We are glad to hear that you are seeking salvation. It is only through Jesus Christ that we can be saved, and we commend you for recognizing this truth. As you have mentioned, Romans 10:9-10 tells us: "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God 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."
We encourage you to continue in your faith journey. Turning from your sins, following Jesus and obeying Him is a part of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ. True faith results in a changed life. As Jesus Himself said in Luke 9:23-25 "If anyone desires to come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever will lose his life for my sake, the same will save it. For what does it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses or forfeits his own self?"
The Bible tells us that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" Romans 3:23. Also, the Bible makes it clear that sin separates us from God.
Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."
God is a Holy and Just God. As such He cannot abide sin and allow it to go unpunished. The punishment for sin is death. The only way God could forgive our sin was for it to be punished by someone else. That is why Jesus came to earth as a man and died in our place.
2 Corinthians 5:21 "For him who knew no sin he made to be sin on our behalf; so that in him we might become the righteousness of God."
This is the simplest way to explain salvation. To believe on Jesus Christ is to believe that He died in your place for your sin (not just for the whole world, but for you personally) and that He rose from the dead proving that He had conquered sin and death. But to believe on Jesus is to believe that He demands that you live for Him and not yourself. That you obey Him and follow Him as a result of your faith in Him. You must live the Christian life. Not to earn salvation, but because of the salvation that you have been given by Jesus Christ.
Confess your sins to God. Ask Him to forgive you. Tell Him that you believe that Jesus died for your sins and rose again. Ask Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Turn from your sins by doing what God wants you to do in every area of your life. This is repentance. Jesus will accept you if you will do this. He promised, "All that the Father gives me will come to me. He who comes to me I will in no way throw out." John 6:37
In addition to Romans 10:9-10, consider these verses:
John 3:16-18 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life. For God didn't send his Son into the world to judge the world, but that the world should be saved through him. He who believes in him is not judged. He who doesn't believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God."
Acts 4:12 "There is salvation in none other, for neither is there any other name under heaven, that is given among men, by which we must be saved!"
Let us pray together:
Dear Heavenly Father,
We come before You with a humble heart, acknowledging that we are sinners in need of Your forgiveness. We confess that Jesus Christ is Lord and believe that You raised Him from the dead. We turn from our sins and ask for Your forgiveness. We invite Jesus to be the Lord and Savior of our lives. Help us to follow and obey Him all the days of our lives.
In Jesus' name, we pray. Amen.
We encourage you to read and study the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John, beginning with the Book of John. As you delve into God's Word, may your faith grow stronger, and may you continue to walk in the path that God has laid out for you. If you need further guidance or have more questions, feel free to ask. We will continue to pray for you.