That 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. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.^{Romans 10:9-10}

The Word of God is clear about how one is deemed righteous and saved from the wrath of God: by believing and confessing your obedient submission to the Lordship of Jesus Christ.

• Believe that Jesus was raised from the dead after being crucified. It is the resurrection that confirms Jesus was who he claimed to be – God incarnate. This proves that his atonement for your sins was effective and affirms that he is alive, seated at the right hand of his Father in Heaven. To “believe in thine heart” means having a deep personal conviction that this is true. This belief goes beyond intellectual understanding; it is a confident, immutable, and resolute truth held in your heart.

• Confess is to affirm that Jesus is the Lord of your life. Make this confession to God in acceptance of his gift and to the world of your salvation. This confession is not a mere utterance but a sincere proclamation from your heart. It affirms that because of conviction in your belief, you no longer live for yourself; your priority now is to live in obedience and to follow him. The evidence of saving faith is submission to Jesus; he must be in charge, not you. Intellectual belief alone is not faith that will save you from Hell. The demons believe, but they do not call him Lord.

How does one come to saving faith?

What brings someone to the point where they believe and confess? The Word of God is also clear on this.

Faith comes from hearing the Word of God. Hearing means being receptive to and understanding the message of the gospel of Jesus. When the good news is heard, God will compel belief and then faith. To “hear” is often a process. Listen to the Word, read the Word (four books you might start with are John, Romans, James, and 1st Peter), visit a good church, pray, keep your mind and heart open, and try to understand. You should pursue this until you draw a conclusion or no longer have an interest. Faith in Jesus may come quickly, take 30 years, or never come at all.

So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God. ^{Romans 10:17}

The work of God is transformation, and the response of man is repentance.

Those who respond to God’s call experience an awakening of their soul and spirit. This renewal is a divine act by the Holy Spirit that brings spiritual life to those who were spiritually dead in their sins.

But God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened (made alive) us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) ^{Ephesians 2:4-5}

Now spiritually alive, aware of our wretched nature and grateful for God’s mercy and grace, we repent. Repentance involves a fundamental change of heart, mind, and direction; it means turning away from sin and toward God, toward obedience to his commands. It is an active conscience – an internal awareness that judges our actions against the moral, holy truth we embrace; that drives our repentance.    

Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord. ^{Acts 3:19}

Repentance, persistence in obedient submission to Jesus, and the conviction of faith, all increase as you are sanctified throughout your mortal life. Your desire to live in a way that pleases God strengthens as you mature in your Christian life.

Faith is a gift from God. Saving faith is a gift by the grace of God; there is nothing you can do to earn it. This is why we who are headed to Heaven are grateful beyond words. But you do have the free will to reject God’s gift, live for yourself in this life, and then suffer for eternity in the next.

No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day. ^{John 6:44}

For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. ^{Ephesians 2:8-9}