“…that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”
These verses don’t ignore the virgin birth, the sinless life, or the Cross—it simply points to the resurrection as the key that unlocks the entire gospel. Without the resurrection, Jesus’ death would be just another tragedy. But because He rose, we know He conquered sin and death. The resurrection is the divine stamp of approval on everything Jesus did. Paul writes in Romans 1:4 that Jesus was “declared to be the Son of God with power according to the Spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead.” To believe in the resurrection is to believe in the full scope of Christ’s work—His incarnation, His obedience, His sacrifice, and His exaltation.
Think of the resurrection as the hinge on which the door of salvation swings. Without it, the door doesn’t open. God displayed His power by raising Jesus, fulfilling His promises, and giving us a living hope (1 Peter 1:3). When Jesus said, “And I, if I am lifted up from the earth, will draw all peoples to Myself” (John 12:32), He was speaking not only of His crucifixion but of His glorification. Just as the bronze serpent was lifted up in the wilderness to heal those who looked upon it (Numbers 21), so Christ was lifted up to heal and save all who believe. But the healing doesn’t come from looking at a crucified Savior alone—it comes from believing in the risen, exalted Lord. The resurrection includes the Cross, but it also moves beyond it to victory, glory, and eternal life.
So what does this mean for us today? It means we must ask others deeper questions—not just “Have you been saved?” but “Are you right with God?” “Has He made you holy?” “Do you believe, deep in your heart, that God raised Jesus from the dead?” That belief is the key to righteousness. It’s not just intellectual agreement—it’s a conviction rooted in the core of your being. And for those of us who already believe, let’s not only remember what we’ve been saved from, but rejoice in what we’ve been saved to: a righteous standing before God, a new life in Christ, and a hope that cannot die. Lift up Jesus—not just as the crucified Lamb, but as the risen King. That is the gospel we proclaim. That is the righteousness we receive.
“True faith is not merely intellectual assent. It involves a deep trust in the person and work of Christ, especially in His resurrection, which is the divine confirmation of His identity and mission.” — R.C. Sproul
surrendered devotions 