Romans 10:5-10
Moses wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God soon discovers it's not so easy—every detail of life regulated by fine print! But trusting God to shape the right living in us is a different story— no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest. It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God—"Jesus is my Master"—embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he did in raising Jesus from the dead.
That's it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set everything right between him and me!"
Scripture quotations from The Message. © 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002 by Eugene Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress, Colorado Springs, CO. All rights reserved.
A few years ago, I decided I wanted to read the entire Bible in a year. This was a noble goal… and there are dozens of “study guides” and books that will help a person accomplish this. So far, I’ve tried at least three times… and I once did pretty well until almost the end of May! I may still try this again, but for now, I’m learning that I get bogged down in the process and lose focus on the message! So I am letting God lead my study, as in rediscovering notes I made on sermons, and scripture passages that I jotted down… and He is reminding me of old messages – and new insights.
Having said all of this, I did learn from my attempts to study the entire Bible in one year. The study guide I used suggested reading a passage each day from the Old Testament, the New Testament, and one from Proverbs. And the profound lesson I got from this was how the laws and rituals of the Old Testament were virtually all made new by the coming of Jesus in the New Testament. No longer do we have to make living sacrifices to God for our sins… Jesus was the ultimate Living Sacrifice. We don’t need priests and prophets to intercede with God on our behalf… we can speak to Him directly. We don’t have to follow rituals and rites as laid down in the writings and teachings of the old rulers and leaders… all we have to do is open our mouth and our heart… and let Jesus enter and do His work in and through us.
We are told that the tongue holds the power over life and death… and this is incredibly true when we speak up – and out – for Jesus! His Holy Spirit is as close as a whisper… His presence is as near as calling, “Come, LORD Jesus… forgive me... fill me with your Holy Spirit, and make me whole.”
Whenever we have a problem, we don’t have to consult a book of laws. We don’t need to perform a hand or foot washing, sacrifice a newborn lamb, or hide in a closet for a week of purification. We simply need to open our mouth and ask God to help us. Remember the verse in this passage that says, “The word that saves is right here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.” You are never alone… never helpless or hopeless… never forgotten. Your answers are a few well-chosen words away.
Call on God to give you the answers and wisdom you seek today. Ask Jesus to be the LORD of your life and fill you with His Holy Spirit. Carry Him closely in your heart… just a whisper away at all times… and when He answers, thank Him for setting things right.
©2012 Debbie Robus
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