Bible Study - Share (3) - The Message - Romans 10:8b-17 - May 9, 2021

 

Bible Study – Share (3) – The Message – May 9, 2021

This is lesson three (3) in our series entitled, “How to Share CHRIST.”

Our focus scripture is Romans 10:8b-17.

JESUS saves those who trust in HIM.

How do you build trust? You test it. We trust a bridge every time we cross it or sit in a chair or eat food and the list goes on. Salvation is taking a step of faith in the name of JESUS based upon the facts of GOD’S Word. When a person takes that step of faith in JESUS, it is confirmed by the Holy Spirit.

The Apostle Paul reveals to us how close salvation is to us. In Ephesians 1:18: ¹⁸ I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,

Where are the “eyes of your heart?” They are located at the core of our being where truth resides. We can fool people with what we claim to be truth but we cannot fool ourselves or GOD with what we perceive as truth. GOD’S desire is for us to know truth, live truth and share truth as HE Leads us. First of all, we must know GOD through faith in JESUS. How does a person do that?

You may have a friend or loved one who does not know JESUS as his or her Savior. WHO desires for that person to come into a Spirit-born relationship with GOD more than you do? GOD! When it comes to salvation, GOD is with you when you pray for the Spiritually lost and reach out to the Spiritually lost. GOD desires for all to know HIM and to come to the knowledge of the truth. What is the truth? Let’s read on in verses 5 and 6 ---

⁵ For there is one God and one mediator between God and mankind, the man Christ Jesus, ⁶ who gave himself as a ransom for all, a testimony at the proper time.

WHO reveals truth to you or to a person? It is the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit penetrates to the core of a person’s being. We who know the truth can be the instrument GOD uses to relate to a person in a physical way but GOD gives the increase and relates to that person in the “eyes of his or her heart.” This leads us into our focus scripture. Let’s explore!

Let’s read Romans 10:8b-10:

The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.^[f] This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 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 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 

Salvation is a two-step process - confess and believe as expressed in verse 9 or believe and confess as expressed in verse 10. The order is not important but the action is important and vital to salvation. JESUS is LORD and GOD raising JESUS from the physically dead confirms the fact that JESUS conquered both sin and the consequence of sin, eternal death. When a person accepts these facts and confesses them, this is salvation. Simple yet so hard for many to act upon. Why? It is because our enemy, Satan, battles for our souls. Do not allow Satan to win but ask GOD to reveal truth to you.

This is GOD’ plan of salvation. Salvation is within your grasp. The Holy Spirit penetrates to the core of our or a person’s being – “the eyes of our heart” or the very core of our being to reveal truth. In the core of our being is where GOD, via the indwelling Holy Spirit, meets with us to answer questions and reveal truth. It is here that every person makes a decision to either accept JESUS as his or her Savior or reject HIM. But before you reject HIM, I urge you to make your questions known to GOD and ask HIM to reveal truth to you and answer all of your questions. HE will because HE desires you to have a personal relationship with HIM, through faith in JESUS, more than any human.

The key is when you ask HIM to reveal truth, look where you are led to look and seek where you are led to seek. Discovering truth is often a Spiritual journey. As the Apostle Paul wrote “the message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart,” ask GOD to reveal it to you.

Confess that “Jesus is Lord” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead and you will be saved. ¹⁰ One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation.”

Why is this important? Let’s consider 1 John 4:2-4:

² This is how you know the Spirit of God: Every spirit that confesses that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, ³ but every spirit that does not confess Jesus^[a] is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming; even now it is already in the world.

⁴ You are from God, little children, and you have conquered them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

Once you become a Christian, through the miracle of Spiritual Birth, Satan will do all he can to discourage you and neutralize you from serving GOD. But always keep in mind that JESUS, WHO is in you, is greater than Satan who is in the world. JESUS is your Savior and has defeated Satan.

Do you recall 2 Corinthians 5:21: ²¹ He (GOD) made the one who did not know sin (JESUS) to be sin^[e] for us, so that in him we might (Spirit-born Christians) become the righteousness of God. 

No one earns salvation, it is a free gift from GOD through faith in JESUS.

When you are given a gift, what is your part? You have to reach out and accept it. Then it moves from the giver to you. Once you accept the gift, it is yours personally. Accept GOD’S gift of eternal life through faith in JESUS. This is the beginning of building an intimate, loving relationship with GOD as you learn of HIM and serve HIM.

Let’s read Romans 10: 11-13:

¹¹ For the Scripture says, Everyone who believes on him will not be put to shame,^[g] 12 since there is no distinction between Jew and Greek, because the same Lord of all richly blesses all who call on him. ¹³ For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.^[h]

In my life’s journey with my LORD JESUS, without a doubt, HE has had my back. JESUS knows all that is going on in the lives of those who place their faith in HIM. Life is much like walking through a field of landmines; knowing where to step and not step is vital. The Holy Spirit is our guide. The only criterion for having salvation and receiving the Holy Spirit is for each person to place his or her faith in JESUS. JESUS is available to every person, Jew or Greek/Gentile.

In John 5:24 – JESUS is speaking:

²⁴ “Truly I tell you, anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life and will not come under judgment but has passed from death to life.

Yes, salvation is as written above in verses 8b-10:

The message is near you, in your mouth and in your heart.^[f] This is the message of faith that we proclaim: 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 One believes with the heart, resulting in righteousness, and one confesses with the mouth, resulting in salvation. 

Let’s read Romans 10:14-17:

Israel’s Rejection of the Message

¹⁴ How, then, can they call on him they have not believed in? And how can they believe without hearing about him? And how can they hear without a preacher? ¹⁵ And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful^[i] are the feet of those who bring good news.^[j] 16 But not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord, who has believed our message?^[k] 17 So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.^[l] 

Every Christian is called by GOD to share the Good News of JESUS as led by the Holy Spirit. I have found that GOD leads those who know the truth to those seeking to know the truth or vice versa. This is why GOD calls all Christians to share the Good News of salvation through faith in JESUS to all. Many Jews had rejected JESUS as the promised Messiah but many had accepted HIM as their Savior. As Christians were are to share and it is GOD WHO gives the increase.

I know of those who have accepted JESUS as their Savior by reading the Bible. But generally, the message of salvation comes via some human form of communication. The Holy Spirit prepares every heart to hear the message of salvation. Think about that. The Holy Spirit goes in advance to prepare the hearts of those who are to receive salvation, therefore when you are urged to speak to a person regarding JESUS, do it, because the HOLY SPIRIT is already preparing that person’s heart.

¹⁷ So faith comes from what is heard, and what is heard comes through the message about Christ.^[l] 

When a person receives JESUS as his or her Savior, that is the beginning of Spiritual growth. All Christians are grafted into the living vine, JESUS, and grow Spiritually. Just as a new born baby needs to be loved, fed and nurtured, so do all Spirit-born Christians.

Christians need to feed upon the milk of GOD’S Word which is reading and studying the Bible. Scripture reveals in 1 Peter 2:2 - ² Like newborn infants, desire the pure milk of the word,^[a] so that by it you may grow up into your salvation, 

Salvation is the beginning process of Spiritual growth and maturing as a Christian. It is the Holy Spirit WHO teaches, enlightens and assures the Spirit-born Christians that they are secure in their faith in JESUS.

A new born baby is discovering the world. The same is true for new Spirit-born Christians. They are discovering what it means to move from knowing about JESUS to knowing JESUS. When you know JESUS in an intimate, loving, trusting relationship, your desire is to share JESUS with others. Why? It is because you know truth and truth is the solid foundation that is secure and eternal. Faith in JESUS is secure and eternal.

Do you recall Romans 8:1-17 (Note: Verse 16)

Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus,^[a] 2 because the law^[b] of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you^[c] free from the law^[d] of sin and death. ³ For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering,^[e] 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit. ⁵ For those who live according to the flesh have their minds set on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit have their minds set on the things of the Spirit. ⁶ Now the mindset of the flesh is death, but the mindset of the Spirit is life and peace. ⁷ The mindset of the flesh is hostile to God because it does not submit to God’s law. Indeed, it is unable to do so. ⁸ Those who are in the flesh cannot please God. ⁹ You, however, are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if indeed the Spirit of God lives in you. If anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to him. ¹⁰ Now if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin, but the Spirit^[f] gives life^[g] because of righteousness. ¹¹ And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead lives in you, then he who raised Christ from the dead will also bring your mortal bodies to life through^[h] his Spirit who lives in you.

The Holy Spirit’s Ministries

¹² So then, brothers and sisters, we are not obligated to the flesh to live according to the flesh, ¹³ because if you live according to the flesh, you are going to die. But if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. ¹⁴ For all those led by God’s Spirit are God’s sons. ¹⁵ For you did not receive a spirit of slavery to fall back into fear. Instead, you received the Spirit of adoption, by whom we cry out, “Abba,^[i] Father!” ¹⁶ The Spirit himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, ¹⁷ and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with him.

Folks this is Good News. This earthly life will soon pass but eternity never ends. Where do you want to spend eternity in Heaven with GOD/JESUS or in Hell? Choose wisely. Blessings!!!