"If you openly declare that Jesus (Yahshua) is Lord and believe in your heart that Our Heavenly Father raised Him from the dead, you will be saved."
Eternal life in God's family is attained through God's grace and believing in Jesus Christ. How amazing that the creater of the universe loves us so much that He wants us to be a part of His family and all we have to do is believe! But there's more to the story and the scripture. So much more than I can cover in the short devo, but I'll try.
Being saved by faith alone is wonderful, but Paul knew we would
still battle disobedience and rebellion against God, even after becoming a believer. Paul wanted us to experience the freedom for which we have been set free (Gal 5:1).
Romans 10:9-10 suggests that publicly proclaiming that Jesus is Lord is a key to overcoming the addictive and destructive power of sin. Hiding the fact that we follow Jesus makes it easier for sin to control us, but when we let friends, family, and co-workers know that we follow Jesus, it makes it easier to stand up for what is right and obey His word. Failure to do so does not mean we lose eternal life, but we may not experience victory over sin.
Why does it matter if we already have a "ticket" to heaven?
According to scripture, we will be judged in the final resurrection. Those who avoid sin, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace will earn a position of honor within God's eternal Kingdom. An outward faith in Jesus helps bring freedom from sin, and good works naturally follow through the grace of salvation. However, denying Jesus may result in being denied the ability to rule and reign with God in His eternal Kingdom, missing out on the rewards that He has waiting for you in Heaven (Matthew 6:19-21).
"All saints will enter the kingdom through faith alone (John 3:3), but only obedient saints who endure, who overcome, and who perform works of righteousness will inherit, i.e,, rule there." (1 Cor 6:9-10)