Romans 10:4-10 The Message,
Did you know the written Law or Word of God was a revelation of humanity’s need for salvation? The written Law revealed God’s righteous standard, as well as humanity’s sinful nature and inability to obey the Word. It was helpful to reveal the character of God, but because we could not obey it, the Law could not save us from spiritual death. So, God sent His Son—the Living Word—as the final revelation for salvation. In Christ, sin and death is finished; salvation is complete. When we accept Christ’s work on the cross, the Word becomes written on our hearts. That Word goes to work in order to bring our souls into agreement with the righteousness of God. The Word sets things right in our lives, but we must trust the Lord to do it. Put yourself in the Hand of God.
Romans 10:4-10
The earlier revelation was intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right for those who trust him to do it. 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.
Prayer: Lord, I welcome you to work in my life to bring all things into right relationship with you. Fill my heart and mouth with your Word; then my life will overflow with your love. In Jesus’ name. Amen.