We’ve been talking about salvation for the past several devotions. For the next couple, we are going to talk about our response to salvation. This devotion looks at where Jesus is during the process.
Nuggets
- The gospel shows us our need of God and His salvation.
- Paul’s point is to not despair because Jesus can save us.
- True salvation starts out with faith.
- The focus should be on the Jesus is near you part.
I think sometimes we forget that Paul was writing about a sorta new and different concept than that to which the Jews were accustomed. While the gospel does have its foundation in the Old Testament, it required a different response from the Jews. That is one reason why Romans is such an important book.
Paul had been giving the framework of salvation. Now, he wanted to outline what their — and our — responses should be. It is going to take two or three devotions to cover this topic.
Devotions in the What I Believe series
Devotions in the Response to Salvation series
Where Is Jesus?
Salvation in a Nutshell
Let's Put It into Context
“since Moses writes about the righteousness that is from the law: The one who does these things will live by them” (Rom. 10: 5 CSB)
If you look in most translations, Romans 10: 5 is linked to verses six through ten. In a way, to me, it seems it should be hooked to the previous four. Those are talking about the law.
But think about it. This verse doesn’t say that the law gives us salvation. It say the law gives us righteousness.
Paul wrote, “For they don’t understand God’s way of making people right with himself” (Rom. 10: 3 NLT). Jesus is the way to salvation.
On the other hand, the laws show us God’s character. They show us how to imitate Him. If we obey the laws, we grow in holiness and righteousness.
Spurgeon made a good point that I had read elsewhere, also. He wrote that “if the law is once broken it is all over with you as to salvation thereby.” God didn’t write in a second chance for the law.
However, salvation is based on forgiveness. God will forgive all but one sin — even multiple times. That is how much He loves us.
Spurgeon reminded us that the law was “do.” Faith is “believe.”
Bringing Jesus to Us
“But the righteousness that comes from faith speaks like this: Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will go up to heaven?’ that is, to bring Christ down or, ‘Who will go down into the abyss?’ that is, to bring Christ up from the dead” (Rom. 10: 6-7 CSB)
It reads like Paul believed that it is easy to look at the gospel and feel unworthy. Can’t you feel the despair emanating from those two questions?
In a way, it seems kind of un-Paul-like here. At first read, it can seem like he is saying righteous is unattainable.
Paul isn’t because it really isn’t. It is easy to blow right over “… do not say in your heart …” (Rom. 10: 6 CSB).
The gospel shows us our need of God and His salvation. We can’t just keep the law — do the do’s and not do the don’ts — and be saved.
In other words, we can’t do it ourselves. Only faith in Jesus as our Savior and Redeemer can gain us eternal life. “Jesus answered, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’” (Jn, 14: 6 NIV).
Paul’s point is to not despair. The law can’t save us. We can’t save ourselves. Jesus can save us.
It is hard to live up to the law. We don’t have to do that.
The much easier solution is to believe that Jesus has already paid the price of sin for us. We don’t have to do some super complicated thing to earn salvation. He justified us.
We have to accept the gift. Payment has already been made.
We just want to make sure we question in faith and not unbelief. We can’t let Satan hijack us into unbelief and thinking we aren’t worthy. We aren’t worthy on our own — but we are with Jesus.
Nearby
“On the contrary, what does it say? The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart. This is the message of faith that we proclaim” (Rom. 10: 8 CSB)
True salvation starts out with faith. Thomas called it a heart-belief.
From that comes righteousness. It is a progression on the sanctification road.
The focus should be on the near you part. Being a disciple isn’t something we plunk our money down, throw it in a closet, and forget about it. We have to actively seek God.
Searching for and Seeking God
Hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17).
Reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3).
Praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16).
Studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11).
Meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2).
Memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).
Think about it. It comes from the heart.
It is internal, not external. “… The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart …” (Rom. 10: 8 CSB). It’s personal.
It isn’t about what Tom and Sally do for Elaine. It is what God and Elaine do for Elaine.
We change to imitate God, but that means Elaine is going to have to want to change. That is the part that Elaine plays in salvation. We are going to have too choose to believe.
Chalmers made a good point. We can’t let the “… bring Christ down” (Rom. 10: 6 CSB) or “… bring Christ up from the dead” (Rom. 10: 7 CSB) or even the “… near you …” (Rom. 10: 8 CSB) turn into “we have to see Him.”
Some might say, “How can Jesus be near? He is up in heaven.” Well, He is in our hearts.
- “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (Jn. 1: 1 ESV).
- “I have stored up your word in my heart, that I might not sin against you” (Ps. 119: 11 ESV).
We also store the Scriptures in our hearts. Even if we struggle with the memorization part of seeking God, we know the stories and verses.
We can see Jesus without seeing Him.
Remember what faith is. Faith is the belief that the doctrines stated in God’s Word are true, even if we do not understand all aspects of them. “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Heb. 11: 1 ESV).
Paul said we have to keep the message in our mouths and hearts. I would add in our minds.
But look what Robinson said. He contends our faith must be both in our hearts and mouths. If it is only in our hearts, Robinson called us cowards. If it is only in our mouths, he called us hypocrites.
There is an external part, but it comes from us. We are to proclaim the message of faith.
Look what Trench said about preaching. He wrote, “Preaching is not the communication of information, the transfer of a dead sum or capital of facts or theories from one mind to another, but the opening of living fountains within the heart, the scattering of sparks which shall kindle where they fall; the planting of seeds of truth which shall take root in the new soil where they are cast, and striking their roots downward and sending their branches upward shall grow into goodly trees.”
It isn’t just the Pastor Chad-types standing behind a pulpit with three points and a funny story. It is all disciples saying, “This is where I was, and this is what God did for me.” It is sharing our stories with those who need to hear.
Making the Connections
I was just sitting here thinking how precise God’s plan of salvation is. On the other hand, we are all over the place. We kick and scream when we try not to submit.
Sometimes, we are cowards. Sometimes, we are hypocrites. Most of the time, we are somewhere in between.
Through it all, God is watching over us. Jesus is near to us.
They are ready to save us. All we need is a mustered-seed-sized faith.
They will grow us from there.
Making the Connections to Self-Discipline
We are also considering what we would say if a non-believer asked us about this process. Here is the worksheet again. What would you tell someone who questions God authority to judge sin?
- What does the Scriptures say?
- What do I believe?
- Why do I believe the same/differently than the Scriptures?
- What are the talking points when witnessing to a non-believer?
Related Links
I have created a worksheet of the questions above. Click on the button below to access it.
How Do We Apply This?
Like we said, the focus should be on the near you part. We have to actively seek God.
We’ve had the Searching for and Seeking God graphic for about a year now. So, how good are we doing on it?
- How are we doing at hearing His Word (Rom. 10: 17)?
- How are we doing at reading His Word (Rev. 1: 3)?
- How are we doing at praying to Him (Heb. 4: 16)?
- How are we doing at studying His Word (Ac. 17: 11)?
- How are we doing at meditating on His Word (Ps. 1: 1-2)?
- How are we doing at memorizing His Word (Ps. 119: 11).?
What do you need to do to do better?
Jesus is near us — even though we can’t see Him. We have to make sure we are near Him.
Father God. It amazes us that the Creator of the universe is interested in a relationship with us. You have set us a simple process to follow. We just need to believe You and give ourselves to You. Oh, Lord. That so goes against our human nature. Help us to search for You and seek You. We know when we do, we will find You. May we live the lives to which You have called us. Amen.
What do you think?
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