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Sunday, March 6, 2016
Thoughts on Romans - Day 27
Romans 10:6-13
But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down) 7 “or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). 8 But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 9 If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved. 11 As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, 13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."
Where can you get saved? Seems like a silly question but people all over the world stumble over it. Some go on pilgrimages to the Holy land to find God. Some get baptized in the Jordan River. Some go to Mecca. Get this, some even go to Church or their pastor's house. Paul says that you can climb to the highest mountain (isn't that where they always find the holy man in the movies?) or you can try to find Him at the center of the Earth (wouldn't you find the other guy there?) or anywhere in between, but the fact of the matter is that God is omnipresent. If you are wanting to find Him, believe me, He is already all over you. All you have to do is reach out to Him. So many people have children that want to get saved and they wait until Church to bring them to the pastor. No! Pray with them right there. God is no more in the Church than He is in your child's bedroom.
What do I mean by reaching out to Him? You talk to Him. That is part of Faith, to believe that when you are talking to thin air, you aren't crazy - there is One listening and loving it. The tongue is part of the body which is controlled by our sin nature. What we are doing is saying I used to use my tongue to get what I wanted to satisfy my lusts. Now I am surrendering my body to You to pursue what You want. That is why the tongue says "Jesus is Lord or master". The next part is your heart. I see that as the soul or seat of your mind, will, and emotions. In the past the body told the mind or soul to get it the lusts that it was craving and the heart or soul would figure out a safe way to get it done. Now the heart is convinced that it is sinful and Jesus died and rose from the dead and it tells the flesh that it is time for a change. It sends a message to the tongue (body) to cry out to God to take control and God listens. He sends His Holy Spirit inside to transform the mind which then transforms the body.
It sounds complex but looks like this, "God I realize I am a sinner. I have been living for my own desires and now I want to live for You. I know my sins deserve death but I believe Your Son lived a sinless life and died the death I deserve. I believe that and cry out to You to save me. Put Your life inside of me and transform me from the inside out. Amen" You don't have to go to Church or to a mountain or go to the abyss. Pray it wherever you are. God will hear and do it.
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