Salvation

 Romans 10:9 ESV 

because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.  
 

I know we shouldn't want to know the bare minimum we need to be saved, but this verse reveals it. Having been saved however, we shouldn't want to just be saved by the skin of our teeth. We should want to have something to show for our faith.

James seems to contradict this verse when he says that faith without works is dead. Yet the faith that James condemns isn't the faith that Paul commends. It's not enough to believe God exists; we need to trust that he graciously rewards those who earnestly seek him with the free gift of saving faith.

Some people asked Jesus what they must be doing to do the works of God. He replied that they must simply believe in the One whom God has sent- himself. Belief in Jesus is the work of God.

Having believed, we will do works to evidence that we have truly believed. We will begin to bear the fruit of the Holy Spirit. Our salvation isn't because of our fruit, but because of our connection to the Vine who is Christ our Lord.

'Dear Lord God, we're so grateful for this liberating verse. Please help us to prove our faith by our works, but to trust wholly in you, not ourselves. For your glory we ask this, amen'.  

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