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QUESTION 116
Why does Romans 10:9, speak only of confessing Him as Lord of believing in the resurrection of Christ? Is it not His death that dealt with our sins?

ANSWER:
Every verse is to be understood in it's context. For an example, Peter told 3000 people to repent, but not a word about believing. (Acts 2:38) Paul told the jailer to believe, but not a word about repentance. (Acts 16:31) These are both necessary for salvation.

The contexts will tell us why. Peter had convince the Jews that they had crucified the Messiah. He didn't have to tell them to believe in Him, but to repent of what they had done and their sins. Paul did not have to tell a trembling jailer to repent. He cried out, "Sir, what must I do to be saved?," so they told him to believe in Christ.

In Romans 10, we have Israel in view. Romans 10:1. The two things that they did not believe was that Jesus was the LORD from glory and that He did rise from the dead. Just a causal reading of the four Gospels will point that out.

He then, is telling them in Romans 10:9 that they must confess that He is LORD and they must believe that He arose from the dead. The great confession of Judaism is found in Deuteronomy 6:4, Hear O Israel: the LORD our God is one LORD. James refers to this when he writes to the twelve tribes in James 2:19, "Thou believeth that there is one God; thou doest well..." But the great confession of Christianity is found in Matthew 16:16, "..Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God." Have you believed with the heart and confess Him with the mouth?

All comments and questions to: Harold Smith

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Updated July 2009, by Shelly Allen