Romans 10:8-15
I always like to pray with someone at the end of the Gospel presentation if they tell me they believe the Gospel. I want them to remember the day of their salvation.
Romans 10:13
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
Many people will take that verse, have someone repeat a prayer, and say that they are now saved. I’ve been soul winning with people who try to start out by making someone pray with them.
The Sinner’s Prayer = Calling Upon the Name of the Lord?
Here’s the prayer I say with someone at the end of the Gospel presentation. This isn’t always the same. I change it sometimes based on answers to questions I asked earlier during the preaching of the Gospel.
For example, if someone told me they have to get baptized in water to be saved, I will add that into the prayer at the end because they now know it’s not water baptism that saves them.
Dear Jesus, I know I’m a sinner. I know I deserve that penalty of death and hell. But I know you paid for all my sins. I believe in your death, burial, and resurrection. I’m trusting only in you, and not in my self, and not in my good life, only you Jesus. Please save me now and give me everlasting life. Amen.
Just repeating that prayer with me does absolutely nothing. The prayer doesn’t save you. The Bible doesn’t say that a prayer saves you.
The Bible does say, “For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This is a 100% true statement. Every word of God is true. But, we need to know what that verse means. Let’s go back and read everything around that verse. Let’s go back to verse 8.
Romans 10:8
But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
Hey, we preach faith to be saved. “That is, the word of faith, which we preach.”
For example, I might go up to someone and ask them if they believe in Jesus. Most people in Kentucky will tell you that they believe in Jesus. Most of the time they’re telling you that they believe Jesus exists. They usually don’t believe that Jesus alone is the Savior of the world. They usually believe in themselves for salvation and not Jesus alone.
Actually Believe “IN” Jesus to Be Saved
Is it good to believe Jesus exists? Yes. Did they speak with their mouth that they believe in Jesus? Yes. But do they actually believe in Jesus for salvation? No. The Bible tells us that most people don’t believe in Jesus.
Romans 10:9-11
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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
I usually say that what you believe and what you speak is closely connected. Sometimes people won’t speak out loud what they believe, but they will think it. You can think something within, and God knows your thoughts.
Do I believe someone must say the prayer out loud with me to be saved? No, I don’t. But why not if you believe in Jesus? So, we don’t personally count a salvation unless someone prays with us. I don’t know their thoughts.
Jesus knows their thoughts. His count is true. Our count of salvations, 100% guaranteed, is not right. But, we do the best we can to get it right.
As we preach the Gospel, we ask them if they believe each point as we explain it. For example, the Bible says, “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God.” The Bible says that we’ve all sinned. Lying or stealing is a sin. We’ve all done that. Do you believe that? With their, they say “Yes.” They say “Yes” because they believe it.
Now, could they lie to us and not actually believe that? Yes, they could. God knoweth. We don’t. But, for most people, I do believe they tell us what they believe.
I will say, “The Bible says that we’ve all sinned. Our penalty or payment for sin is death. But it’s not just a first death. There’s a second death and that’s hell. If we died and had to pay our own penalty for sins, where would we go? Heaven or hell?”
If We Pay Our Penalty, We Will Go To Hell
They will usually say hell if they understood the question and are listening. They are confessing with their mouth what they believe as I preach the Gospel to them.
When I get to Jesus Christ and that He paid for all our sins, I ask them: “Do you believe Jesus paid for all your sins?” They confess with their mouth that they do believe that. But I always make sure they know what it means to believe that. If there was some sin you could do that would cause you to lose your salvation, that means Jesus didn’t pay for all your sins.
So they need to believe correctly. And then they confess the correct belief to you as you’re giving them the Gospel.
Always ask questions along the way. During a Gospel presentation, I ask them if they believe what I’m saying 10 times or more. I’m using the Bible. I ask them if they believe the Bible. I correct their beliefs along the way if they say something different than the Bible. Do you see what the Bible says? Do you believe that?
Do you believe Jesus died, was buried, and arose from the dead? They confess with their mouth and say, “Yes, I believe that.”
What’s that verse say right there?
“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.”
“For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
When I’m preaching the Gospel, I am showing them the truth. And then I’m asking them if they believe the truth? They say, “Yes, I believe that.” For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. Hey, that’s what they’re doing the entire Gospel presentation.
Do You Believe That? They Answer With Their Mouth
If they don’t tell me they believe something, I will give either them more Scriptures until they believe, come back to that point later after they hear the rest of the Gospel, or I will stop if they aren’t going to believe.
When they confess with their mouth their belief in a point of the Gospel, then I continue. So, they are confessing with their mouth the entire Gospel presentation. Again, they tell me: “Yes, I believe.”
John 11:25-26
Jesus said unto her, I am the resurrection, and the life: he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live: 26 And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?
Jesus is speaking to Martha. He says, “Believest thou this?” In other words, “Do you believe that?”
John 11:27-28
She saith unto him, Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world. 28 And when she had so said, she went her way, and called Mary her sister secretly, saying, The Master is come, and calleth for thee.
Martha says, “Yes, I believe that.” She believes that Jesus is the Savior of the world. She believes Jesus is the Son of God. You don’t see Jesus doing the sinner’s prayer with anyone in the Bible. He knows that they believe.
Luke 6:8
But he knew their thoughts, and said to the man which had the withered hand, Rise up, and stand forth in the midst. And he arose and stood forth.
Jesus knows thoughts. We don’t know thoughts. We go by what people are telling us.
Romans 10:9-11
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. 10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
Whosoever Believeth On Him = Salvation
The Scripture saith, “Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
I believe that when someone believes, they will confess with their mouth or within themselves. Let’s say someone watches the video online of the Gospel. As I am asking them the questions in the video, they aren’t answering out loud. They are thinking yes or no within themselves. God hears their answers.
For example, let me ask you a question:
“Do you believe that Jesus died for all your sins?” What do you think? You thought yes or no within your head. God knows what you thought. You don’t have to speak it out loud to be saved. I’ve heard preachers say, “If you believe it, you will say it out loud.”
I believe many will but there will be some situations where someone wouldn’t. There are many situations where someone wouldn’t say it out loud. Are they still saved?
What does verse 11 say right there? “For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.”
When someone believes, they do, within themselves, always speak to God. They don’t have to say it to me to be saved. They think within.
“Yes, I Believe Jesus Can Save Me” = Calling Upon the Name of the Lord
“Yes, I believe that. Yes, I believe Jesus can save me.” I do believe that when someone believes that they confess that belief inside and/or outside.
Romans 10:12-13
For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. 13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
The Bible says that the Lord over all is rich unto ALL that call upon Him. Do you ever do that from within? I’ve been on a plane before that scared me. Threw me up as far as my loose seat belt would take me. My wife looked at me with fear in her eyes. My kids looked at me with fear in their eyes. And I called upon the Lord right there within and asked God to help us.
Did He hear me? Yeah. We pray from within constantly. He hears us.
“For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.” This speaks of the salvation of the soul. So, again, some people will say that all someone needs to do to be saved is repeat a prayer. But they missed verse 11 which says “whosoever believeth on him.” And they didn’t read the next verses.
Romans 10:13-14
For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. 14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
The Bible says, in verse 14, “How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed?” In order to call upon the name of the Lord, you must first believe in the Lord. This means you must believe Jesus can save you from all your sins forever.
If I ask you if you believe Jesus can save you right now forever, you first think about it, and next you believe that Jesus can save you right now forever, and then you say, “Yes, I believe Jesus can. Yes, I know Jesus can save me.”
Is Thinking, Believing, and Saying Jesus Can Save You Enough?
Is that enough to be saved? Well, not according to some people. Not according to some preachers. Not according to some pastors. But, I’ll tell you what. It’s enough according to the Bible. It’s enough according to the boss. It’s enough according to the Almighty God of all creation who runs it all. It’s enough according to the one who owns everlasting life.
Look at the end of verse 14 and let’s go in reverse order.
A preacher came to them. The Bible is filled with preachers. They heard the Gospel. They believed the Gospel. They called upon the Lord Jesus Christ. And this always happens before we get to the prayer at the end of the Gospel presentation.
Preaching, hearing, believing, calling. That’s how it works when anyone is saved.
With Martha, Jesus was there. Greatest preacher as far as the east is from the west. Second place isn’t even close. She heard. She believed. She called. When she says, “Yea, Lord: I believe that thou art the Christ, the Son of God, which should come into the world” that’s her calling upon the name of the Lord. That’s her confessing with her mouth the Lord Jesus.
Martha wasn’t any different than you, I, or anyone else out there.
Martha Heard, Believed, and Called Upon Jesus
Martha heard, believed, called. And she went on her way with everlasting life. And that’s the end of it. We don’t hear all about the great life Martha lived after that. We don’t see a scale measuring Martha’s good deeds versus her evil deed. We don’t see her getting baptized in water. We don’t need to see it. We know she was saved. How? She believed in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Some people will say that you only need to believe to be saved. Jesus says that.
John 6:47
Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.
Hey, Jesus says this over and over and over again. Believe and you’re saved. Believing is in your mind. Thoughts come from your mind. When you think something in your mind, God hears your thoughts.
Proverbs 24:9
The thought of foolishness is sin: and the scorner is an abomination to men.
God knows your thoughts. If you believe in something, that’s happening in your head. It is a thought. When you believe, it’s just as saying within your mind, “I believe.”
Matthew 9:4
And Jesus knowing their thoughts said, Wherefore think ye evil in your hearts?
When we’re preaching the Gospel, God saves that person before it ever comes out of their mouth to you or to me. The moment they believe, that happens within their mind, and God hears that call. God hears that confession of Jesus Christ within them moments before we hear it come out.
So, if someone says you don’t call upon the name of the Lord to be saved, that you only have to believe, this is true, but it all goes together. If someone believes, they call upon the Lord the moment they believe in their heart.
It happens together. The call comes from within before it ever comes out of the mouth. Confession is made unto salvation. God hears that confession. We don’t hear it until it comes out of their mouth. When we hear it, we count the salvation. But God hears it before we do. And we may not ever hear it come out, but God did if they believed.
Believing and calling on the Lord go together. God hears your thoughts. If someone asks you if you believe, you answer it within even if you don’t answer verbally with your mouth.
You Can’t Believe in Jesus and Not Call Upon Him = Foolishness
There are some people who say they believed in Jesus but never called upon Him. Wrong. If you believed, you did tell Jesus from within. At the moment of belief, you are believing, you are thinking, you are answering that call from God. You are calling upon Him when you believe.
Luke 18:13-14
And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner. 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.
That publican was saved. He confessed with his mouth his belief in God. He knew God could save him from his sins. He called. Did he say it out loud? It doesn’t matter. Jesus says he went down to his house justified. As Pastor Tim says, “Justified means just as if he had never sinned.” He believed and he called. He called because he believed.
Luke 23:40-43
But the other answering rebuked him, saying, Dost not thou fear God, seeing thou art in the same condemnation? 41 And we indeed justly; for we receive the due reward of our deeds: but this man hath done nothing amiss. 42 And he said unto Jesus, Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom. 43 And Jesus said unto him, Verily I say unto thee, To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.
The thief on the cross next to Jesus went to heaven. He believed and called. “Remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom.” He didn’t do anything else but believed and called. He was being put to death because he wasn’t a good man. But he believed in Jesus at the end of his life. He was cutting it close. Jesus said, “To day shalt thou be with me in paradise.”
John 4:25-26
The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he.
She left that well. The Bible doesn’t say that she said anything right there. The Bible doesn’t say Jesus said the sinner’s prayer with her.
John 4:28-29
The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?
What if she had died before she got into the city and said, “Come, see a man, is not this the Christ?” She already believed and from within she called before she spoke those words. She was saved by the greatest man to ever walk on this earth that He created.
John 9:35-38
Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? 36 He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? 37 And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. 38 And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him.
The Sinner’s Prayer is Not There
I don’t see the sinner’s prayer there. It’s not required for salvation. Jesus simply asks, “Dost thou believe on the Son of God?” He said, “Lord, I believe.” We ask that question over and over during the Gospel.
To summarize, ask the questions. Do you believe you’re a sinner? Do you believe the penalty for sin is death and hell? Do you believe Jesus is the Son of God? Do you believe Jesus died, was buried, and arose from the dead to pay the penalty for all your sins? Do you believe Jesus can save you? Do you believe you can do anything to lose everlasting life?
Hey, they are believing and calling on the Lord over and over again with the way we preach the Gospel. They are confessing with their mouth the Lord Jesus. They are saved if they are telling the truth when they say they believe. Make sure they believe in Jesus, and that’s it. Saved. Forever. Done deal. Over. Believe that.
The sinner’s prayer at the end isn’t a requirement to be saved. We do the sinner’s prayer to help that person remember and to know that they are saved forever.
Maybe they hadn’t yet believed until we get to the sinner’s prayer. It doesn’t hurt. The prayer doesn’t save you. It’s the believing and calling from within that saves someone.
We reinforce their belief over and over again during the Gospel. We want them to go away from us knowing, without any doubt at all, that they are saved forever. NO MATTER WHAT. When I’m finished with praying, I say: “Now, if someone comes to you and asks you: Are you 100% sure you’re going to heaven, what are you going to say?” They say, “Oh, I know I’m going.”
Why? Because I’ve believed in Jesus. Because He gave me that free gift of everlasting life. There’s another confession and calling. And sometimes we still doubt? Did they get saved? I’ve done that many times.
Matthew 14:31
And immediately Jesus stretched forth his hand, and caught him, and said unto him, O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?
If Someone Believes, They Tell You They Believe, They Are Saved
Hey, listen, someone tells you they believe. And you’ve explained that it means to only trust in Christ for salvation. They understand that. And they tell you they believe Jesus only can save them. Don’t doubt Peter. Don’t doubt Thomas. Believe, o thou of little faith.
1 John 4:15
Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God.
When someone believes Jesus is the Son of God, they know Jesus can save them. He says He will. They believe He will. And He does. That’s the end of it. God knows our thoughts. God knows what we believe from within.
Our method of preaching the Gospel has someone calling on the name of the Lord multiple times. We get the job done.
Let’s pray.
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