That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. vs9

The conditions of salvation are plain. Many of us are not saved, because we don’t obey. We don’t want Jesus to be Lord, but we want the benefits of eternal life and peace. We don’t want obedience, but we want happiness, and it cannot be. God will give salvation on His terms, and He will give freely.

First, we must confess “Jesus is Lord.” This means that He is the Master and Ruler of our life.

When Rebecca came to Isaac, she left her own land and people. The same command is Ps 45:10-11.

“Listen, O daughter,

Consider and incline your ear;

Forget your own people also, and your father’s house;

So the King will greatly desire your beauty;

Because He is your Lord, worship Him.”

This is the same thing that God told Abraham [Gen 12:1]! We must give up our own life, and this is hard because people don’t let go easily, but once we’ve seen our sin and the wrath of God, once He’s made us willing, then we LET GO of this world to grab Christ, and when we do, we find in Him all we’ll ever need. Paul said,

But everything that was a gain to me, I have considered to be a loss because of Christ. More than that, I also consider everything to be a loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. Because of him I have suffered the loss of all things and consider them as dung, so that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own from the law, but one that is through faith in Christ ​— ​the righteousness from God based on faith. [Phil 3:7-9]

He counted salvation by Christ the highest priority and greatest thing. You and I must do the same, and only God can make us let go of the world.

Secondly, when we do let go, then we find peace and power over sin [Rom 10:9].

“You will be saved.”

He is a gracious Lord and Master. He gives power to obey. It is not will power and human strength; it is God working in us as He has promised, so that we keep the commands. He puts the law inside our heart and breathes on us by the Spirit, so that the burden is not grievous [1 John 5:3]. He forgives our sins, deals graciously with us, and He remembers our frame that we are dust [Ps 103:13-14]. He leads us, carrying those too weak to walk, never leaving us behind, because He loves us and gave Himself for us.

He tends His flock like a shepherd;

He gathers the lambs in His arms

and carries them close to His heart.

He gently leads the nursing ewes. [Isa 40:11]

Our Lord is a Savior. Our King keeps covenant and remains gracious. He helps us.

For it is God who works in you to will and to act on behalf of His good purpose. [Phil 2:13]

Many are looking for peace without obedience, and it will never happen, but give Him a willing heart, and He will save you with power! You will rise and walk [John 5:5-8].