| Scripture: Romans 10:5-9 |
| HighlightFor Moses writes that the law’s way of making a person right with God requires obedience to all of its commands. 6 But faith’s way of getting right with God says, “Don’t say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ (to bring Christ down to earth). 7 And don’t say, ‘Who will go down to the place of the dead?’ (to bring Christ back to life again).” 8 In fact, it says, “The message is very close at hand; it is on your lips and in your heart.” And that message is the very message about faith that we preach: 9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. |
| Explain: Paul is arguing that salvation comes through faith not through keeping the law. Here he says that the person who wants to be saved by keeping the law will have to work very hard with strenuous effort to keep ALL the commands of the law (and ultimately fail!). The way of faith, however, is not some strenuous effort on our part: We don’t have to personally incarnate nor resurrect Christ. (By the way, the chances of us keeping ALL the law would be about the same chance we would have of raising Christ from the dead!) The salvation of faith says that your salvation is already in your heart and on your lips! If you will openly declare with your lips that Jesus is your Lord and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved by grace alone, through faith alone. |
| Apply: Salvation by our own work is THE religion of the world. Through his own morality or ritualistic acts, man hopes to justify himself. When I can work my way to heaven, the person in control of salvation is man himself. This is the WORST sin a person can commit: to trust in his own effort because it denies God the control and the worship He deserves. Salvation by faith is difficult because we must rest and not work; trust and not doubt; surrender and not control. |
| Respond I will share this with someone I as witnessing to. |
Romans 10
Published
Peace Church HEAR Journal blog 