The Final Step - Day 214 Month 8-1 Week 31-4
Today's Reading (Bible in 1 year)
2 Samuel 11:1-12:15, Proverbs 14:13-24, Ezekiel 18:1-22, Romans 10
The Final Step
“If you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved” (Romans 10:9).
There you have it. The fourth stop on the Roman Road. This is the point where Paul explains how we respond to the good news about Jesus.
So what does it mean?
To believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead and to confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord is more than simply knowing facts about Jesus. It means trusting Him. What you know in your head has become something you believe in your heart. Your understanding of who Jesus is begins to change the direction of your life.
You recognize a truth that is life changing and, for that matter, destiny changing. You no longer simply want to live for yourself. You want to know Jesus more deeply and, naturally, you want other people to know what you have discovered.
I experienced this at the age of 11. Sylvia experienced it at age 38.
Unfortunately, over time it can become easy to fall into a trap. What once felt like a dramatic life change can become familiar. We still genuinely believe, but we can become less willing to talk about it.
We start spending most of our time with people who share our beliefs. We go to church every Sunday. Maybe we join a small group or a men's or women's ministry. None of those things are bad. In fact, they can be very good. But if we are not careful, we can gradually lose touch with people who do not share our beliefs.
Since Sylvia and I moved to Nova Scotia, we have recognized our need to share our faith with others. We have intentionally spent time with people who do not necessarily share our beliefs.
We don't force our faith on anyone, but we don't hide what we believe either. We recognize that the way we live may be one of the few opportunities someone has to see what following Jesus looks like. We try to intentionally love our neighbour.
This blog is another way I am putting myself out there. I suspect that not everyone reading this will be a Jesus follower. My goal is to understand Scripture better, share what I am learning each day, and perhaps help someone else see the Bible in a new way. Maybe, as you read, something about Jesus will become real to you.
So if you are not a Jesus follower but you are curious about Jesus, let's review what we have learned about the Roman Road.
Stop #1: We have all sinned.
Romans 3:23 tells us that everyone falls short of God's glory. We have a problem because we cannot make ourselves right with a holy God.
Stop #2: The wages of sin is death, but God offers the free gift of eternal life.
Romans 6:23 tells us that sin leads to death, but God offers eternal life as a gift through Jesus. A gift cannot be earned. It must be received.
Stop #3: Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8 tells us that Christ died for us while we were still sinners. Jesus' death is the reason this gift is possible.
Stop #4: Believe and confess.
Romans 10:9 tells us that if we believe in our hearts that God raised Jesus from the dead and confess that Jesus is Lord, we will be saved.
That is the Roman Road.
If you are curious about Jesus and want to explore what it means to receive this gift, let me know. My email address is below. I would be happy to talk with you and help you explore what this life changing faith is all about.
Have a great day!
Steve
You can subscribe to this blog and receive an email each day or week. Just visit the following link. https://follow.it/my-faith-view-from-here-daily-readings-and-thoughts?leanpub
Comments
Post a Comment