In the foregoing message we covered several aspects of believing. We have seen that, as believers, we have received Him who is the Word, the very God, and the true light, believing into His name; that we have believed into the Son of God and the Son of Man to have an organic union with Him; that we have believed into Christ Jesus to be justified with the righteousness of God; that we have believed on the Lord Jesus to be saved; that our believing in Christ is through the hearing of the Word; and that we have believed in the gospel. In this message we shall cover more aspects of our believing. After we consider these matters, we should have an accurate and thorough description of our believing in Christ.
With the heart we believe that God has raised the Lord Jesus from among the dead (Rom. 10:9), and with the heart we believe “unto righteousness” (v. 10). In many instances the Greek word translated “unto” means “resulting in.” The result of believing with the heart is righteousness. With the heart we believe the fact that God has raised Christ from among the dead, and this kind of believing results in righteousness. This means that through believing with our heart that God has raised Christ from among the dead we are justified. If we want to be justified, that is, to have the righteousness of God, we must believe with our heart that God has raised the Lord Jesus from among the dead.
Our believing is not only with the heart but also with the mouth confessing the Lord Jesus and calling upon His name unto salvation. Romans 10:9 and 10 say, “That if you confess with your mouth, Lord Jesus, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from among the dead, you shall be saved; for with the heart man believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth man confesses unto salvation.” Just as believing with the heart results in righteousness, so confessing with the mouth results in salvation. Inwardly with the heart we believe that God has raised the Lord Jesus from among the dead, and outwardly with the mouth we confess the Lord Jesus and call upon His name unto salvation (Rom. 10:12-13). Being justified is before God; it is something inward, something in our heart. To be saved is before men and requires that outwardly we confess the Lord Jesus and call on His name.
Romans 10:9 and 10 reveal clearly that believing is an activity with two aspects, an inward aspect and an outward aspect. The inward aspect is to believe in our heart the fact that Jesus Christ was raised up from among the dead by God. The outward aspect is to confess audibly and openly the Lord Jesus, calling upon His name. This confessing and calling results in salvation before men, for others can see that we have been saved.
Romans 10:12 and 13 say, “There is no difference between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord of all is rich to all who call upon Him. For, Whoever calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Calling on the Lord is different from merely praying to Him. The Greek word for call means to invoke a person, to call a person by name. Although it is possible to pray to the Lord silently, calling on the Lord requires that we call out to Him or address Him audibly. In order to be saved we need to call upon the name of the Lord. However, calling upon His name is not only for salvation; it is also the way in which we receive the riches of Christ. The Lord is rich to all who call upon Him. When we call upon Him, we participate in and enjoy His riches. We have a mouth to call on Him that we may be filled with Him, and we have a heart to believe in Him and to retain Him.