Giving..."I Have to Get This In"

First of all, I would like to reiterate that if you are going to leave a comment, you must leave a name with it. No anonymous comments will be posted. If one does not have the backbone to put their name behind their comment, then the comment is untrustworthy at best. For example, I received the following anonymous post this week:

Why don't you try it for a month. No specials, Women keep silent which will leave just men signing the hymms in unison. Before you know it, you will have the men wearing beards and them funny round brim hats and the women folk wearing thos funny head coverings (since that is a commandment to!).
Aren't you glad your saved by Grace. Its all a heart issue anyway. If a man loves God, he will keep his commandments, abstain from what he calls abominitions and do what he says makes him happy ( God loves a cheerful giver, every preacher that calls himself baptist gets that in every sermon he preaches). You look at the service thru eyes of proper biblical eticic, God looks on the heart of the believer.

First of all, if you are going to comment, please first study grammar and spelling fundamentals. While perfection is not demanded, a simple understanding of basic principles is appreciated; or if this is not the case, please ask your daddy or mommy's permission before posting a comment next time please.
I will address these thoughts though because it leads into my thought for today.
1. I am praying about trying it for a month at church.
2. We are not going to have any specials, just congregational singing.
3. Women are not commanded to keep silent in all things, but not to usurp authority over the man, not to teach a man, but to be in silence in these matters and to learn in silence in all subjection (1 Tim. 2:11-12)
4. According to 1 Cor. 11 a woman's covering is her hair. And yes, I believe women should have hair. By 'funny head coverings' I assume you refer to bonnets? If so, you have taken 1 Cor. 11 out of context.
5. I am glad I am saved by grace.
6. You then confuse me....you say a 'man that loves God will keep His commandment' but then criticize me for wanting to follow the Bible? Aren't those God's commandments? You speak on behalf of most of the evangelical world I suppose. Very typical. "God loves me, I love Him. I will keep His commandments, unless I don't feel like it, but that really doesn't matter because God sees my heart and He knows I love Him." Well my grammatically challenged or child friend, the Bible teaches we are saved by grace in Eph. 2, and says

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them

You see we have His Word to teach us how to live and act and behave-including in the house of God. (1 Tim. 3:15). After salvation we are to be His workmanship...unto good works...we should walk in them. So yes, "biblical eticic" is of great importance.
7. You also lead me into today's thought in your side thought "God loves a cheerful giver, every preacher that calls himself baptist gets that in every sermon he preaches" Thus our title for today, "Giving...I have to get this in." (Don't blame me...Anonymous told me too!)
Simple thought for today. We know there was giving for the New Testament church. In the first church our Lord started, there was a treasurer, Judas. (John 13:29). We again cannot use Temple/Synagogue practices for giving as THE MODEL for the New Testament church; rather we look to Scripture in how the church gave.

And laid them down at the apostles' feet: and distribution was made unto every man according as he had need. Acts 4:35
Having land, sold it, and brought the money, and laid it at the apostles' feet. Acts 4:37
And kept back part of the price, his wife also being privy to it, and brought a certain part, and laid it at the apostles' feet.
Acts 5:2

We know there was giving in all the churches on the first day of the week.

Now concerning the collection for the saints, as I have given order to the churches of Galatia, even so do ye. Upon the first day of the week let every one of you lay by him in store, as God hath prospered him, that there be no gatherings when I come. 1 Cor. 16:1-2
Therefore I thought it necessary to exhort the brethren, that they would go before unto you, and make up beforehand your bounty, whereof ye had notice before, that the same might be ready, as a matter of bounty, and not as of covetousness.
But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully. Every man according as he purposeth in his heart, so let him give; not grudgingly, or of necessity: for God loveth a cheerful giver
2 Cor. 5:9-7

So we know offerings were given, on the first day of the week, as God hath prospered they were to give, and the offerings were laid at the apostle's feet.
When did "passing the plate" begin?
Now, I feel this is a good time to say this: "Just because the Bible is silent on a subject does not make it wrong." But having said that, if the action is contrary to Biblical principle, then it is most definitely wrong. So my question for today is, "Is passing the plate contrary to Biblical principle?
Again, let me state, our church does pass the plate. I am not looking to debate someone, just seeking other's counsel (not sarcasm). What principles could be contradicted in passing the plate?
First and foremost is the principle of accountability. By 'leaving the offering at the apostle's feet' the giver was seen by the church as a giver. What was given was a matter between them and the Holy Ghost. This being exampled in Acts 5 with Ananias and Sapphira. The people were aware that they had given. There was accountability in this way. Today a 'non giver and robber of God' can hide in his pew by just passing the plate. Then, a non giver was noticed in that they never gave. Now what they gave was a matter between them and the Holy Ghost. Peter says in that passage about their offering, "Satan filled thine heart to lie to the Holy Ghost...thou hast not lied unto men, but unto God." A church that did have the members give at the apostle's feet would be a much more accountable church.
Second, is the principle of greed and a lack of faith in God. The best I can figure, we pass the plate because we know we will 'get more money.' We know that those who are just giving a $5 or a $10 probably would not make the effort to get up and give it, so we come to them. And, we might be able to squeeze a few bucks out of the lazy who would otherwise not make the effort to move. Are we displaying a covetous spirit and robbing people of the privilege of worshipping God in their giving?
Again, just thoughts....let me know what you think.

A "Special" Post

Forgive the pun. I believe every Baptist church I have ever been in has a schedule that in some way resembles the following:
1. Congregational Song
2. Welcome and Announcements
3. Congregational Song
4. Offering
5. Congregational Song
6. Special Singer
7. Preaching
8. Invitation
Obviously much variation with a few extra specials or instrumentals involved, but regardless, pretty much the same. My question to ponder is this: When did special singing begin in the church? I truly desire counsel and information from readers regarding this week's question. Please comment with your name (I figure if you are not sure enough about it to comment with a name, then it probably isn't that trustworthy). Again, I do not seek a debate, but a healthy God honoring conversation regarding our issue.

When did Church specials begin?

Now first, let us state what I believe to be true and factual from God's Word. The first mention of music in the Bible is Jubal in Genesis 4. He was the Great (x5) grandson of Cain, part of a line of descendants that were not known for their love for God, but rather of the world and their works. He is described as "the father of all such that handle the harp and the organ." Of course, we know that before him was Lucifer, who when created by God was created with "the workmanship of thy tabrets and of thy pipes was prepared in thee in the day that thou wast created." (Ez. 28). In Exodus, Moses led Israel and Miriam sang with some ladies glorifying God for their deliverance at the Red Sea. Then we know David sang, Deborah sang, all Israel sang, there were designated singers in the Temple for worship, etc. While I believe that many principles of worship can be found in the Old Testament, we are not to take the Temple as the model for the N.T. church. This would be foolish and of great ignorance as the Lord made some serious distinctions between the two. But, none the less, a little Biblical history of music in the Old Testament.
As we approach the New Testament, there are Scripture in regards to singing:

Matthew 26:30, "And when they had sung an hymn, they went out into the mount of Olives."
Acts 16:25 "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them."
1 Cor. 14:15 "What is it then? I will pray with the spirit, and I will pray with the understanding also: I will sing with the spirit, and I will sing with the understanding also."
Heb. 2:12 "Saying, I will declare thy name unto my brethren, in the midst of the church will I sing praise unto thee"
James 5:13 "Is any among you afflicted? let him pray. Is any merry? let him sing psalms."
Rev. 15:3 "And they sing the song of Moses the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, Great and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty; just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints."
Eph. 5:19 "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord;"
Col. 3:16 "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."

In the New Testament we see music's place in the church in that: Jesus sang with the apostles (the first church), in the midst of them (Matt. 26:30, Heb. 2:12). We see that Paul and Silas sang together in prison bringing comfort to themselves and teaching those around them (Acts 16:25) We should sing in the church with understanding (1 Cor. 14:15). We should sing in the church when we are merry (James 5:13). They will sing in Heaven in eternity (Rev. 15:3) That leaves Eph. 5:19 and Col. 3:16 where we read that the saint should use psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to make melody in our hearts to the Lord and teach and admonish one another.
The question is not is singing wrong, but are specials Biblical?
The Lord sang in the midst of the church with the disciples. The singing in Ephesians and Colossians was to be done speaking to yourself and teaching one another. The language in these verses involves a plurality of individuals. The imperatives "be filled, let dwell, speaking, singing, making melody, teaching" seem to indicate the activity of the church as a whole, rather than an individual action or a small part of the church (choir). If we interpret these as being for the individual church member and not the entity as a whole, then does not everyone in the church have to individually sing a solo?
I understand that a silence in the Word of God regarding a subject does not condemn the subject, but it does demand a study of principle in the Word of God. In the early church in Acts when the 120 gathered, do we really believe that Mary Magdalen would have stood in front of the men and sang a special to them?
If music in the church is for teaching and admonishing, isn't a woman not supposed to teach a man or usurp authority over the man? When the woman singing the special is finished, do not men in the church "AMEN" her message?
Aren't women supposed to keep silent in the church? Does not a special singer possess the attention of the entire church? I've heard say (and said) that while they are up there singing, the pastor is still the authority and can have her be quiet at anytime...then could a woman pray in a service if the pastor asked her? Or, "She is not singing to the congregation, but to the Lord"...wouldn't she be praying to the Lord and not the congregation? If she shouldn't sing for these reasons, should she testify in church? Doesn't special solos, duets, etc, tend to become man centered? Do not folks think of the performance more than the worship? Have you ever noticed how many "music stars" started out singing specials in their church on Sundays when they were kids?
Much debate could begin in these matters, or then again, if the only singing in the church was done in unity as a church, would there not be less confusion? When did specials first begin anyways?
For the record, at our church, ladies do sing specials, ladies do sing in choirs, do sing in duets, do testify from the floor when the pastor calls on them....but should we continue?
I know, this is a "Special" post, but at least were thinking!

Where to start?

We have been given instruction from the Lord in John 4:24:

God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.

There are many 'forms of worship' out there today. Many have taken upon themselves to determine what worship is. The Word of God instructs us to worship. I believe the Bible teaches three types of worship:

1. Ignorant Worship-Acts 17:22-23 "Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens....I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship..."
2. Invalid Worship-Matthew 15:8-9 "This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me. But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men."
3. Impeccable Worship-John 4:24.

The first is a worship that is in error due to a lack of knowledge. The second is a worship that is in error because it disregards what the Word says and acts upon what man wishes to do. The third is correct, for it is done in spirit and truth-correct attitude and authority.

One purpose we assemble as a church is for the worship of God. This worship is achieved through various means: Preaching, singing, observing the ordinances, giving, prayer, etc. It is these means of worship that we will begin our study upon. We should desire to worship in spirit and truth. I do not desire my worship in these areas to be done invalid or in ignorance. Thus we must put aside all of our traditions of men and look to God's Word. With this humility and foundation, our worship can be done in the right attitude and with the correct authority.

What are we looking at? When did anyone in the church lead in prayer? When did 'choirs and specials' begin? When did we quit "laying at the apostle's feet" our offerings and start the 'pass the plate?' When were 'invitations' with song and piano used in Scripture? Why are the lights turned down and music played softly during an observance of the Lord's Supper?

I desire not an argument, but authority. I desire not an enemy, but exhortation. I desire not to confuse, but to confirm. I desire our worship to be done in spirit and in truth!

Instructions Included

Years ago, my father purchased for my mother a vacuum cleaner for a Christmas present. After all presents were opened, he then began putting it together. I read the instructions aloud to him, and he assembled as I read. Finally it read, "Plug in and power on vacuum." We did, but when my father went to grab the handle of the vacuum, he then realized he had assembled the handle upside down. For years, my mother used a vacuum that's handle looked up at her as she cleaned the floors. Needless to say, neither of us are your typical 'handy man.'
When my sister Rachel went to college, my father purchased her a small computer desk that he then asked me to assemble. Upon finishing, I stepped back and admired my handiwork. It was perfect, but I just couldn't figure out why the back of it had a wood stain look against the wall, but that under the desk was not finished and really stood out. It is still like that to this day...and oddly enough, so is the bookshelf in my office. You'd think someone would have caught this and corrected it.
Reality is, the instructions weren't wrong, we just got off track. We had all the right pieces, the right instructions, and the right tools; we had just made an error, and by the time we caught it, we didn't want to go back and fix it all.
They still worked just fine. Most never noticed. Had the designer come in and looked at his pieces, he surely would have pointed out the errors and demanded they be corrected, but that wasn't going to happen.....
For the next few weeks we will look at different areas about the local church. I truly desire the saints of God's counsel. Some of these areas I do not know that I have a concrete answer for, and I will argue both sides. I just feel that many Baptist Churches have become so set in their ways, that they have possibly grown accustomed to errors and do not see them as such. The right pieces are there, the right Instructions are there, and the right Tools are available; but perhaps we have made a few errors that if we were to correct them would demand a lot of work and rebuilding. Not that the church is not working just fine, and most do not even notice; but should THE DESIGNER look over the church, surely he would point out the errors and demand they be corrected. But, that isn't going to happen...or then again-actually He is!

Send the Rain

On Sunday, January 10th, the Lord directed me to preach on "What is salvation." In that sermon, I shared a Biblical teaching of what salvation is and how that many are unsure of their salvation due to the fact that they are going through the motions, counting on a work (prayer), and not truly believing (entrusting) their soul with Christ's finished work on the cross. That night, to the glory of God, nine church members were saved (including my son!).
All week, while rejoicing in what Christ had done, I was so burdened. I felt the Lord was working on other hearts and that the sudden downpour of His moving last Sunday was not done yet. All week I thought of Elijah and Ahab and the great revival that took place in that day. I kept praying and meditating on the 1 Kings 18:1,where our Lord said: "I will send the rain..."
This past Sunday the Lord directed me to preach on our second question of the year, "How to Lead Someone To Christ." We examined again what the Bible says about the subject. Before the song service had begun though, there were folks getting saved. By the time the service had closed, there were another 7 saved! Each sharing with the church of their struggles in assurance of salvation and how that our Lord had been convicting them all week. To the glory of God, seven more church members were saved Sunday night. Thus far we have seen 16 saved and the waters of baptism stirred.
We have begun this month a discipleship ministry at our church like never before. I challenged our people to either be a discipler or be discipled. We have many discipleship classes going on. I met with our leaders for this ministry last Sunday night after church. I told them, "God has been moving in hearts in a mighty way. People are getting saved, and it is not because of an tear jerking illustration a preacher gave, not because of an emotional tug with music, but rather a factual preaching of the Truth that led them away from a lack of knowledge."
We have so muddied up the waters of doctrines with our philosophies and man made traditions in our Baptist churches that we have become ignorant to some basic Truths in God's Word.
Hosea 4:6 reads,

My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge: because thou hast rejected knowledge, I will also reject thee, that thou shalt be no priest to me: seeing thou hast forgotten the law of thy God, I will also forget thy children.

I truly believe with all my heart that we have become so ingrained with our traditions that we are being destroyed. We come to church, we sing our three hymns, we take our offering, we have a special singer, somebody preaches and we go home. Folks don't turn to Scriptures, many don't even bring their Bibles anymore. We do things because we always have done it that way. A generation ago, this didn't mean problems, but a generation that does things with out the understanding and knowledge of why they are doing it, will lead to error and a falling away from the Truth in their children (Hos. 4:6).
Now our churches are filled with 'Baptist' who do not know why they are Baptist and at a growing rate are going to other denominations. Our churches are lining up with the Fundamentalist (though not evil) they are not Baptist! Our churches are accepting the world's philosophies on dating-letting the world's music in their churches-dress standards are falling-immorality is running rampant in churches and pastors are too afraid of being judgmental in it all.
The problem is not false teaching in our churches, it is weak preaching. Powerful preaching is not volume, emotions, and great stories...it's expository, contextual, Truth preaching! You'll probably not be invited to preach at the big conferences, you'll not have the interdenominational crowds speaking highly of you, you'll not get to be featured in this month's magazine...but you will have maturity, strength, and a realness like never before.
As a pastor, it is not my duty to be the 'pope' to my people...that when they have a question or need to know how to live they ask me; rather, it is my duty to teach them that they know how to live, why they are living that way, and able to teach their children and others the same things. That is what we read of in our New Testament. The saints searched the Scriptures daily. The saints were discipling. God's work was being accomplished.
Pastors, ask your members to teach the Truths of God's Word. How are we saved? How do I lead someone to the Lord? Why are we baptized? Why are we Baptist? Name our Baptist forefathers? Are we eternally saved? What is Hell like?...and don't listen for your sermons, illustrations, and intellect-but do they have Scripture? If we do not equip our people with Scripture-understanding, wisdom, and knowledge-as to what we are to do, how to do it, and why we are doing it; our people will be destroyed for a lack of knowledge. There is a famine in our land, as Amos 8:11 reads

not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water, but of hearing the words of the LORD:

O Lord, Send the Rain!

Some Fruit from our Study

Proverbs 11:30 reads, "The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise." This study our Lord has led me through culminated in a message last night on "Salvation." You can listen to the message in its entirety here: http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?sermonID=111101150148
After sharing the Truth of the Gospel afresh, explaining the Token of our salvation, refuting man's confidence in a prayer, the Lord began a mighty work!
When the invitation began, few began to move. The Lord was greatly burdening my heart, and I turned to the chair behind me and knelt and prayed to our Lord.

Please Father, speak to one. Let that one struggling tonight find assurance and know that they are saved. Please Father, for if that one were to surrender, I believe others may follow...

After the 'amen' I turned still on my knees to see a young man with tears running down his cheeks. He looked up at me and said, "Dad, I want to get saved." Joy flooded my soul! My son, Alex, was broken hearted and desiring salvation. I took him through Scriptures I had shared in the message and ask him, "Son, how does the Bible say that one is saved?" He replied, "By believing in Christ and his sacrfice on the cross for us." After going through some Scriptures and the Gospel story once more I said, "Son, do you believe in the Lord Jesus Christ and His work upon the cross for you?" "Yes sir, I believe." "According to Scriptures, what is promised to those that believe?" I ask. "Eternal life. Dad, I believe, and I'm saved now!" Amen!
We spoke of repentance, we shared other verses, and last night my son was saved by believing in the Lord Jesus Christ as His personal Saviour. I then prayed with him a prayer of thanksgiving and we thanked our Lord for Alex's salvation.
I prayed for one, and God answered that prayer in a greater way than I ever imagined.
But if you remember my prayer..."If that one were to surrender, I believe others may follow." After sharing Alex's decision with the church, soon a young college age lady who has grown up in our church walked the aisle and came to me and said, "I have been struggling for years with my salvation, but now I believe!" She too was saved last night. Soon her sister, a junior in high school came forward weeping. She told the church, "I too have been struggling with assurance and have been looking to a prayer as my salvation, tonight I choose to believe. I now have peace!"
Well, as one could imagine, things were getting quite exciting in that service, but God sure wasn't done yet. Just a few minutes later, those two young ladies father, our church clerk, member for nearly 30 years of our church came down the aisle weeping. "pastor, I have been struggling for years, compromising with God, looking to my prayer with no peace, but tonight I believe in Christ and God saved my soul."
Amen!!!!
Then a 18 year old young lady, then a 8 year old girl, then a wife and mother....all found assurance last night after years of struggling. Not in a prayer, but in the work of Christ upon a cross.
Soon on the platform stood my brother in law, Jr. Church director these past 4 years. He grabbed my neck and said, "Thank you for preaching the truth, I have been struggling for years, but tonight choose to believe and I now know I am saved."
A service started at 6:30 that night, we sang about 20 minutes of hymns that dealt with salvation; then after a 91 minute sermon, hour long invitation, and a few verses of "To God Be the Glory," we dismissed...only after seeing 9 saved, hearts broken, burdens shared, and a fresh excitement for the Gospel of Jesus Christ.
These words do not give justice as to what God did for us last night...and please let me underline and highlight "What God did for us"
We gave Him all the glory! We raised our hands in honor of Him last night. He did the work nearly 2,000 years ago,and praise God He is still working on hearts!
And I really don't believe He is done yet!

These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. I John 5:13

Romans 10-Salvation

Ok, so I took the holidays off. It was nice and refreshing! I hope everyone enjoyed a very Merry Christmas and are experiencing a Happy New Year. Now, back to our subject. We have examined thus far that we are saved by grace through faith and that it is not of works. This of course includes church attendance, giving, baptism, and even saying a prayer. Prayer is a fruit of our salvation not a means to salvation.
We then examined the 'sinner's prayer' and the history of it. Historically speaking, it is a relatively new doctrine, begun by those who needed a means for mass evangelism in a quick moment. Again, isn't that a work? The "1-2-3- repeat after me" has caused such detriment to the cause of Christ.
So, we now go to the book of Romans. What a magnificient book of the Bible. Nearly every major doctrine can be found and taught in the book of Romans...including salvation.
If you grew up in a Baptist church as I did, you were taught at a very young age, the Roman's Road. You, like me, had it highlighted in your Bibles, memorized, and accessible at any moment. Romans 3:23, 6:23; 5:8; 10:13; and 10:9. We would 'seal the deal' by getting someone to pray that prayer. I mean, Romans 10:13 does read, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved." Romans 10:9 reads, "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." So, we tell the guy that said he was going to Heaven because he was a good person and was baptized as a child, that he is wrong...works can't get you to Heaven. Then we tell him how he is a sinner, Christ died for him, and that he needs to pray and do a different work to get to Heaven? Seemingly, God contradicted Himself in this passage, right? Absolutely NOT! Our God never contradicts Himself and He has been and will always be without error. So, what does this passage mean?
We begin in Romans 10:1 where we read,

Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.

Paul is writing specifically here about Israel's salvation, not the Gentiles. (Yes, we all are saved the same way...be patient). Paul then uses an Old Testament illustration that the Jews would understand. God had given them His commandments, and when they disobeyed them, there were consequences. They could never claim ignorance. Deuteronomy 30:11-14 reads,

For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off.
It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, Who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?
But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, that thou mayest do it.

Paul is addressing these verses to the Jews in Romans 10:4-8,

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
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

Now, I hope one can see that Paul is not saying that the Word has to be in your mouth as to some kind of prayer they must say, rather he is using Deuteronomy to point out to them just what God pointed out to them in Deuteronomy; that the Word is familiar to them. They have no excuse. It has been laid out clearly, they must believe it and apply it! Israel knew the law, they knew the prophecies, they knew the promises, they knew Jesus, they saw Him die, they heard and saw and empty tomb that He had risen, the Word was nigh unto them...they had to believe!
They knew He had died, but to acknowledge and believe that He had risen would be a recognizing that He was their sacrifice for their sins...the Lamb of God that once for all took away their sins.
That brings us to verse 9, that if they should 'confess with thy mouth' or homologeo-to agree, conceded, not denythe Lord Jesus (that yes, He did die and He is the Son of God our sacrifice) and believe or pestyuo-to entrust and place your confidence it that God did raise Him from the dead-therefore recognizing him as the sacrifice for their sins-they were saved! The truth was 'nigh them', right with them, they could not claim ignorance, they had to believe!
We have made the focus of these verses the mouth and heart, while Paul's focus was on Jesus and His death, burial and resurrection. Throughout the Bible, God uses the body to illustrate an action of inward spiritual man. One who holds that one MUST use their mouth to confess to be saved must then also say that one MUST see the Lord with their eyes, for John 6:40 reads, "...everyone which seeth the Son, and believeth on him, may have everlasting life:" We know this isn't possible, but is an illustration that we must with the inward man look to the Lord as our way of salvation. So, Romans 10:10 and 13, we do not have to physically confess or call physically for salvation, but inwardly with the spiritual man believe in Christ atoneing death.
Now, let me say, that I don't believe it is wrong to pray when getting saved. Prayer is a fruit of salvation. I just believe we as Baptist have focused and made the prayer the means of salvation. We twist and push someone to say some prayer and when they doubt we ask them if they ever called upon the Lord.
I am not saved because I prayed, but I pray because I am saved. Reality is, Matt. 7:21 reads, "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of Heaven;" A Physical prayer and calling on the Lord will not get you to heaven.
We call because we are saved, we can't call until after we have believed, we can't believe until we have not heard, we can't hear without a preacher, there is no preacher unless they are sent...Romans 10:13-15.
To hold the mouth as a literal physical action condemns all mute people. There is a man in our church named David who has never been able to talk, but praise the Lord 8 years ago he put his faith in Christ Jesus and he is saved!
I leave you with an illustration I read on another's web page. In John 9, Jesus heals a blind man by spitting on the ground and annointing his eyes. When the Pharisees saw and heard his story, they cast him out. Jesus heard that they had cast him out and found him and said, "Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" (Vs. 35). His answer was, "Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? " Jesus said, "Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee." Jesus told him that the Son of God was someone he already knew, seen, and had heard physically, but that he needed to see Him for who He truly was spiritually, hear him as to Who He is spiritually, and know HIm as He should be knows spiritually. He did just that and said, "Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."
In Romans 10, Israel had seen him, they had talked to Him, they had heard Him...He was nigh them, but they had not spiritually believed in Him.
My goal is not to cause confusion, but quite the opposite. I deal with so many who doubt their salvation saying, "I don't know if I meant it." I am tired of convincing people to say a prayer, but never see them darken the door of a church or display any fruits of repentance.
We have made our token of salvation a work-our prayer; when it must be His Work! Our assurance must be based upon something He has done, not something we have done. Those who continue doubting their salvation get so frustrated. They are asked if they have done this or that, and their resonse is "I have...I have..I have..but, still no peace." Those that continually doubt is due to the fact that they are counting on what they have done with their mouth instead of what Christ has done for them on a cross.
"Dost thou believe on the Son of God?" (John 9:35).