Wednesday Devo
Scripture:
Romans 10:9-10
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
9 If you openly declare that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. 10 For it is by believing in your heart that you are made right with God, and it is by openly declaring your faith that you are saved.
Commentary:
10:9–10 If you confess with your mouth does not mean that a spoken affirmation of one’s faith is a “work” that merits justification, but such confession does give outward evidence of inward faith, and often confirms that faith to the speaker himself. that God raised him from the dead. Paul does not mean that people need to believe only this individual event with no understanding of Christ’s death, but rather they need to believe in the resurrection along with the whole complex of truth connected with it, particularly Jesus’ sin-bearing death in mankind’s place, followed by his resurrection that showed God the Father’s approval of Christ’s work. with the heart one believes. Saving faith is not mere intellectual agreement but deep inward trust in Christ at the core of one’s being.
Questions:
- Once you ADMIT that you are a sinner, and BELIEVE that Jesus came to pay your fine, you are ready to CONFESS. This is the part where so many get things twisted. Confessing with your mouth and believing Jesus was raised from the dead doesn't mean that some magic words you say combined with believing that an event took place automatically means you're in the club! James says in James 2 that even the demons believe this and that faith, if not accompanied by good works, is USELESS. Why do you think that so many people think that simply praying a prayer automatically means they are good with God? How would you prove to someone that your own life displays evidence that you have actually made Jesus LORD of your life?
- A REAL faith is a TRUSTING faith. Brandon told the story of the tightrope walker from the 1800s, Charles Blondin. When he asked the crowd if they believed he could walk the tightrope across Niagara Falls pushing someone in a wheelbarrow, they all said, "YES! WE BELIEVE!" But when he asked for a volunteer, it was a different story. This is a great picture of what putting trust in Jesus actually looks like. Have you gotten into the wheel barrow with Jesus? What about when you use this standard to assess other people in your life and where they might stand with God? Are there any you are worried about? How can you take a baby step with them this week towards sharing Jesus with them?
Pray:
- That you would stay in the wheelbarrow with Jesus.
- That you would be moved to pray for lost people in your life daily and look for opportunities to share with them.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
2. Are there sources outside the Bible that confirm the Biblical account of Jesus’ resurrection from the dead? Many Roman and Jewish historians have confirmed that the apostles died as martyrs for preaching that they saw Jesus risen from the grave. No one dies for something they know to be a lie.
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
(Luke 1:1-4; Acts 26:26; 1 John 1:1-4, Josephus, Clement, Hegesippus, Tertullian, Origen, Polycarp)
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