Thank You, Father, for good times of worship this morning. I am abundantly blessed. May I be a tool in Your hand accomplishing what You deem best! Amen!
Romans 10:5-13 (<<click here to read the passage)
One thing that frustrates me is the tasks I have to complete that are so involved and complicated. It seems they could easily be simplified, which would benefit everyone!
One task is filing my taxes. It’s crazy! All the questions and the required statistics. Maybe some find it simple but I, for one, do not! I despise doing them. Just give us a flat tax already!
Church paperwork is another area that comes very close to giving me an anxiety attack! Just about everything involved in the process stresses me out. I have yet to meet anyone in any church or in any place of leadership that likes doing any of it!
But the necessary “evils” of the world in which we live… They are important to take seriously and complete if things are to move forward and function in the way we need them to.
There’s one more thing that seems to get overwhelmingly complicated, yet, it is one of the simplest things we can do…seeking and finding our salvation before God. In this passage from Romans Paul once again speaks of the futility of trying to abide by all the rules and regulations of the Law.
For that to work, we cannot break a single rule or regulation…not even one! It is impossible! It can not be done! But many Jews and Christians alike throughout the millennia have got it in their heads that can or will die trying! And that’s exactly what they will do…they will die trying…and they will never succeed…
So, what is the answer? Paul spelled it out very clearly, and God’s Word through Paul says it better than I ever could. (Please, take the time to read through these words with great patience and thought.)
“The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart”—that is, the word [the message, the basis] of faith which we preach—because if you acknowledge and confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord [recognizing His power, authority, and majesty as God], and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart a person believes [in Christ as Savior] resulting in his justification [that is, being made righteous—being freed of the guilt of sin and made acceptable to God]; and with the mouth he acknowledges and confesses [his faith openly], resulting in and confirming [his] salvation. For the Scripture says, “Whoever believes in Him [whoever adheres to, trusts in, and relies on Him] will not be disappointed [in his expectations].” For there is no distinction between Jew and Gentile; for the same Lord is Lord over all [of us], and [He is] abounding in riches (blessings) for all who call on Him [in faith and prayer]. For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord [in prayer] will be saved.” vs8-13 AMP
We make it complicated, but it is not. May God’s Word ring true in our hearts and minds!
July 16th, 2023, Sun, 8:04 pm
