Believe That Jesus Is Lord!
Belief is a powerful thing. We are told to believe in ourselves and our ability to achieve. But what happens when you realize that your ability is insufficient for the challenge you are facing? There comes a time in your life where you have to put your faith in a power greater and higher than yourself. In Romans 10:1-17, Paul said that Israel has erred in that they believed in themselves and their human power to keep the Law and achieve righteousness on their own. But Paul’s message to everyone (Jews and Gentiles alike) is that God has provided the way to righteousness and salvation…. and that way is through faith in Jesus and His death and resurrection as payment for our sins. I pray that in your time of need, you will believe in His power and call on the name of Jesus who is our Lord and our salvation! Amen.
Brothers and sisters, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for the Israelites is that they may be saved. For I can testify about them that they are zealous for God, but their zeal is not based on knowledge. Since they did not know the righteousness of God and sought to establish their own, they did not submit to God’s righteousness. Christ is the culmination of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. (Romans 10:1-4) Paul’s prayer was that Israel would be saved. But he identified their stumbling block… that they sought to achieve righteousness by keeping the law. Their error was in not recognizing Jesus as the culmination of the law (or the end of the law). The law found its fulfillment in Jesus. Because of our faith in Jesus, God credits us as righteous. The Jewish people refused to believe Jesus was the Son of God, and this they thwarted God’s offer of salvation to them.
Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile —the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Romans 10:5-13) Paul contrasted righteousness achieved by an individual by perfectly keeping the law versus righteousness given by God through faith in Jesus. One is achieved through human effort whereas righteousness through faith is received as a gift from God. Moses taught Israel that righteousness and salvation came through following the law. But Paul proclaimed that salvation came not through the law but by faith in Jesus death and resurrection that is from the heart and publicly confessed. Paul further said that anyone, whether Jew or Gentile, who has faith in Jesus will be saved.
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. (Romans 10:14-17) Finally, Paul said that in order for those who have not believed in Jesus to call on His name and be saved, they need to hear the good news from those that have been sent by God as His heralds (official messengers). Unfortunately, not everyone has believed the message of the good news. And God’s message is heard through the preached word about Christ.
God gave us His favor and His grace when He sent His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins. But God requires us to have faith that Jesus’ sacrifice has the power to save us. When we believe that Jesus died for our sins and God raised Him from the dead, God rewards our faith and credits us as righteous in His sight. Paul says that it is by our faith in Jesus, that we are saved. It isn’t complicated, our ability to receive righteousness and salvation is simple. Just believe that Jesus is Lord!…. And I’ll see you in the kingdom of heaven.
Blessings, Rev. Glenn
