Jesus lived a sinless life, the life that God would wish for all of us. Yet, no one but Jesus could model a sinless life completely. Jesus died and was raised from the dead to model for us God’s provision for the redemption of every person. You and I can’t die without sin except through faith in Christ.

When “we confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord,” we are stating our belief in his sinless, perfect life sacrificially atoning for our sins. We are saying that we need Jesus to be Lord of our lives because we know we can’t be. Without Jesus, we cannot pay for our sins and be made holy. 

When we believe in our hearts that “God raised him from the dead,” we believe in our hearts that God can do the same for us. We can live with the assurance of heaven because we live with the assurance of Christ’s resurrection. 

Anyone “will be saved” who acknowledges their need for Jesus and chooses him as their Lord and Savior. Salvation is not found in the belief that Jesus died for everyone; it is found by admitting and accepting the fact that Jesus had to die for our own personal sins. We must confess we cannot be the lord of our own lives and remain holy enough to live with God. We need Jesus to be our Lord as well as our Savior. 

Our redemption and our salvation are his gift to us—from his cross. We can’t earn or deserve that gift. We can only open our mouths to confess our need and our desire to receive the blessings Jesus died to give.

Jesus is the model for our own faith and the pathway for our eternal relationship with God. Jesus modeled the death and the resurrection that will belong to everyone who has become “free” from the penalty of sin. 

Have you confessed your personal need for Jesus as your Lord and Savior? 

If so, “you will be saved.”