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. Okay, good to have everybody. Again, we're just going to pick right up where we left off in our last program. We're going to go down to Romans chapter 10. We'll pick right up at verse 9. And again, I guess this time I better announce that all of our past programs are available on videotape. And all the tapes have been transcribed into little booklets. And you just call us on the 800 number or drop us a line. And we like to just send out the list of all the topics so that people can pick and choose. But we've put 12 programs on one 6 hour tape. And then each 6 hour tape has been transcribed into one of these little books over here. Okay, back to Romans chapter 10, verse 9. Remember as we closed the last program, we were talking about the Word is nigh thee. It's right in front of us. It's even in our mouth. Not the word of law, not the word of legalism, not any word of what you have to do, do, do. But the word of faith, Paul says, which we preach. And I came across a better definition of the word preach. I would like to disclaim that I'm a preacher. I'm certainly not a preacher. I'm not an evangelist. But I think I like the word that this individual used. Because when you preach something, you're proclaiming it. I've got no problem with that. I am trustfully, hopefully proclaiming what the Word says. So the word which we proclaim, and now here it comes in verse 9. Now I think a better way to translate out of the English would be, that if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord. See we can't lose sight of that. Now I do not agree with Lordship Salvation. I feel that smacks of works. But when we enter in by faith, and we experience the new birth, and we become a child of God, and we experience all these things that we saw back in chapter 1 with the word salvation, that we're forgiven, we're sanctified, we're glorified, we're baptized into the Body, and we're indwelt by the Holy Spirit, and on and on and on I could go. Then one of the other things that happens is that Christ becomes Lord of our life. I think that follows as naturally as daylight follows dark. That's what Paul is saying now. If we confess with our mouth the fact that Jesus is Lord. Now I used to be associated with a situation where we thought that before anybody could be recognized as a believer or a candidate for church membership, they had to go in front of the whole congregation and tell their testimony. And this was the verse that those people, and I was included, would use. I do not feel that that's what this verse is saying. This verse is not saying that if you want to be proclaimed as a believer, you have to get up in front of a congregation of 300-400 people and give your testimony. That isn't what the book says. But I think what it says is that when you have entered into a salvation experience, you're not going to keep it to yourself. We all know that. It's just like I always use simple illustrations. When we were kids in high school, what was our favorite bragging rights? Well, the car we drove. And I think a lot of us still do. If I got a good car, I won't mind telling somebody that I think so. Why? Because it's something that means something to us, and we're going to share it. You're going to tell people what a good automobile it is, and how serviceable it's been, and all that. It's only human nature. But why can't we do it with our faith? Why can't we let people know what our salvation means to us? I'm hoping that most of our class people, especially here in Oklahoma, will get to the place that you can talk about the things of the Lord as easily as you can talk about the weather, because it becomes that big a part of us. And this is what Paul is saying here, that if we have come to the place that Jesus is Lord, we should be ready to share it with anybody that will listen. Now you know I never ascribe to forcing anything on people. I do not go along with the idea of just grabbing people by the nap of the neck and trying to shove this down their throat. It won't work. But when the Lord gives you an opportunity, when someone gives you an opening with maybe just a word or two, yes, then be ready as the Scripture says to give the hope of your faith, and so forth. Now continuing on in verse 9. Now what's that? That's the Gospel, isn't it? That means you've believed the Gospel, that Christ died, was buried and rose again. And if you believe that God hath raised Him from the dead, what's the promise? Thou shalt be saved. It doesn't say you can try to be. It doesn't say now you're working the best you can. No. It says that when you believe the Gospel, the promise from God is, thou shalt be saved. How can you water that down? How dare people change that? Because this is what the book says, and this of course is what we try to help you understand. Now then verse 10. He's going to qualify it a little more. It isn't head knowledge. A lot of people will have the head knowledge that, yeah, Jesus lived. I know that evidently there was a crucifixion, and Rome did kill people that way. Maybe I can believe that He was raised from the dead. But it's just head knowledge. But for us who truly believe, this isn't something that we associate with history necessarily, although it was certainly an act in history. Yet we know that when Christ died, He died for us. We know that when He was buried, we were buried with Him. We know that when He arose from the dead, we also were resurrected to a newness of life. And again, this is what Paul is rehearsing for our benefit. That if we believe with the heart unto righteousness. I was reading a good man the other day, and he had a thought that I had never really considered before. He said, really, instead of using the word saved, we should say that we have been imputed righteousness. Not a bad idea, because this is exactly what God has done. Do you remember way back when we were in Romans chapter 3? I took you back to Genesis 1, when God provided the animal sacrifices for Adam and Eve, which took care of the blood aspect. And then what did He do with the skins of those animals? He clothed their nakedness. But then what does the rest of the verse say? And He clothed them. And then remember I took you to Isaiah 61, verse 10. And then Isaiah said, "...thou hast clothed me with the garments of salvation, thou hast covered me with thy righteousness." And then Romans 3, verse 23 says the same thing. "...that the righteousness of God has been imputed to us, and it has been placed upon us when we believed." See? Alright, now He's following that up. He's still carrying on that same thing. That once we become a believer, we are covered with God's righteousness. Oh, not to the world around us. They can't look at us and see God's righteousness, but we don't have to worry about the world around us. Who sees the righteousness of Christ? God does. God looks on us and He doesn't see Les Feldick. He doesn't see you by name. He sees Christ in His righteousness. And that's the beauty of it. I would never dare stand in God's presence on my own merit. Nor would you. But I can stand in His presence covered with the righteousness of Christ. And here is what Paul is now admonishing again. So we believe unto righteousness. That is the true aspect of our salvation. We are now made what God has proclaimed us to be. And then with the mouth, confession is made unto salvation. Well, we've already pretty well covered that. If you're excited about what God has done for you, you're going to tell people. That doesn't mean you have to get up in front of 300 people at once, but you're going to be sharing it. Now then, go on into verse 11. For the Scripture saith, See how Paul is always resting on the Word of God, even as he writes the Word of God? For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Alright, now I know some people may think I make too much of Paul, and I leave Peter in the shadows, but now let's go back and see what Peter said. After, of course, the revelations of Paul have been around for a long, long time, now Peter can write in 1 Peter 2. Remember, these little epistles are written just shortly before Peter and Paul were both martyred, which means that Paul's epistles and Paul's doctrine have been out there a long time already. So of course Peter can come to this kind of a conclusion. 1 Peter 2. Boy, I almost have to start with verse 2. As newborn babes, in other words, just like a physical infant, who as soon as it comes into the world, has to be fed and nurtured in order to grow. Alright, he says, Now spiritually, as newborn babes, desire hunger for the milk of the Word, that ye may grow thereby, if ye have so tasted that the Lord is gracious, to whom coming as unto a living stone, disallowed indeed of men. There's that analogy again, that Christ was the stone that was cast aside, and became a stone of stumbling, especially to Israel. Alright, disallowed indeed, but chosen of God and precious. You also, Peter writes, now he writes the believing Jews, of course, of the dispersion, but that doesn't mean it doesn't apply to us. And he says, You also, as living stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices except to God by Jesus Christ. Now here it comes. Wherefore also it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion, now remember, Zion's Jerusalem, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, and he that believeth on him, that stone, Christ, shall not be confounded. And what have I told you the other better word is? Disappointed. How many people today, even in the midst of churches on every corner, how many people today are slipping out into eternity, thinking they're going the right direction, but I often have to wonder, what must it be like when all of a sudden they wake up in eternity and they are not where they think they were going? You know what they are? They're disappointed. And that's what Peter is saying. Put your faith in the rock of offense, the stone of stumbling, and let Him be precious to you, else you're going to be disappointed. Read it again. Wherefore it is contained in the Scripture, Behold, I lay in Zion, verse 6, a chief cornerstone, elect, precious, he that believeth on him shall not be disappointed. Now isn't it amazing coming out of Acts 2.38, does Peter repeat that here? Does Peter repeat, repent and be baptized for the remission of sin? No, he doesn't mention that anymore. Why? Because that's even in Peter's past. And now he says, how do we attain to this position of not being disappointed by believing? By believing. And then verse 7, Unto you therefore, who, what? Believe. Oh, I want people to see that. This is all we see now anymore. We're to believe. Oh, not just a head knowledge, but to really with all our heart believe that Christ was who He said He was. He's the Son of God. He was the Messiah of Israel. But it doesn't stop there. He went to that cross. He died in our place. He shed the atoning blood. He was buried. And He arose in power and glory from the grave. Alright, verse 7 again, Unto you therefore, who believe, He is what? Precious. Precious. But unto them who be disobedient, those who refuse to believe, the stone which the builders disallowed, the same is made the head of the corner. Oh, Israel cast Him aside. Going back to my analogy. The chief cornerstone was thrown out into a vacant lot. The weeds grew up around it, and if people happened to go through there, they stumbled over it. But that stone of stumbling isn't going to stay out covered with weeds forever. The day is coming, it's still going to come back and take its place as the chief cornerstone of God's dealing with the nation of Israel as well as the world as a whole. Alright, coming back then to Romans chapter 10 again. Verse 11, that's where we took off from. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed, for there is no difference. Here it comes again, just the same as in Romans chapter 3. There is no difference between the Jew and the Greek or the Gentiles for the same Lord, for the Jew as well as us, the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon Him. Now you remember when we were teaching back there in the Old Testament, I used to put my timeline on the board, and then you remember with the call of Abraham, I'd put another little line above the first one that God pulled out another little stream of humanity from Abraham, the nation of Israel. And then I usually wrote on that top line, Jew only, with exceptions. And so that was primarily God dealing with the nation of Israel all the way up from 2000 B.C. until we get well into the Book of Acts. But there were a few Gentiles. He sent Jonah to Nineveh, remember, the Syrian general Naaman, Ruth the Moabite, and maybe there was a sprinkling of others. But it was primarily God dealing with His covenant people, Israel. Now you see, it's just flip-flopped. Now in this age of grace, God is primarily calling out Gentiles, but a few Jews. Not many, but it's open to them. So God hasn't closed the door on the Jew, but it's just that most of them are so blinded that they cannot see that the One whom their forefathers crucified is the One to whom they have to come for salvation even today. And so it's just a climactic situation that whereas it was Jews only with a few Gentiles, now it's primarily Gentiles and a few Jews. But there is now in this age of grace no difference. Now as you come into verse 14, how shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? Now as we come through these succeeding verses, I want you to realize something. God has ordained from the beginning of the human race that He will use human beings to promote His salvation, whether it was in the Old Testament or whether it's in the New. Very, very seldom have I run across someone who found salvation all by themselves without benefit of some other human being. God has always arranged it that the Word of God should be promoted by you and I as humans. He didn't leave it in the hands of angels. Oh, He could have, but He didn't. He left it in the hands of fellow human beings. And that's why Paul tells us then in 2 Corinthians 5 that every last believer, every one of us, are expected to be ministers of reconciliation. We are expected to be ambassadors for Christ. God expects us to share what we know with those who have never heard or understood. And that's exactly what Paul is bringing out here. How can they hear, or how can they believe until they hear from someone? And how shall they believe in Him who they have not heard? Verse 14 continuing on. And how shall they hear without a preacher or a proclaimer? How can these people understand unless someone explains it to them? And then we're reading on to verse 15. And how shall they preach or proclaim except they be sent? Now there again, we have to be used of God. Do you remember the verse I'd like to use? Go back to Acts again. Go back to Acts 16. We use this over the weekend, and I continue to use it even in our weekly teaching, that I can do nothing, you can do nothing, unless God goes ahead. Acts 16. And you remember here we have Paul and Silas coming down, I think it's Paul and Silas, coming down from northern Greece into the city of Philippi, and pick it up on 13, chapter 16, verse 13, and on the Sabbath, that was the Jewish Sabbath, the seventh day, and so on the Sabbath we went out of the city by a riverside where prayer was wont to be made, in other words, devotional. There evidently was not a synagogue in Philippi. And so we went to this riverside, and we sat down and spake unto the women. Just a few ladies had come together, I suppose Jewish people, to have some kind of a devotional on the Sabbath day. And then verse 14, here it is. And a certain woman named Lydia, a seller of purple, of the city of Thyatira, so she was in the upper echelons of society. You didn't handle purple unless you had some money. It was one of the most expensive cloths of the then known world. And so she was a seller of this expensive material. She was a business woman who worshipped God. So what was she? Religious, but lost. She was religious. That's why she was meeting with these Jewish ladies for a synagogue type devotional. They worshipped God, but she was as lost as lost can be. And so that person, the Holy Spirit, now brings the apostle Paul, and I'll read on. "...she worshipped God, and she heard us, whose heart the Lord opened." The Lord opened it. If you've never underlined it or highlighted it before, do it now. "...whose heart the Lord opened, so that she attended to the things spoken of by Paul." In other words, even the great apostle Paul, with the power that he had, could he open the hearts of those people with his preaching? No. It took the work of the Holy Spirit to open Lydia's heart, and then the words of Paul took root. And it's no different today. You and I can do nothing. You and I can never get across to people any of these truths unless the Holy Spirit opens the heart and spiritual eyes of those to whom we're speaking. And I don't think anyone realizes that better than I do. I can do nothing. My words are nothing more than a tinkling cymbal unless God Himself opens hearts. I've got people sitting here who know what I'm talking about. And so many have said, Why didn't I catch this 15 years ago? It wasn't God's time, was it? It just wasn't God's time. But in His own time, He's going to open our hearts and our spiritual understanding. All right, back to Romans, and the last few moments we have left. So how can they proclaim unless God is in it? He has to send us. As it is written, "...how beautiful are the feet of them who preach, or proclaim the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things." But Paul says, "...they," Israel especially now, that's who we're dealing with. Even though he's writing to us Gentiles, he's still reminding us of Israel. "...but they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah saith," See, it goes clear back to the Old Testament again, to the book of Isaiah. This is in Isaiah 53. "...Lord, who hath believed our report?" In other words, even Isaiah, the great prophet that he was, what kind of ears did most of his words fall on? Deaf. Most of Israel didn't pay any attention to the prophets. Most of Israel would have rather had them thrown into the dungeon or put to death as Hiram. And so Isaiah, in his frustration, and yet inspired by the Spirit, says, "...Lord, who believes us?" It just falls on deaf ears. Alright, read on. Verse 17. So then, "...faith cometh," How? "...by hearing, but we can't hear until God," What? "...speaks it." You see that? How many times haven't I, at least in our class here in Oklahoma, I have stressed, mankind is never expected to believe anything until God speaks it. Remember that verse in Deuteronomy 29.29? Have I got time? Yeah. Deuteronomy 29.29. We'll keep using it until you know it from memory. Deuteronomy 29.29. Deuteronomy 29.29. It's so easy to remember. Man, you can't help but remember that one. Deuteronomy 29.29. I'm waiting until you all find it. Deuteronomy 29.29. What's the next word? "...the secret things," In other words, the things that God has not yet spoken. The secret things belong to the Lord our God. Why? He's sovereign. He doesn't tell us everything that we'd like to know. He tells us everything we need to know, but He'll tell it in His own time. And that's why I rebel at the fact that Adam and Eve understood the Gospel. You know, I've had people try to tell me they did. Or that Abraham understood the Gospel. No, God hadn't revealed it yet. It wasn't to be revealed until much, much later. Why? Because it was kept secret. It was held in the mind of God. And so they weren't expected to believe that Christ would die and be buried and raised from the earth, even though the Old Testament was full of it, by innuendo at least. Why? Because you don't believe something until God says it. Then read on. "...but those things which are revealed, then they belong to us and our children." Now of course this was spoken by Moses to Israel. But that part hasn't changed. When God revealed the Gospel of the grace of God, that all we have to do is believe that Christ died, shed His blood, was buried and rose from the dead, when God said that's all that's necessary for salvation, believe it, then what does He expect us to do? Believe it, because now He has revealed it. And here is where we are, whether we like it or not. We have to understand that God has now said that we will be saved by faith plus nothing in that which He has now proclaimed. And so this again comes right back to this verse, and it's time to close. Back to Romans chapter 10 for just a second. Romans chapter 10. And so then, faith cometh by hearing, but hearing what? The Word of God. The Word of God. You don't put your faith in what some denomination says. You put your faith in what God says. Thank you for watching Through the Bible with Les Feldick, a weekly Bible study. If you would like more information about the Les Feldick Ministries, a Bible study in your area, or about this program, write to Les Feldick Ministries, Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552. That's Route 1, Box 760, Kinta, Oklahoma, 74552.