From the Message
Romans 10:9-10:4 -10
The earlier revelation was
intended simply to get us ready for the Messiah, who then puts everything right
for those who trust him to do it. Moses
wrote that anyone who insists on using the law code to live right before God
soon discovers it's not so easy - every detail of life regulated by fine print!
But trusting God to shape the right
living in us is a different story - no precarious climb up to heaven to recruit
the Messiah, no dangerous descent into hell to rescue the Messiah. So what exactly was Moses saying?
The word that saves is right
here, as near as the tongue in your mouth, as close as the heart in your chest.
It's the word of faith that welcomes God to go to work and set things right for
us. This is the core of our preaching. Say the welcoming word to God - "Jesus
is my Master" - embracing, body and soul, God's work of doing in us what he
did in raising Jesus from the dead. That's
it. You're not "doing" anything; you're simply calling out to God, trusting
him to do it for you. That's salvation. With your whole being you embrace God
setting things right, and then you say it, right out loud: "God has set
everything right between him and me!" We are fortunate to live in this time - in
this place. We have the opportunity to
worship freely-without fear of persecution. We have a beautiful church in which to glorify
God and enough opportunities to be able to attend several times a month in our
busy lives-yet we don’t always take them. We have heard about Cindy Marcus’ journey to
Dear Lord - if even at no
other time can I get away - please let me make it a priority this Lenten season
- let me give up on sin and give time to you.
Amen.
-Denise Clayton