Confessing Jesus as Lord means verbally acknowledging, as a believer, that the risen Christ is Lord of your life.
In Romans 10:9, the confession of 'the Lord Jesus' is joined with heart belief in His resurrection. Les Feldick teaches that only a true, born-again believer can sincerely say 'Jesus is Lord,' because the Holy Spirit makes that confession genuine. Christ becomes Lord of the believer's life after His finished work on the cross and resurrection.
Romans 10:9 — This verse directly connects confessing the Lord Jesus with heart belief and the promise 'thou shalt be saved.'
1 Corinthians 12:3 — This verse underlines that no one can say 'Jesus is the Lord' except by the Holy Ghost.
Romans 10:9 says, "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." Verse 10 adds, "For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Romans 10:13 declares, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." In 1 Corinthians 12:3, Paul writes that no man can say "that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost." These verses present confession, heart belief, and calling upon the Lord together in the message of salvation.
Les teaches from Romans 10:9 that the term "Lord Jesus" carries its full meaning for believers: Jesus is in control of our life, the One in whom we live and move, and without Him we are nothing. He becomes Lord of the believer's life after He finished the work of the cross and rose from the dead. A true, born-again believer can say "Jesus is Lord" with sincerity of heart because the Holy Spirit is the evidence that Jesus is Lord, whereas an unbeliever's words amount to nothing.
In Romans 10:9, the word "confess with thy mouth" shows that God expects believers to communicate their faith not only to Himself but to others. Les points out that God is a communicator, and that mere mental assent—"well yeah, I believe in God"—is not what God is looking for. Instead, believers are to verbalize that they are sinners and to say out loud, "Lord, I want you to save me. I believe that what you've done, you've done on my behalf."
For Les, the title "Lord Jesus" means more than the Jesus of His earthly ministry. After Jesus finished the work of the cross and rose from the dead, He becomes Lord of the believer's life—the One in control, the One in whom we live and move. Only a genuine believer can say "Jesus is Lord" with sincerity, because an unbeliever may say it but it doesn't amount to anything.
Les connects Romans 10:9 with the "word of faith" that Paul preaches, not with law or a list of works. He stresses that Paul does not make repentance, baptism, or church membership the requirement. Rather, the requirement is to believe that Jesus died and rose again from the dead. The confession is the verbal expression of that heart belief.
What It Really Means to Be Saved - Romans 10:9 Explained
Hello and welcome to Through the Bible with Les Feldick. An Oklahoma rancher and farmer, Les Feldick has been teaching homestyle Bible classes for 20 years in Iowa, Oklahoma, and Texas. Les Feldick's unique style of Bible teaching has made the books of the Bible come to life. When Les is teaching, it's so interesting that people say time just seems to fly by. And now, here is Les Feldick.
Jesus Is Lord of the Believer's Life
Les explains that when Paul says "confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus," he means the believer recognizes Jesus is in control of his life, and the Holy Spirit is the evidence that Jesus is Lord.
Verbal Confession Required
Les emphasizes that God expects believers to verbalize the steps of salvation—communicating to God and others that they are sinners—rather than staying with a mere mental assent.
Christ Becomes Lord After the Resurrection
Les teaches that after the cross and resurrection Jesus becomes Lord of the believer's life, so we audibly confess "Lord, I want you to save me" and call on Him for salvation.
Only Believers Can Genuinely Confess Jesus as Lord
Les clarifies that an unbeliever can say "Jesus is Lord" but it has no truth; only the believer can genuinely claim Christ as Lord because he or she has the Holy Spirit.
Believing Is a Heart Attitude
Les explains that believing is an attitude of the heart, not something done with hands or feet; believing in the resurrection also implies believing in His death.
The Word of Faith and Calling on the Lord
Les shows that the "word of faith which we preach" is Romans 10:9, and that salvation is triggered when we call upon the Lord.
No Works Requirement
Les notes that Paul does not make repentance, baptism, or church membership the requirement; the requirement is believing that Jesus died and rose again.
Romans 10:9: 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.
This is the key verse showing that confession and heart belief are both part of salvation.
Romans 10:10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
This verse pairs heart belief with mouth confession.
Romans 10:13: For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
This verse promises salvation to those who call upon the Lord, a step Les ties to the confession of Romans 10:9.
Romans 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.
This verse introduces the "word of faith" that Paul connects to the confession in Romans 10:9.
1 Corinthians 12:3: Wherefore I give you to understand, that no man speaking by the Spirit of God calleth Jesus accursed: and that no man can say that Jesus is the Lord, but by the Holy Ghost.
This verse emphasizes that genuine confession of Jesus as Lord is made possible by the Holy Spirit.
Les teaches that confessing Jesus as Lord must come from genuine heart belief in His death and resurrection. An unbeliever can say the words, but because there is no truth in them, it doesn't amount to anything. Romans 10:9 connects the confession with believing in the heart that God raised Jesus from the dead.
Only a true born-again believer who has the Holy Spirit can say it with all sincerity of heart. The Holy Spirit is the evidence that Jesus is Lord, and an unbeliever's statement is empty.
Les points out that Paul does not make repentance, baptism, or church membership a requirement in this passage. The requirement is to believe that Jesus died and rose again—believing is an attitude of the heart, not something done with hands or feet.
Watch the Teaching: What It Really Means to Be Saved - Romans 10:9 Explained