I've heard certain people (particular those who attend the church of Christ) misinterpret Romans 10:9,10 in such a way that means we can believe unto righteousness today, but are still lost until we confess Christ, which may be next week and then we are finally saved next week, but that is not what Paul is talking about here. Also, someone who is moot (unable to speak) would remain lost according to that interpretation of Romans 10:9,10 for failing to verbally "confess with their mouth."
Confessing with our mouth that Jesus is Lord and believing in our heart that God raised Him from the dead are
not two separate steps to salvation but are chronologically together. Romans 10:8 - But what does it say? "THE WORD IS NEAR YOU,
in your mouth and in your heart" (TOGETHER) that is, the word of faith which we are preaching, (notice the reverse order from verse 9-10) - that 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; 10 for with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
Confess/believe; believe/confess.
1 Corinthians 12:3 - Therefore I make known to you that no one speaking by the Spirit of God calls Jesus accursed, and
no one can say that Jesus is Lord except BY the Holy Spirit. There is divine influence or direct operation of the Holy Spirit in the heart of a person when confessing Jesus as Lord. This confession is not just a simple acknowledgment that Jesus is the Lord (even the demons believe that), but is a deep personal conviction that Jesus is that person's Lord and Savior. So simply believing in our head (and not in our heart) that God raised Him from the dead does not result in righteousness and simply giving lip service to the words "Jesus is Lord" not by the Holy Spirit is not unto salvation.
Not everyone who says to Me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who
does the will of My Father who is in heaven will enter. *John 6:40 - For
my Father’s will is that
everyone who looks to the Son and believes in Him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.
These many people (unbelievers) in Matthew 7:22 had the
wrong foundation. They were
trusting in their works to save them and NOT IN CHRIST ALONE. Jesus
NEVER knew them which means they were
NEVER saved. Their hearts were not right with God, so their "attempted external obedience" (apart from the righteousness of God which is by faith and the blood of Christ) was stained with sin. *Seeking salvation by works is not the will of the Father.
John 17:3 - And
this is eternal life, that they may
know You, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom You have sent. The term "know" implies intimate, experiential knowledge, through a relationship with Him, not merely theoretical knowledge. These
many people in Matthew 7:22-23 were
not true converts.
We must not confuse the gospel that Paul preached (1 Corinthians 15:1-4; Romans 1:16; Ephesians 1:13) and came to him through a revelation of Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12) which in other ages was unknown and was still a "mystery" (Ephesians 3:1-9; 6:19; Colossians 1:26-27; 4:3) with everything that Jesus taught in the 4 Gospel accounts: Matthew, Mark, Luke, John.
Repentance and faith in Christ are two sides to the same coin and are in separable in obtaining salvation. Acts 20:21 - testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of
repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ.
You say that you agree works do not save out of one side of your mouth, but out of the other side of your mouth, I'm hearing something different. You are quoting a lot of the same verses that people who do teach salvation by works (like Roman Catholics, Mormons and SDA's) quote. You put a heavy emphasis, specifically on the words of Jesus in the 4 gospel account that involve keeping His commandments, works etc.. You don't seem to put very much emphasis on the writings of the apostle Paul, which is raising a red flag. Are you in involved in some type of Hebrew Roots movement?
After a casual reading of the sheep and goats, this parable "on the surface" may seem to suggest that salvation is the result of good works, yet all scripture proves itself right and non-contradictory when
compared with the totality of scripture. This passage has to be taken alongside the
whole of scripture. Jesus was not advocating salvation by works. *That would be contrary to Romans 4:4-6; Ephesians 2:8,9; 2 Timothy 1:9; Titus 3:5 etc...
One's works are an effect of (and therefore indication of) one's salvation status, rather than being a cause of one's salvation. The good deeds mentioned in Matthew 25:35-36 are the fruit that will be manifest in the lives of the redeemed. Those who are placed at Christ's right hand are not there based on the merits of their good deeds, but because of the imputed righteousness which is of God by faith (Romans 4:2-6; Philippians 3:9). When works are mentioned in connection with salvation, the works are always the
result of, not the condition or means of, obtaining salvation. The stress is on works as a manifestation of one's faith (or lack thereof), not simply on the faith from which these works follow. So it is understandable that in this context, Matthew would stress the works that are a manifestation of "faith by which one receives eternal life." Sheep represent believers, while goats represent unbelievers. Do you find it strange that the righteous asked, ‘Master, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not serve You?' Jesus answered them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, in so far as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.
