“Salvation” conveys an idea of deliverance. God saved people from sin, death and hell to bring them into His kingdom and glorify Him through them.
Some interpret this verse to teach that one must confess Jesus as Lord and call upon Him for salvation, while others believe they must possess an exceptional kind of faith to receive Christ into their lives.
God’s Plan of Salvation
Romans 10:9 provides an accessible summary of the gospel message: “Believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, and acknowledge with your mouth that He is Lord.” While this statement is accurate, it misses some key details from Scripture and fails to address key aspects of Christianity that help readers gain a better understanding.
Salvation must come from outside ourselves since finite man is hopelessly lost in sins and transgressions; only infinite God can truly perform such work – and He did. Therefore, salvation is now complete (Revelation 21:5).
God began this endeavor from its inception (Genesis 1:1). The pattern can be seen throughout Scripture, such as Old Testament sacrifices, tabernacle types, priesthood passages like Isaiah 53 and prophecies by prophets like Enoch. God will complete His plan when Jesus reigns as King without opposition from evil or Satan – this academic field of study is known as soteriology.
God’s Atonement
God provided mankind a way out from sin and death through Jesus Christ’s death. A just God cannot allow human dishonor to go unpunished, making atonement necessary (Milgrom 1991; Rutledge 2022).
Only God in human form can provide sufficient satisfaction for human sin, which explains why He sent Him into this world to die for our sakes. Christianity offers both an exclusive solution – Christ alone is offered as salvation – as well as inclusive truth – anyone who professes their faith verbally will ultimately find relief and eternal life.
Claimants who advocate Lordship Salvation misread Romans 10:9. Paul was specifically speaking to Jews who made outward professions of faith without truly trusting in Jesus as their God and Messiah, seeking knowledge to save them from eternal punishment – in today’s dispensation, lost Jews must be saved similarly as Gentiles are saved.
God’s Grace
God’s grace saves believers from sin and death. Grace refers to “the state of God’s favor toward humans”, and this was displayed through sending Jesus as well as providing the gospel message (John 3: 16; Ephesians 2:8).
Jesus said from the cross, “It is finished,” to signify He had completed His work of salvation for mankind (John 19:30; 1 Peter 1:17; Hebrews 1:2).
This stage of salvation encompasses past deliverance from sin’s penalty and spiritual death (Romans 5:9; 8:36-39; Titus 2:11-14), as well as believers’ incorporation with Christ in this saving work of redemption, forgiveness, reconciliation, propitiation, justification, sanctification and glorification (2 Cor 1:2; Eph 1:23). God’s saving grace also equips us to live godly lives now (cf 1 Timothy 4:12) while saying no to sin and yes to Jesus.
God’s Mercy
God’s mercy is an essential component of his plan for our redemption, manifested through various channels such as forgiving sins and offering salvation through Christ’s death on the cross. Furthermore, He extends His mercy toward those who trust in him and seek his assistance.
Therefore, Christianity stands apart from other world religions by emphasizing not man’s efforts but Jesus’ work on the cross as its basis for salvation. This uniqueness distinguishes Christianity among world religions.
When we feel powerless to overcome sin, remember that God is merciful. He wants to set us free of our transgression and give us victory over it. Therefore, it’s vital that we cling to his help and hope; his mercy and love last forever (Psalm 86:5).
