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. 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. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.” For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
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 madisonthem? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” (9-15).
Declare and Believe… and you will be saved. Acknowledge the Lordship of Jesus and follow the teachings of and about Jesus… and you will be saved. Such is the essence of the gospel message. This simple ‘formula’ is for everyone. No favorites, no special cases. It is the simple truth for everyone.
But for people to take advantage of the gospel message people have to tell others so that they can believe. And for this to happen people have to go to others to tell them…
One aspect of the miracle of the gospel is that God uses regular people like you and me. We need to go and tell others so they can declare and believe.
“Go and tell that others may declare and believe”.
I don’t know if the core of the Christian faith can be expressed more simply.
Question is, how are we doing in living out the core?
Four verbs pose the Spirit’s inquiry to me this morning…
· Declare; Have I, have you, declared, acknowledged, told people that Jesus is Lord of your life
· Believe; Do you, do I, believe what the Bible teaches about Jesus?… that He died and was raised again, He is God’s one and only Son, etc.…
· Go; Have you walked across the room or the world to tell people about Jesus?
· Tell; Can you explain the gospel is simple terms that others might believe?
Such is the essence of the faith…
Think about it.
Lord God, I have those aspects of the above that I am decent at and some parts not so good. Help me to grow my weak areas so that my overall effectiveness in sharing Your gospel will grow. In Jesus name I pray. Amen.
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