On Mission to spread the Good News
Romans 10:8-10 But what does it say? “The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart” (that is, the word of faith which we preach): 9 that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
My heart is on missions this morning; from spending time with friends headed on mission last night, to my son pouring his heart out to God in a prayer letter after we got home, to where I have been in God’s Word in Romans the past couple of days. Presenting the Gospel to those that will hear; to give hope to those that desire it; to present the understanding that one can never perform enough good works to enter into heaven; the Gospel of Grace. Paul has been pouring out his heart for his countrymen; for their err in seeking to obtain righteousness through following the word of the Law. The Law had been satisfied by Christ, their Messiah had come and now they are to follow Him, not the Law that pointed to Him. Their are two types of righteousness; a works based, and a faith based. Works is based in self and pride; faith is based in the heart and Grace. John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. If you feel that you can in any way, earn your way, you are going headlong against Christ and the Gospel of Grace.
I grew up going to church every Sunday. Somewhere in there I began believing that you went to heaven because you went to church. So whatever I did during the week was ok, or forgiven, if I made it to church on Sunday. Sadly the largest denomination today still preaches this works based faith system. Their is no number of “hail Mary’s” that will ever pay your sin debt; only a humble heart that confesses sins to the Savior of them through Grace will be saved. How could a missionary go into the far reaches of the world and preach a Salvation that required works? The only Salvation that saves is the one accessible to all; one that is through faith in Jesus Christ that came, died, and rose from the dead to pay for your sins; past, present, and future. The gospel of Grace is obtainable to all that will hear, all that God is tugging on their heart, opening that door of hope that is available to all.
What do you believe? Do you think that the better you are as a person, the more likely you are to enter into heaven? Do you think that your good works will outweigh your bad on God’s scales for eternity? Do you think that because you know right from wrong, and that you feel you are just good enough, that God will let you in? God doesn’t let just good enough in, he only let’s in those that have accepted the free gift he gave them in the understanding of the sacrifice of his Son. He will ask you upon judgement day what you did with the knowledge of that sacrifice? How will you answer?
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