Monthly Archives: January 2020

Thou Shalt Be Saved

Posted by timothyhafner on

You know there are Ten “Thou Shalt” statements in the Old Testament, when the prophet Moses received the tablets of the Law from God. These were things that Israel was not to do.

There is another “Thou Shalt” in the letter to the Romans written by the Apostle Paul, the apostle to the nations: “Thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:9b)

Here is the context:

“The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thine heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach: That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Romans 10:8b-10)

The Apostle Paul explains in this letter to the Romans that salvation is God’s work and that trusting God is more than trying to do what is right.  God did right and you are the beneficiary of his right doing. This letter is clear on what saves. The work of God saves.

Your sinful flesh hates God and does not seek to be right with God. But it is also true that any idea of making yourself right with God comes from your sinful flesh. It ignores God. Your sinful flesh does not want a Savior and hates any information that would explain anything about a Savior. Your sinful flesh wants all the credit for everything and anything.

God does not agree with your sinful flesh. Instead of giving you the strength to save yourself, he came himself, and saved you. He will not agree with your sinful flesh. He did something entirely different. He saved you.

And God gives a steadfast promise: If you affirm the Lord Jesus with your mouth and trust in your heart that God stood him up from the dead alive, you will be rescued. You will be spared hellfire. Nothing will be in the way of God living with you in blessedness forevermore.

So ignore the desires of your sinful flesh and the world and be alive to the holy God and eternity with him. Deny your sinful flesh and agree with the saving grace of the holy God. He is the one who loves you, cares for you, and knows all the good he has in store for you with him.