In Roman’s 10:6-7 Paul writes that Moses soon understood that the law wasn’t going to work as he brought down the stone tablets with those “10 rules” and right in front of him were 3 million folks who had been breaking all 10 “rules” before he ever read them aloud. That is why there is a sacrificial system within Judaism as the author of Hebrews states in 9:22, “all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.” To take up our works as a basis of God’s acceptance is saying that Jesus’ work isn’t adequate to make us right before God.
Then in Romans 10:8-10 we investigate what are we to do if not keep “10 rules”? The first thing Paul tells them is that they won’t have to go searching for the answer; it will be near them by the “Word of Faith”. The mouth symbolizes the outward man and his intellectual comprehension that is understood in words. The mouth without the heart will lead to hypocrisy but the heart without the mouth leads to compromise. It can take a lifetime to have a change of heart, that’s why we ought to be careful about what we allow to captivate our hearts. Our hearts will break before they let go of something and even when broken will take a long time to move on.
So then what we hear in the gospel is believed upon in the heart and confessed or agreed verbally as the truth. And what we verbally agree upon is that Jesus is LORD and as LORD he has forever shown that by being raised from the dead. Notice that Paul didn’t use the word “Savior”, though that is true, but what makes our confession unto salvation is the agreement that He is LORD over our life, all of it.
Greek scholar A.T. Robertson said, “No Jew would do this that had not really trusted Christ, for Kurios in the Septuagint is used by God. No Gentile would do it who had not ceased worshiping the emperor as Kurios.” A Jesus who is not LORD over all our life is not a Savior over any of it.
• He is over our past, forgiving our sins
• He is Lord over our present, dwelling with us and guiding us, directing us away from things that will separate us from enjoying His presence.
• He is Lord of our future, leading us to our final transformation into His glory.
The question we need to ask ourselves and others is not: “Is Jesus your Savior?” but rather “Is Jesus your Lord?”