Romans 10:14-21
How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!”
16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did:
“Their voice has gone out into all the earth,
their words to the ends of the world.”
their words to the ends of the world.”
19 Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says,
“I will make you envious by those who are not a nation;
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”
I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding.”
20 And Isaiah boldly says,
“I was found by those who did not seek me;
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”
I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me.”
21 But concerning Israel he says,
“All day long I have held out my hands
to a disobedient and obstinate people."
to a disobedient and obstinate people."
Paul says that this message of salvation that we talked about yesterday which penetrates our hearts to convince us that we are headed in the wrong direction, which goes to our mouth crying out to God for salvation, that message is "Heard through the word about Christ". He even tries to illustrate his point by referencing 6 portions of scripture in this small passage. The Bible/scripture/word of God is essential for true conversion. Let me develop this.
I was contemplating yesterday ,after discussing the whole process of salvation, why would the mind which is bent on meeting the lusts of the body, decide to change it's pattern of taking orders from the outside to receiving the Spirit and taking orders from the inside? What would make it give up control?
Unfortunately, the first reason is- receiving a new master is initiated by the body. It's goal is pleasure. comfort, power, safety,etc. and when it hears about eternal life, Heaven, pleasures forevermore and the alternative is hell, it sends a message to the mind saying "Get that!" That is why tent revivals, Judgment House, Heavens Gates and Hells Flames drama, etc. get people to come forward. Now it is possible that God tricks our flesh into letting Him in and once in, the Holy Spirit starts working from the inside changing the mind but more likely is that He doesn't come in. However the good thing is that those people who "prayed the prayer" will now play the role for a little while and go to church, youth group, Bible studies, where they will hear the "word about Christ," "The good news",and that message , the Bible which comes in power (Heb.4:12) will convince them of their need for a savior and a new mind, heart, direction.
The second reason is a little more noble but still not too different from the first. The mind decides that following the body's orders has not worked out beneficially. It has led to divorce, bankruptcy, jail, medical problems, etc. and the mind decides the body and its' lusts is not worth following. This is why the most effective time to witness to people is when they have hit rock bottom. They are ready for a new master. Unfortunately, this is still feeding the flesh in a way because the flesh wants a better life for itself. If these conversions aren't discipled, getting them into "the Word" which is powerful and alive and transforms, once situations get better, they will resume living from the outside in. This is why so many prison conversions don't take. This is why men whose wives left them for bad behavior, weep, go to Church, go to the pastor, "get saved", and then their wife comes back to them and 4 months later the wife realizes that nothing has changed.
This has led reformers to conclude that the only non-flesh initiated salvation must happen by the Spirit of God coming in prior to making a decision. Thus we are actually saved before we "pray the prayer". It is only through the Spirit that we can call out to God to save us. This certainly would explain why the soul, mind, heart would start taking orders from a new master but once again, as we have talked about last chapter, violates free will/choice which God deems so important that He put a tree in the garden and gave Lucifer a free will to choose creating a whole chain of events causing the death of His son which He knew would happen before He even created Lucifer or Adam and Eve.
So where does that leave us? Well, I do believe God uses our self centeredness, as in points 1 and 2 to lead us to a place where our souls hear the word of God and genuinely repent as the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to penetrate through the flesh (body + soul). I also feel that as Christians live a Godly life as seen by non-Christians or as Christians reason intellectually with non-Christians, non-Christians will file this info in the back of their minds and when the Word of God penetrates their hearts, those examples or words spoken or kind deeds done to them will serve as adjuncts to convince their minds that they have been following the wrong master. It is not living Godly lives nor apologetics or reason that win lost people to the Lord, it is the Word of God through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. However, actions and words serve as the confirmation to the unbeliever that there is truth to the Word. As I think about this it is sort of like radiation therapy. The Bible acts like radiation waves. It penetrates past the outer body straight to the essential area. Just like there substances you can give to a person to make the tumor more sensitive to radiation, so the example of your life and the reasoning with them serve as potentiators to the Word of God as it hits their souls.
Bottom line, how is this practical to me. First pray specifically for unbelievers. The Holy Spirit must enable their souls to hear the Word as it comes to them and I believe our prayers are instrumental in that. Number 2 is memorize or use the Bible when sharing the Gospel. It is more than just a collection of historical and eyewitness accounts. It is the living, powerful word of God that goes directly to people's souls. Number 3 attend a Church that preaches the Word. Number 4 support ministries that are focused on the Bible whether it is printing, translating, dispersing, or involved with discipling through Bible studies.
This has led reformers to conclude that the only non-flesh initiated salvation must happen by the Spirit of God coming in prior to making a decision. Thus we are actually saved before we "pray the prayer". It is only through the Spirit that we can call out to God to save us. This certainly would explain why the soul, mind, heart would start taking orders from a new master but once again, as we have talked about last chapter, violates free will/choice which God deems so important that He put a tree in the garden and gave Lucifer a free will to choose creating a whole chain of events causing the death of His son which He knew would happen before He even created Lucifer or Adam and Eve.
So where does that leave us? Well, I do believe God uses our self centeredness, as in points 1 and 2 to lead us to a place where our souls hear the word of God and genuinely repent as the Holy Spirit uses the Bible to penetrate through the flesh (body + soul). I also feel that as Christians live a Godly life as seen by non-Christians or as Christians reason intellectually with non-Christians, non-Christians will file this info in the back of their minds and when the Word of God penetrates their hearts, those examples or words spoken or kind deeds done to them will serve as adjuncts to convince their minds that they have been following the wrong master. It is not living Godly lives nor apologetics or reason that win lost people to the Lord, it is the Word of God through the convicting power of the Holy Spirit. However, actions and words serve as the confirmation to the unbeliever that there is truth to the Word. As I think about this it is sort of like radiation therapy. The Bible acts like radiation waves. It penetrates past the outer body straight to the essential area. Just like there substances you can give to a person to make the tumor more sensitive to radiation, so the example of your life and the reasoning with them serve as potentiators to the Word of God as it hits their souls.
Bottom line, how is this practical to me. First pray specifically for unbelievers. The Holy Spirit must enable their souls to hear the Word as it comes to them and I believe our prayers are instrumental in that. Number 2 is memorize or use the Bible when sharing the Gospel. It is more than just a collection of historical and eyewitness accounts. It is the living, powerful word of God that goes directly to people's souls. Number 3 attend a Church that preaches the Word. Number 4 support ministries that are focused on the Bible whether it is printing, translating, dispersing, or involved with discipling through Bible studies.
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