden is light.” And blessed is he who comes
in the Name of the Lord (Psalm 118:26, Matthew 21:9, Matthew
23:39, Mark 11:9, Luke 13:35, Luke 19:38, John 12:13). Romans
10:9a, say it: confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord.
Romans 10:9b, know it: believe in your heart in Jesus’
resurrection. And above all else, Romans 10:13, do it: call
upon the name of the Lord and then even we will be saved. Let
it be.
Notes:
[1]
Cf. Captain Michael Ramsay, ‘John 21:15-23: We’re Back!’
Presented to Weston Corps of the Salvation Army, May 2006 and
Nipawin Corps of The Salvation Army, 21 February 2009.
Available on-line:
http://sheepspeaks.blogspot.com/2009/02/john-2115-23-were-back.html
[2]Cf.
George R. Beasley-Murray, John, (WBC 36: Waco, Texas:
Word Books, 1987), 404-405.
[3]
Cf. William Hendricksen, Exposition of Paul’s Epistle to
the Romans, NTC (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic:
1981), 345
[4]
Cf. N.T. Wright, 'Jesus’ Resurrection and Christian Origins'
(Originally published in Gregorianum, 2002, 83/4, 615–635).
Reproduced by permission of the author on-line at
http://www.ntwrightpage.com/Wright_Jesus_Resurrection.htm
[5]
Cf. Everett F. Harrison,
The Expositor's Bible Commentary, Pradis
CD-, ROM:Romans/Exposition of Romans/VI. The Problem of
Israel: God's Righteousness Vindicated (9:1-11:36)/D. Israel's
Failure to Attain Righteousness Due to Reliance on Works
Rather Than Faith (9:30-10:21), Book Version: 4.0.2: Paul's
statement in vv. 9, 10 is misunderstood when it is made to
support the claim that one cannot be saved unless he makes
Jesus the Lord of his life by a personal commitment. Such a
commitment is most important; however, in this passage, Paul
is speaking of the objective lordship of Christ, which is the
very cornerstone for faith, something without which no one
could be saved. Intimately connected as it was with the
resurrection, which in turn validated the saving death, it
proclaimed something that was true no matter whether or not a
single soul believed it and built his life on it.
[6]
Cf. John Murray, The Epistle to the Romans Vol. II,
NICNT, (Grand Rapids, Michigan, Eerdmans, 1968), 56; John
Stott, Romans: God’s Good News for the World,
(Leicester, UK: IV Press: 1994), 283; F. F. Bruce, Romans:
An Introduction and Commentary.
Downers Grove, IL
: InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
6), S. 201 - Doing it, though not specifically reference (it
doesn’t need to be because it is referenced a few verses later
in v.18), is implied as well in verse 9.
[7]
F. F. Bruce, Romans: An Introduction and Commentary. Downers Grove, IL
: InterVarsity Press, 1985 (Tyndale New Testament Commentaries
6), S. 201:
There the statutes and ordinances of God were enjoined on the
people so that they might do them and live. Here God says that
his commandment ‘is not too hard for you, neither is it far
off. It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up
for us to heaven, and bring it to us, that we may hear it
and do it?” Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should
say, “Who will go over the sea for us, and bring it to us,
that we may hear it and do it?” But the word is very
near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, so that
you can do it.’ (Paul significantly omits the italicized
words.) That the doing of the commandment was the way to life
in the Deuteronomy context is evident from the words of Moses
which follow immediately: ‘See, I have set before you this day
life and good, death and evil. If you obey the commandments of
the Lord your
God which I command you this day, by loving the
Lord your God,
by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and
his statutes and his ordinances, then you shall live …’
(Deut. 30:15–16).
[8]
Cf. John Stott, Romans: God’s Good News for the World,
(Leicester, UK: IV Press: 1994), 285
Captain Michael Ramsay
Swift Current, Saskatchewan and the
world for Jesus!
(306) 778-00115
Comics and daily Bible readings:
http://drwas.blogspot.com
Commentary :
http://renewnetwork.blogspot.com/
My
book,
'Praise the Lord for Covenants',
is
available from
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