Thursday 25th February

Romans 10 vs 9 - 13

9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved. 11 For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” 12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. 13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

We cannot earn our salvation, rather our salvation is by faith. But what is our faith in? Our faith is not measured based on our feelings or even how strong it is, the subject of our faith is what truly matters. Our faith is in the Lord Jesus Christ, his death and resurrection. Faith is not a blind leap into the dark or a wishful thinking for things that we want to be true. Instead, faith is grounded in the objective work of God in history, His revelation in nature and in Scripture serving as evidence that what we believe is true. The preaching of the gospel is always grounded in reality, referencing what the Lord has done for His people in the historical acts of Christ’s incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension.

If we confess this truth then we will be saved. It does not say “you might be saved” but “you will be saved”. Salvation is not dependent on us or even our confession but is the work of God. we do not create faith in ourselves but instead Faith is a gift from God. This should give us great assurance of salvation, it is not the strength of our faith that saves but rather the object of it. Born in Adam, we are disinclined to admit our sin and inability to save ourselves; we need the gift of faith to receive and rest on the Lord’s promises in Jesus. “With the heart one believes and is justified”. It is this promise that makes one justified before God. This is cause for joy and assurance for the Christian, yet many of us often self-doubt about our salvation. Does they reflect that im maybe not saved? Unlikely, much of Scripture supports assertion that true Christians can sometimes doubt the authenticity of their faith. For example, the psalmist testifies to what many have called “the dark night of the soul,” a period of intense spiritual depression wherein we have significant doubts about the Lord’s presence and goodness (Ps. 88). So the faithful can sometimes feel faithless but how does relate to our saving confession in Christ?

Take the analogy of two Jews in the Temple making sacrifices to atone for their sins. One is fully assured that this sacrifice will atone for his sin, while the other is filled with doubt and fear, he can barely see the altar through his tear-filled eyes so much is his anguish. Which one is forgiven and saved? Both! Why? Because God is the one who saves, it doesn’t matter how imperfect the faith he is! God is the one who promises to save those who call upon his name. You do not need to have perfect assurance to be saved, so be assured!

All of us will struggle with doubt at times, but that is not necessarily a sign that our faith is not genuine. When we have doubts, it is important to talk them over with those who are mature in the faith, so make sure that you have trusted friends and counselors with whom you can talk. Regular participation in corporate worship and our efforts to mortify our own sin will also help us grow in our assurance that we belong to Christ.