What Does It Mean To Be "Saved"?

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [Romans 10.9] 

What does it mean to be "saved"?

Should we not contrast what Paul wrote here with what Jesus said?

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “If any of you wants to be my follower, you must give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me. [Matthew 16.24 (also, Mark 8.34 & Luke 9.23)] 

As much as Christianity wants to quote Paul and ignore what Jesus said when discussing salvation, do we really think that's a good idea? Should we not form our understanding of what Paul said on the basis of what Jesus said?

The problem that exists is that people (myself included) don't understand what declaring "Jesus as Lord" means. Likewise, we don't comprehend what believing "God raised Him from the dead" means either. These are not just catchy phrases to be spouted off mindlessly!

To declare, "Jesus is Lord!" is to completely relinquish any and every control we think we have on our own lives so that only His will and only His ways are to be accomplished in and through us. While this means doing the exact same things Jesus did (healing the sick, raising the dead, etc.), it also means a cross is involved. It means refusing to pursue the world and its solutions so that only the unmistakable resurrection power of God might be seen. It means that everything we live and breath for is following Jesus - Jesus alone.

So then, what is believing that "God raised Him from the dead"? It is being convinced at the very core of our thought processes that what God said about Jesus is absolute truth. It means believing there is power beyond human imagination in Jesus' resurrection that lives on in those who give up their own way and submit to Him. It means there is no "plan B" but only "plan A": "give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me."

There is no way to separate Jesus' demands upon His followers from being radical. To "reason" any other explanation is to violate Jesus' first demand, "give up your own way..." And, just to be sure we "get it" when our minds race to the natural conclusion that giving up our own way is a death wish, Jesus' second demand confirms it, "take up your cross..."

Now, let us look at what Paul said in light of Jesus' demands...

If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. [Romans 10.9] 

To say, "Jesus is Lord" is to say, "I have given up any claim I have on my own life and ways."

To believe God raised Jesus from the dead is to be fully convinced that suffering and death are no deterrents whatsoever - to the point that I embrace my own cross.

To be sure, the same Jesus who said, "give up your own way, take up your cross, and follow me" also said:

“You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. [Matthew 7.13-14]

And then, there's that... 

Father, may we have no illusion about Jesus' call to discipleship. So be it.