The Incarnation and Resurrection
The sermon emphasizes the importance of accepting the incarnation and resurrection of Jesus Christ as the basis for salvation.
William MacDonald emphasizes the critical doctrines of the incarnation and resurrection in his sermon, highlighting that true salvation requires both a confession of Jesus as Lord and a belief in His resurrection. He explains that acknowledging Jesus' deity is essential for understanding salvation, as He was God in the flesh who died for our sins and rose again. MacDonald clarifies the order of confession and belief, noting that while confession follows belief in the experience of salvation, the historical order places the incarnation before the resurrection. He encourages believers to embrace these truths, as they are foundational to the Christian faith and the assurance of salvation.
Text
Â"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.Â" (Rom. 10:9)
This favorite Gospel verse zeroes in on the two basic truths that are so hard for fallen man to acceptÂ--the incarnation and the resurrection. There can be no salvation without accepting these doctrines and all that they signify.
First we must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord, that is, that the One who was born in BethlehemÂ's stable is none other than God manifest in the flesh. The deity of the Lord Jesus is essential to the whole plan of salvation.
Second, we must believe in our heart that God raised Him from the dead. But this means more than the simple fact of the resurrection. It includes the fact that the Lord Jesus died on the Cross as our Substitute. He paid the penalty that our sins deserved. He endured the wrath of God that we should have endured eternally. Then on the third day God raised Him from the dead as a proof of GodÂ's entire satisfaction with ChristÂ's sacrifice for our sins.
When we receive Him as Lord and Savior, the Bible says that we are saved.
But someone may ask, Â"Why is confession put before believing? DonÂ't we believe first and then confess?Â"
In verse 9 Paul is emphasizing the incarnation and the resurrection, and he gives the historical order in which they occurred - the incarnation first and the resurrection thirty-three years later.
In the next verse he puts believing before confessing. Â"For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.Â" Here the order is that which takes place when we are born again. First, we trust the Savior and are justified. Then we go out to confess the salvation which we have already received.
Our verse has an artless simplicity and perennial freshness about it. No wonder the children sing:
Romans ten and nine
Is a favÂ'rite verse of mine;
Confessing Christ as Lord,
I am saved by grace divine;
For there the words of promise
In golden letters shine:
Romans ten and nine.
Sermon Outline
- I. The Incarnation and Resurrection
- A. The two basic truths necessary for salvation
- II. Confessing Jesus as Lord
- A. The deity of Jesus is essential to the plan of salvation
- III. Believing in the Resurrection
- A. Includes the fact that Jesus died as our Substitute
- B. God's satisfaction with Christ's sacrifice
- IV. The Historical Order
- A. Incarnation first, then the resurrection
- V. The Order of Salvation
- A. First, we trust the Savior and are justified
- B. Then we go out to confess the salvation we have received
Key Quotes
“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.” — William MacDonald
“For there the words of promise in golden letters shine: Romans ten and nine.” — William MacDonald
Application Points
- We must confess with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and accept His deity as essential to the plan of salvation.
- We must believe in our heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, including the fact that He died as our Substitute.
- The order of salvation is first trusting the Savior and being justified, then confessing the salvation we have received.