September 19, 2010

Romans 10: 4-17 

  Simple Salvation....Believe....Then Go Forth  

Romans

For Christ has accomplished the whole purpose of the law.  All who believe in him are made right with God.  For Moses wrote that the laws' way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands.  But the way of getting right with God through faith says, "You don't need to go to heaven" (to find Christ and bring him down to help you).  And it says "You don't need to go to the place of the dead' (to bring Christ back to life again).  Salvation that comes from trusting Christ - which is the message we preach - is already within easy reach.  In fact the Scriptures say, "The message is close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart."

For 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 it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved.  As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed.  Jew and Gentile are the same in this respect.  They all have the same Lord, who generously gives his riches to all who ask for them.  For "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."

But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him?  And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?  And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?  And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent?  That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"

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Thoughts...

Do you believe?  Will you go forth and tell them?  These are simple thoughts.  Salvation is simple. 

Let's look at the first paragraph.  Christ has already accomplished the whole purpose of the law... "All who believe are made right with God."  It is through faith that salvation comes...from trusting Christ. 

Paragraph two tells us that obtaining salvation is simple:

You must confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord....speak it out loud....say, "Jesus is Lord."

And believe in your heart that God raised him [Jesus] from the dead...you WILL be saved.

It goes on to say simply, "For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God and it is by confessing with your mouth that you are saved."  It also says, "As the Scriptures tell us, "Anyone who believes in him will not be disappointed."  "Anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." 

Paragraph three calls upon us to help God share the Good News that he lives and he can live in us.  We are called to be messengers.  It says about those who are willing to share the message:  "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!"  We are called upon to help people believe by hearing about him through us...we must tell them.....as I've said in the past, who he is, that he is, and how wonderful he is.  We are not just called...we are sent.  We have been given orders to go forth and preach the gospel.  To bring others to Christ.  Do not worry...."For God's gifts and his call can never be withdrawn." Romans 11:29  

But be forewarned.  Not everyone welcomes the Good News.  "Yet faith comes from listening to this message of good news - the Good News about Christ."  I believe this to be a sentence of support to help us keep our chin up when the masses do not want to welcome the Good News that....he lives and can live in us...that Jesus saves.  Do not let someone else's lack of trust and faith ruin your own.  Do not let what someone else believes turn you from the one person that has not only offered you salvation, but sealed it with his love.  Do not let your spirit be squashed with emotion that you did not succeed in turning another to Christ.   Remember some plant, some water, and some reap.  If your job is to plant, plant.  If your job is to water, water.  If you job is to reap, reap.  And sometimes your job will be to do all of the above.  Trust and obey there is no other way.  But do obey.

We must believe, we must trust, and we must obey our calling.  We have been sent, and, we must go forth telling others about the salvation message message of Jesus Christ.  Nothing less will do. 

Then the Lord will say to us and to those whose lives we've touched, who have accepted Jesus as their Lord and Savior: "Those who were not my people, I will now call my people.  And I will love those whom I did not love before."  And 'Once they were told, 'You are not my people.'  But now he will say, 'You are the children of the living God.'  

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Let Us Pray

Lord God, you have commanded all of us to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Forgive us our sins, so that we might be empty vessels that only you can fill to overflowing with your Holy Spirit.  And in doing so, may we know you have ordained us by giving us utterance from your Holy Spirit to share your Holy Name, your life, your love, your salvation message.  Thank you for saving us.  Let us now go forth thanking you by sharing who you are, that you are and how wonderful you are with the world.  In the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, we pray, Amen.