Salvation Is – Heart Response

Salvation is a …

Heart response to the Word of God

Romans 10:9–10 (ESV) – 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.

Many people know about Christ with their intellect, but one have a head knowledge of Christ is not enough to save the person.  What is needed is a  complete trust in the risen Christ and this must come from a believing heart.  What is thesource of this faith?  Romans 10:17  tells us the source is the Word of God;    17 So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.   As the lost sinner hears the message of Christ’s saving grace in a sermon, in the text of a gospel tract, or through a personal word from a caring Christian, God uses the Word of God to work mightily in the heart of the sinner.

Hebrews 4:12 (ESV) – 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Isaiah 55:10–11  (ESV) 
10  “For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout,  giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater,
11  so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth;  it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it.”

God’s Word is the Sword of Hebrews 4:12 – 12 For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

God’s Word is the Hammer and Fire of Jeremiah 23:29 (ESV) – 29 Is not my word like fire, declares the LORD, and like a hammer that breaks the rock in pieces?,

God’s Word is the Seed of Matthew 13:3–9 (ESV) – 3 “ … A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears, let him hear.”

Matthew 13:18–23 (ESV) – The Parable of the Sower Explained

18 “Hear then the parable of the sower: 19 When anyone hears the word of the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what has been sown in his heart. This is what was sown along the path. 20 As for what was sown on rocky ground, this is the one who hears the word and immediately receives it with joy, 21 yet he has no root in himself, but endures for a while, and when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately he falls away. 22 As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful. 23 As for what was sown on good soil, this is the one who hears the word and understands it. He indeed bears fruit and yields, in one case a hundredfold, in another sixty, and in another thirty.”  

The Process: 
As God’s Word works in a person’s heart:

1.       The Holy Spirit convicts of sin, righteousness, and judgment  – note: John 16:8: 8 “And when he comes, he will convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment.”  Thusfaithcan come to the hardest of hearts and darkest of souls.

2.       The Question to ask self is:  “Have we confessed with our mouth and believed in our heart?”  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.Romans 10:9 and 10:

3.       If you have not repented and believed on Him with a trusting heart as the One who can save you, then take action now.  The process is that we need to repent and have faith in our Lord as Acts 20:21 confirms. “testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.”

4.       Romans 10:13 promises us, For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

A guiding source:  Lowery, D. (2007). Christian Growth from A to Z