Monday, May 29, 2017

Be Not Silenced

Today’s Bible Reading:  Proverbs 10-12; Romans 10

Journal Entry on a passage from today’s reading:
Topic: Salvation



SCRIPTURE:  Romans 10:9-13

9 …if you confess 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 confess and are saved. 11 As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts 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."
(Rom 10:9-13 NIV)


OBSERVATION:

There is lot to observe in these five verses from Romans 10:
-          Salvation and blessings are available to everyone—no exclusions (vv. 12-13).
-          Salvation is received by heartfelt belief and outspoken profession of that belief—no covert Christians (vv. 9-10).
-          Those who have believed that Jesus is Lord are freed of guilt and shame—forever  (v. 11).

Paul supports his assertions from the writings of the Prophets: Isaiah declares, “…what the sovereign Lord says… ‘I lay a… precious cornerstone for a sure foundation (a reference to the Messiah Savior); the one who trusts will never be dismayed’” (Isaiah 28:16 NIV). Joel proclaims, “…everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Joel 2:32 NIV). These are great assurances for believers; however, while in the Lord’s eyes we have no shame, we yet abide in a fallen world that attempts to shame us for our belief and we must recognize the distinction lest we become disheartened and silenced.

The prevalent progressive philosophy today in 2017 ridicules any belief in absolute truth. The claim of Christianity and the claim of Christ Jesus himself, that He is the only way to have relationship with God, or to reach heaven after this earthly life, is scorned by the world and even by some calling themselves Christians. These people do not believe in absolutes. They either believe there is no God or that, if He does exist, he has no concern for human activity. To believe as such, it is therefore up to we humans to establish our own ideals of morality and values in life, and we make up and change the rules as we go along. The prevailing progressive wisdom of the day asserts that mutually exclusive claims of truth can be true at the same time. They would argue that what’s true for one person may not be true for another person. This is different from a commendable attitude of respecting another person’s point of view that may be different from your own. They propose that all religions can be true at the same time (a logical impossibility) and insist that whatever belief system any person believes must not only be respected, but endorsed. Those who do not agree with this universalistic philosophy must be shamed and silenced.   


APPLICATION:                                        

Paul says that when we believe in our hearts that Jesus is the living Lord raised from the dead and speak that belief out loud, we are saved. This is not just a mental assent, but a deep, genuine and abiding belief that we live by. Part of this belief is that we are to love all people just as God does and lovingly share this absolute truth with the world—we are not to be silent about it! And therein lies the rub. It will increasingly take more courage to stand up without malice and state as did the apostles in their day, “We must obey God rather than men” (Acts 5:29 NIV).  


PRAYER:

Lord grant me and fellow believers near and far an unwavering love for each other and for those who do not believe. Grant us well founded and deep rooted persistence to stand firm amidst ever-increasing winds of war against us. Grant us supernatural strength and courage to not only stand firm, but to advance in the face of opposition to enlarge Your kingdom in the hearts and lives of humanity.

Through the life You give us in Christ and the power available to us in Your Holy Spirit. Amen.  –AP

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