Connect Romans 10:10 with Ephesians 2:8-9 on faith and salvation. The Heart and Mouth Dynamic: Romans 10:10 “For with your heart you believe and are justified, and with your mouth you confess and are saved.” • Belief resides in the heart—our inner person, the seat of will and affection. • Justification is God’s judicial declaration of righteousness the moment genuine faith is present. • Confession is the natural, verbal overflow of an already-existing faith; it does not add to salvation but testifies to it. Grace Through Faith: Ephesians 2:8-9 “For it is by grace you have been saved through faith, and this not from yourselves; it is the gift of God, not by works, so that no one may boast.” • Salvation rests on grace—God’s unearned favor. • Faith is the channel, never the cause; grace is the cause. • Works are excluded as any basis for merit, preserving all boasting for God alone. How the Two Passages Interlock 1. Same Order: – Romans 10: heart-faith first, then confession. – Ephesians 2: grace initiates, faith receives—then the life of good works follows (v. 10). 2. Emphasis on God’s Work: – Romans: God justifies. – Ephesians: God saves by grace. 3. Resulting Assurance: – Both texts ground salvation in God’s action, not human performance. Faith: A Heart Response to God’s Grace • Originates when the Spirit opens the heart (Acts 16:14). • Trusts Christ’s finished work (John 19:30; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4). • Receives the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). Confession: The Outward Echo of Inward Faith • Public acknowledgment of Jesus as Lord (Matthew 10:32). • Evidence, not prerequisite, of justification—words reveal what the heart already holds (Luke 6:45). • Strengthens fellow believers and witnesses to the world (Revelation 12:11). Salvation: God’s Gift, Not Our Paycheck • Titus 3:5—“He saved us…not by works of righteousness we had done.” • Romans 4:5—God “justifies the ungodly” who believe, crediting righteousness apart from works. • John 3:16—Eternal life is received, not achieved. Living Out the Gift • Walk in the good works God prepared beforehand (Ephesians 2:10). • Hold fast the confession of hope without wavering (Hebrews 10:23). • Share the message: belief in the heart, confession with the mouth—same timeless pattern (Acts 16:31; Romans 1:16). |
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