Romans 10
Hey guys, it's Philip Organ filling in for the busiest man alive. Paul continues the conversation from chapter 9 about faith vs. following the law, and then speaks to some very important truths in this chapter. I just wanted to start this week's blog by asking a few questions that I heard as I read this chapter:
1) Do the descriptions of the Israelites in this passage sound a little like us? (Disobedient and Rebellious, misdirected zeal, clinging to their own way instead of God's)
2) Are we living sent lives, or are we sharing the gospel in our comfort zones?
3) How can someone believe if they haven't heard, and how do we know if they have heard?
I think Paul was teaching me through these questions, and causing me to look at myself and figure out where I stand on these topics, and more importantly, what am I doing about it.
Ultimately, to me this passage speaks to some fundamental truths of our walk with Christ, and that is that we must hear, believe, and confess to find the salvation that is offered to us through faith. Do you remember, or can you put your finger on when you heard the Gospel? Maybe you are like me in that you were raised in the church and so it was not very far away. Can you recall when you chose to believe what you had heard? If you are like me, you rode the coat tails of your parents' faith, followed their rules, and therefore you felt like a "Christian" all along. But when did you choose for yourself that these truths meant something more to you? Can you remember the last time you confessed? If you are like me, you are not repentant enough and allow sin to cripple you and you get complacent and forget to confess. I needed to be reminded of this today, what did you find in this passage?
Philip
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When my dad was 12 years old, his parents, decided that their family was going to be Jehovah's Witnesses. My dad attended the services, but grew up denying that this was his Faith, because he didn't believe in it, at all. He wasn't sure what religion he was, but he had Faith, and his heart told him that this was not it. He tells stories of my grandfather taking him out to "speak to neighborhoods" and while my grandfather would wait in the car, my dad would pretend like he was knocking on someone's door, because he didn't want anyone to answer for fear that he would have to profess something to them that he truly didn't believe in. After a few homes my grandfather caught on and told my dad that it wasn't likely that out of all the doors he knocked on, nobody was home. My dad didn't raise us in the Church, because he didn't want to push his beliefs, or lack there of, on his children. He wanted us to be able to determine that for ourselves. I think there is a part of us that knows in our hearts that there is something specific we believe in, that we seek, but just haven't heard the Word in the form that coincides with what's in our heart.
ReplyDeleteMy step-mother of 23 years is Jewish. I attended Temple as a younger child, and knew that their beliefs were not mine, either. I had Muslim friends in college, as well as Morman, and other various religions. I went through the younger part of my life not knowing what I believed, but knowing that these things were something I didn't believe in.
When I started coming to the Journey I knew that what I was hearing was pulling my Faith in God, in a direction that I felt so connected with. I feel in my heart I was always a Christian, I just didn't know it. And I believe the challenge that "new Christians" are faced with, is the fact that we feel we are not armored with enough scripture, or the knowledge to be preaching the Word to others. When non-believers, or non-practicing Faith based people, find out you are attending Church, and they see a radical change in you, the first thing they want to do is grill you with the unanswered questions of the spiritual world, and it is intimidating- and I think that's why we often only share the gospel in our comfort zones.
Reading this makes me think of what Ryan preached about on Sunday. The question of would you follow someone who came and asked you to drop everything and follow him. I think it comes down to knowing who is doing the asking. Like Molly said she didn't know God but when she felt him and saw him she knew it was good and right.
ReplyDeleteI think that is how it is supposed to be we follow because we can tell it is truth. Faith is believing in what we can't see but we are believing in what God tells us and what he allows us to feel.
I thought really hard about that question and I think that I would follow if God asked me to leave everything. I have to trust that he sees the whole picture. I also think I would cry and ask questions as I followed him, and I would plead with God to watch over my family, but I would go.
Sorry if that is off topic... just what came into my mind while reading about being zealous and having faith.
I was reading an article not long ago that said practically all religions of the world go under the word (DO) except for christianity and it goes under the word (DONE). I believe this is sort of what Paul is saying in verse three and four. Christ put an end to self seeking righteousness.
ReplyDeleteGod's word teaches us that the only way we can please him is through Christ. Our only chance is to keep our eyes on him no matter what the world or people in it do. So often we take our eyes off Jesus because of people and the weight of burdens. Many times people can be so selfish, self-conscious, and self-centered. Many Christians aren't much better. I pray that I myself stay focused on him and not be of the world.
Life is always going to have it's storms but we can keep our eyes on Jesus. None of life's burdens will matter anyway 100 years from now.
21-"All day long I opened my arms to them, but they were disobedient and rebellious."
ReplyDeleteHow many times do we miss God moving in our lives because we're disobedient and rebellious? I'm sure we're all guilty of it. How much easier would Life be if we'd quit being stubborn and do what He wants?
This is a hard chapter because I can relate to both the Israelites and the Gentiles. There are times when my rebellion is strong and my faith weakens because of it. I want to go my own way or I fight against God when He doesn't answer a prayer the way I want. But, I'm so thankful for the Spirit of conviction when those times come and I can be renewed before God again.
ReplyDeleteGod's sovereignty is something I'm actively trying to understand and learn more about. It's evident in this chapter. While the Israelites chose rebellion, God is using that rebellion to bring about good so that more people, Gentiles like us, can be saved! What an amazing gift! It further drives home the point of Romans 8:28!
Philip, I know where you're coming from with how you grew up and riding your parents coat tails of faith. My walk was similar. It wasn't until I was married and Shawn and I were searching for our own church, that I started asking myself what do I really believe about God? Our time at the Journey has been pivotal in developing my faith. Last year, I was baptized for the second time in my life. I was baptized when I was 9 and I know I didn't fully understand what I was doing. My friends were getting baptized and I think that motivated me a lot. I felt God with me as I was growing up but I think I had a distorted view of him. Last year, a lot of things came together and I felt like I finally understood what it meant to be washed clean and be a new creation in Christ. And I felt the Holy Spirit heavily weighing on me to do it. I look back on that time a lot. Weeks before, a lady at the Journey was baptized and her testimony really spoke to me, which got the steps into motion for me to make that decision. After I was baptized, I had a friend who was baptized a few weeks later and she said that my testimony spoke to her and that started things in motion for her. It's amazing how God is actively moving and working through us to save His people! One step of faith can set a movement in motion that may not have otherwise happened.
Reading this chapter reminded me alot of my own church experiences. I was raised in mostly Church of God/Pentecostal churches. There was always ALOT going on during praise and worship and the message that I didnt understand, but accepted because it was what I was used to. As I became an adult I started to wonder why I didnt speak in tongues and why I couldnt "get a word" from God to speak over someone's life or why I didnt have the gift of prophetic words and I somehow thought I wasnt "right" enough with God and couldnt receive it. I thought this for many many years. I knew I loved God, I knew I served Him, lived my life for Him, but I just figured I didnt have something in order otherwise I would have gotten the gifts. I can remember sitting in prayer circles and everyone in the circle would just be rolling it out like water and I would feel like a freak and somehow unworthy to even be sitting there. I couldnt put my finger on what I needed to do because as hard as I prayed...not once ever did I bust out in tongues. It wasnt until I came to the Journey three years ago that I realized that those things didnt have to present in order for me to feel God around me and know that I do have his grace and love and that if I never receive those gifts, I will still have his grace and love. I think like Philip I wanted those things because it was how I was raised and it wasnt until I became an adult and started to seek things out for myself that I realized I wanted them for the wrong reasons. I thought I needed them to fit in at church and be as "religious" as everyone else, when really all I needed was to seek God.
ReplyDeleteWhen I read this I think about the world around us. We live in a very self-centered, I want what I want right now world. Sometimes it is hard for me to follow God, lean on his understanding, and understand why my prayers are not answered in my time and on my terms because most worldly things I can get in my time and on my terms. This is when I have to step back and remember that he has it all under control and he knows MUCH better than I. We have to trust him and continue to follow him to the best of our abilities. We will not always be perfect, we will be rebelious, we will be disobediant, but as long as we continue to move ourselves back on the right track and praise Him and follow Him, he will reward us with his blessings and we will see what wonderful things he has in store for us.
ReplyDeleteGood thoughts everyone. Philip, thanks for doing the blog this week. It helped me out a lot, with getting everything ready for this weekend.
ReplyDeleteUltimately, this chapter, for me, goes back to the law. The law is good. Remember that. It is NOT bad. It's just unattainable. The law was not given to us to show our sin and misgivings. It was given to us to show God's righteousness. Because God IS the law. And it was given to show how, because of our sin, we could not be like God. Therefore, God became flesh, to fulfill His own law.
What Paul was ultimately trying to get everyone to understand was: you cannot live up to the law. And thinking that because you live a morally good life and "most of the time" kept "most" of the commandments, did not make you right with God. Not even when they went through their ritual of sacrifice. A debt needed to be paid. One that we, not matter how good we are, cannot pay. It had to be paid by someone who could live the law, blamelessly.
If you guys read my post this week on my blog, I get into this a little more. Paul was ultimately telling these people that even if they were a morally good person, and even if they could for the most part follow the law, and yet deny Jesus.... they were liars to call themselves right with God. As are we, if we choose to live that way. And what's more.... by doing so, you call Jesus a Liar!
Don't live by the law, break all the rules, right? WRONG! The rules we have today have drastically changed from biblical times. I believe we "accept" a lot more, so and so slept with so and so, no big deal. Yeah, it is a big deal! I know we are called to not judge, but we are also called to stand up for what is right. I haven't been to seminar and am not very book smart, but I believe that judgement is the issue here. God is a forgiving God who knows we make mistakes and fail but accepts us with loving arms. "Getting right with God," meant following the rules but what many failed to realize was they couldn't judge others for their actions, that was God's job. God will speak to those of us who continually wrong God's neverfailing goodness, yes, sometimes it is through a wise word from a friend. We have to stay in prayer, follow God's will, and listen to Him. If we do that, we will have no room to judge, become wise enough to know when to speak up, and will follow God, not rules.
ReplyDeleteIt is wonderful that our salvation is driven from our faith and the proclamation that Jesus is Lord. I love how verse 10 states “It is with your heart that you believe and are justified”. God knows our hearts and with Jesus completing the law it is a huge blessing in that this completion allows us to connect through faith and belief. With the law and man’s legalistic ways of life it had to have been difficult to connect and remain sincere. But Jesus gave a great gift.
ReplyDeleteI have trouble understanding what role the law should play today: the Ten Commandments are still relevant, food laws are not relevant, punishment is toned down as we all have sin, dress and social laws are not practiced. I do not fully understand this transition but I pray to continue to gain understanding of the gifts Jesus gave.