Rightly Dividing The Word - Romans 10:13

"For 'Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.'"

-Romans 10:13 (NLT)

Many people will probably call me a heretic or a Pharisee for even thinking about using Romans 10:13 for our “Rightly Dividing The Word” segment. Well, I don’t care much what others think as long as I am pleasing in God’s sight (see Galatians 1:10). This verse is most often used as “proof” to show non-believers how easy it is to become a Christian. Using it in this way will almost always create a false convert.

Most Christians today will tell you that in order to be saved; you just have to “ask Jesus into your heart” and spout off this verse. Does this line up with scripture? Look at Matthew 7:21-23 for a moment: “Not everyone who calls out to me, ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the Kingdom of Heaven. Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter. On judgment day many will say to me, ‘Lord! Lord! We prophesied in your name and cast out demons in your name and performed many miracles in your name.’ But I will reply, ‘I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws.’”

At first glance, this looks like a contradiction in the Bible, but if you dig a little deeper you’ll find out that there is no contradiction at all. In Matthew, Jesus said that He never knew these people that claimed to know Him, even though they called on His name. Does that mean that Paul and Joel (see Joel 2:32) were lying? Of course not, they just never realized that people would take this statement out of context! What was the message they were trying to get across then?

When Paul said, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved,” he meant all who call out to Christ with a repentant heart. Where am I getting this “added” information? Go back to what Jesus was talking about in Matthew. “Only those who actually do the will of my Father in heaven will enter… I never knew you. Get away from me, you who break God’s laws” (Matthew 7:21, 23). Jesus also said, “You will perish, too, unless you repent of your sins and turn to God” (Luke 13:3). Without repentance, you can call out to Jesus all day long, but it will do you no good.

Have you sincerely repented of (turned away from) your sins and put your trust in Christ for salvation? The Bible says that liars will be thrown into the lake of fire and thieves will not inherit the Kingdom of God. We all deserve to go to Hell on Judgment Day. God loves us so much though that He sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to pay the punishment for all of our sins. Jesus had never sinned and was a perfect sacrifice that appeased the wrath of God. Today, if you will call upon the name of the Lord (with a repentant heart), God will forgive you of every sin you’ve ever committed and grant you the gift of eternal life. Then read your Bible every day (start in John) and obey what it says. May God bless you in abundance!