Jesus: Savior and Lord

February 4th, 2025
by Dr. D. Lance Waldie

Romans 10:8-10 “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, 9 that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; 10 for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation.

The Law of God (aka, Law of Moses) was given formally to Israel through Moses. But His Law exists in all of humanity: “For what can be known about God is plain to [all], because God has shown it to them. For His invisible attributes, namely, His eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse” (Rom. 1:19-20; cf. 2:14-15). One does not need to set out on a journey to find God, either in the highest reaches of heaven or in the netherworld. God is near to all—hearing us when we speak (“in your mouth”) and knowing our heart-thoughts. Truly, the “word of faith which we are preaching”—the message of salvation—is available to all.

In v. 9 Paul explains this simple way of salvation whereby a believer confesses with his mouth that “Jesus is Lord” (cf. 1 Cor. 12:3) and believes in his heart that God raised Him from the dead. To “confess” is to “admit” or “declare.” So, one must admit audibly with his mouth that Jesus is “Lord”—not just their master and owner but God Himself. Those who admit such will also naturally believe that God the Faither raised Jesus the Son from the dead. The Greek word for “believe” (Gr. pisteuō) is the same term behind “faith” and “trust” in the NT and can mean a couple of things—from holding an opinion to accepting something as true. So, is salvation simply based upon intellectual knowledge and acceptance of an historical truth, namely that Jesus is Lord and that He was raised from the dead? Some say yes, some say no.

Consider that demonic beings admitted that Jesus was God. One demon, when confronted by Jesus, said, “I know who you are—the Holy One of God” (Mark 1:23-24). Surely that demon was not saved? In his epistle, James writes, “You believe that God is one; you do well. Even the demons believe—and shudder” (2:19). In other words, demons admit that Jesus is God, even confessing the truth to Jesus Himself. In fact, Satan and all of his demonic horde accept the truth that Jesus is God and that He both died and was resurrected. They watched Him create the universe (Job 38:7), knowing more about God than any human being ever has. But their belief does not equate to saving faith. What they believe about Jesus causes them to shudder in fear, not worship. Therefore, being theologically and historically accurate does not equate to salvation.

In v. 10, there is a parallel statement that clarifies the matter. It is with the “heart,” the inner conviction of a man, that one believes, or trusts, in Jesus Christ. This results in “justification,” being declared righteous by God (cf. Rom. 3:21-26) through faith. Also, it is with the “mouth” that one confesses and is saved. Since saved and justified are two sides of the same coin, Paul is not adding one to the other. Those who simply honor God with their lips but fail to obey God receive a sharp rebuke from Jesus (Matt. 15:8). Therefore, one who confesses Jesus is Lord but fails to live out his faith is a charlatan. And he who lives it but fails to confess it is a coward.

Food for Thought

The New Testament refers to Jesus ten times as Savior but over 700 times as Lord. As Savior, He saves; as Lord, He governs our lives. The two go hand-in-hand for genuine believers, like two sides of the same coin. Since Jesus’ resurrection proves He is Lord and God, ought not our belief in Christ as Savior manifest itself in submission to Him as Lord? Can we have just one side of a coin, confessing Him as Savior but rejecting Him as Lord? Never! So if we must confess Jesus as Lord to be saved, how hypocritical of us if we fail to submit to Him as such?