Pastor’s Notes Romans 10:13

“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.“

(Romans 10:13)

When we consider the opening verse of Romans chapter 10: “Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.”  We see Paul’s concern for the Jews and in v3 he concludes that they are ignorant of God’s righteousness, and attempting to establish their own righteousness have not met God’s standard.

Judaism had fallen into the same trap that many others have. They were relying upon their own relative self-righteousness and not upon God and His gracious absolute righteousness. In verse 8 Paul quotes Deuteronomy 30:14 saying: “The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;”  The way of salvation was in the scriptures they already knew. That word of faith, defining the righteousness which is of faith, is this: “That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.” (Rom 10:9). 

The crucial phrase is “believe in thine heart.” Head knowledge or academic understanding is not the key. A person may be in total agreement with the fundamentals of the Christian faith and not be saved, so Paul continues: “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.” (v10). Then in verse 12 Paul says this same way of salvation is available to the Jews and to all other people: “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”  (v13). Though, at times faith may waver the facts remain, when the simple condition of faith is met, then the promise of God becomes sure. “Thou shalt be saved.”