"Again I ask: Did Israel not understand? First, Moses says, "I will make you envious by those who are not a nation; I will make you angry by a nation that has no understanding." And Isaiah boldly says, "I was found by those who did not seek me; I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me." But concerning Israel he says, "All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people" (Romans 10:19-21)

Understanding the message of Christ is the next step after hearing it. So Paul's logical question concerning Israel was; did they not understand this message? Israel was given the law and had the prophets and patriarchs as their guide. Israel had understanding of these things and lived daily by them. However they were so indoctrinated by the letter of the law they missed the fact that this was a type or shadow of Jesus ( Hebrews 10:1 ). (Meaning that the law only resembled the foreshadowed Messiah.)

Jesus rebuked the Pharisees in Matthew for this very thing, he said, "you nullify the word of God for the sake of your tradition. You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you: " 'These people honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. They worship me in vain; their teachings are but rules taught by men.' " ( Matthew 15:6-9 ). When we only have head knowledge about God then we take what he said and become legalistic about it. Israel was so wrapped up in their doctrine of the law that they made the word of God of no effect in their lives and in the lives of those around them.

Because they nullified the word of God by the letter of the law rather than the intent of the law and worshipped other Gods, Moses prophesied that God would make them angry by nations that did not have understanding. "They made me jealous by what is no god and angered me with their worthless idols. I will make them envious by those who are not a people; I will make them angry by a nation that has no understanding" ( Deuteronomy 32:21 ). People who are not instructed in religion and grow up having no preconceived notions about God will accept the gospel message with gladness. It is far easier to comprehend and accept at face value when religion isn't in the way telling you, you must participate in your redemption. The biggest lie we believe is that we must do something to be right with God, instead of accepting the fact that Jesus already did something.

Isaiah foretold this. He saw that Gentiles would come to Jesus and accept the gospel message and Israel would reject it. "I revealed myself to those who did not ask for me; I was found by those who did not seek me. To a nation that did not call on my name, I said, 'Here am I, here am I.' "All day long I have held out my hands to an obstinate people, who walk in ways not good, pursuing their own imaginations" ( Isaiah 65:1-2 ). The difference between the two is that the Gentiles know they will never be good enough for God on their own, but Israel has not understood this yet. All they see is the literal letter of the law and not the embodiment of law which is Jesus who fulfilled the letter. . Patiently God waits and calls for them to understand his message. Jesus is the promised Messiah who gives us the righteousness of the Law by grace .

This has implications for us today. We can start out through faith in Jesus only to be yoked once again to the rules (or "law"). It is important to understand the truth of Jesus and what he did for you as a basis of how to live. We have died to the law through faith in Christ so we are free to live by the Spirit. Paul said in Galatians, "I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness could be gained through the law, Christ died for nothing!" ( Galatians 2:20-21 ). If we go back to religion, to the rules and doctrines of men, after we accept this marvelous grace then Christ died for nothing.  We can nullify the word of God in our hearts by living according to man's rules and regulations. What a harsh reality.

This is why Jesus gave us the Holy Spirit to live by, to protect us from going back to the old way. We do not need the law because we have a perfect guide living inside us directing and steering us in the way of God. He has written himself upon our hearts so that we do not have to live by the letter, for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life (II Corinthians 3:6). Paul has written extensively throughout the New Testament, that living by the Spirit will not gratify the flesh. But, in living by the Spirit we will experience the freedom which Christ purchased for us and God desires us to have,  for "where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom" ( II Corinthians 3:17 ).

Today, it is my prayer that you are free. Free from religion, free from the law, free from the doctrines of men and free to live for Jesus. I pray that you will understand this freedom and shake off everything that keeps you in chains. You were called to walk in this glorious liberty in Christ, may you understand this calling and fulfill it according to his riches and grace, amen.

"But I ask: Did they not hear? Of course they did: "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world" (Romans 10:18)

If faith comes from hearing the message of Christ, it only makes sense to ask the question whether or not Israel heard the message. Paul said not all of Israel has accepted the good news nor believed in it ( Romans 10:16 ). Was that because they hadn't heard the message of Christ?

In today's passage Paul stresses that they had in fact heard the message, he said, "Their voice has gone out into all the earth, their words to the ends of the world." The voice he is talking about is that of nature. It is bearing God's message and is proclaiming throughout the entire universe His existence. Romans 1 says, "what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities-his eternal power and divine nature-have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse" ( Romans 1:19, Romans 1:20 ). Nature testifies to the evidence of God, but does it testify to Jesus and the message that Israel was supposed to hear? Paul said it did.

Jesus was responsible for Creation. John said, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was with God in the beginning. Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" ( John 1:1-3 ). Jesus was the one who made everything so the heaves declare the glory of God because of Jesus. The skies proclaim the work of his hands ( Psalms 19:1 ). We cannot look at the majesty of the world around us and deny the fact of Jesus. Hebrews says, "In the past God spoke to our forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word" ( Hebrews 1:1-3 ). Jesus is the exact representation of God, but was made manifest to us. He made the entire universe and holds everything together by his powerful word. If we know God then we have evidence of Jesus. We have heard this message proclaimed and faith comes by hearing and hearing by the word of God.

So what about Israel, why did they not understand this message? They didn't understand it because they didn't know God in the first place. Jesus said in John 14, "Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father" ( John 14:9 ). So in the same way, if they knew the Father, they would have recognized the Son. Nathanael was proof of this. "When Jesus saw Nathanael approaching, he said of him, "Here is a true Israelite, in whom there is nothing false." ( John 1:47 ). Jesus recognized Nathanael and said here is a true descendant of Jacob according to the promise. What made him that way? It was because his heart was right with God. He knew God and it was evident in his lifestyle. In other words it was more than rules and regulations with Nathanael. So when he saw Jesus he said, "Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the King of Israel" ( John 1:49 ). He recognized him as the Messiah because God revealed it to him. This happened because his heart was right with God in the first place and he knew God. Remember, Jesus is the exact representation of the Father ( Hebrews 1:3 ). So the Israelites didn't receive the message of Jesus even though creation testified to him, on the basis of not knowing nor understanding God. They rejected God and followed the letter of the Law instead of the author of the Law.

This has implications for us today. We can miss heaven by eighteen inches. If what we know only remains in our head and doesn't penetrate into our heart then our entire life is in vain. Everything around us testifies to Jesus and understanding that he came from the Father to give us life and to bring us into relationship with him is too awesome to understand intellectually. We must understand this in faith and allow that to change our entire life. Faith comes by hearing and recognizing the message of Jesus.

Today I am so thankful for Jesus. I am thankful that he is the difference in my life. I am thankful that I can know and understand the Father through the Holy Spirit whom he's given me. Today, may you mix this message of grace with faith and be forever changed, amen.

"Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" (Romans 10:17)

 We all have faith in something, but what our faith is in depends on what or who we're listening to. If we listen to the world then chances are we have faith in the world's system. We will let it dictate our thoughts, our actions and even our bodies. However, if we depend on the word of God and what he has spoken to determine our present reality then we operate in an entirely different realm, the realm of victorious faith.

 Hebrews 11:6 says, "without faith it is impossible to please God..." so on this basis we can deduct that faith is what pleases God. The verse goes on to say, "because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him ( Hebrews 11:6 ). Believing in Jesus takes faith. In today's passage Paul tells us that faith comes through hearing the Word of God. Paul is talking about saving faith. The message of Christ is the only thing that can produces this type of faith. We must hear it, receive it, believe it and lastly confess it. This is "the word of faith we are proclaiming: 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 ( Romans 10:8, Romans 10:9 ). This marvelous miracle happens when you humbly receive the word of God planted in you that has the power to save you ( James 1:21 ).

The Word of God is a faith builder. The more you hear it, the more encouraged in your faith you become. The word of God is likened unto a seed that is sown into our hearts. If we receive and cultivate the soil in which it is planted, the seed will yield proportionally to what was sown ( Matthew 13:23, Mark 4:14-20, Luke 8:11-15 ). This is the law of harvest, what is reaped is not a 1:1 ratio of seed to fruit. One seed will bear much fruit if the conditions are right. And the fruit will contain more seed regenerating itself. In the same way, the word of God planted in your heart will bring its abundance into your life proportionally to what has been sown. And the fruit of these blessings will regenerate into the lives of others.

Planting the word of God into your heart is so important. Peter said, "His divine power has given us everything we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and goodness. Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires" ( II Peter 1:3-4 ). Through Christ we have great and precious promises but these come through the knowledge of him who has called us. If we don't know what these promises are then we will never escape the corruption in the world. Paul told Timothy, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work" ( II Timothy 3:16-17 ). The word of God equips us for this life. It is the breath of God and it is everything we need to live. Jesus said, the words I speak to you are life ( John 6:63 ). Above all else, we need the word of God planted in our hearts otherwise we will not grow in faith, because faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God ( Romans 10:17 ).

Are you listening to the world as your basis for living? Or, are you listening to God? Faith comes by hearing and if you are only hearing the negativity of the news then that's the faith you will have. If you're only taking in the chaos on the television, set then you will have disorder in your life. The seed determines the crop not the soil. If you don't like what's growing in your garden, then plant something else. "The fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control" ( Galatians 5:22-23 ). These fruits come by planting the word of God in your heart and letting it grow.

Reading the Bible and hearing the Word is a wonderful adventure. It is my prayer that you take these seeds of life and starting planting them. Meditate on today's verse until God makes it alive in your heart.  When you do you will see your crops grow, first the stalk, then the head, then the full kernel in the head then you will know that the harvest has come ( Mark 4:28-29 ). May you be blessed in abundance, amen!

"But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" (Romans 10:16)

What a disheartening thing to know that not everyone will accept Christ Jesus as Lord. Eventually they will confess this with their mouths ( Philippians 2:11 ) but the timeframe to accept this gospel message is while we are in the world. Christ came to redeem the world, although he knew, not everyone would accept him. John said, "He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. Yet to all who received him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God- children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband's will, but born of God ( John 1:11-13 ). Jesus came first to the nation of Israel and proclaimed peace between them and God. However they received him not.

Paul says the same thing in today's passage, "not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, "Lord, who has believed our message?" ( Romans 10:16 ). Isaiah foretold that the Israelites would reject Jesus. Paul is quoting from Isaiah 53, which is a passage about Jesus. This is one of the most powerful chapters in the entire Old Testament. It foretold everything Jesus would suffer on the cross. Isaiah starts out this beautiful word with saying, "Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed?  He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him.  He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not.  ( Isaiah 53:1-3 ). Christ knew that his own people would reject him and esteem him not. Yet he still came to redeem them, what a marvelous thing.

Why did the Israelites reject Jesus? For us we can look back through the Old Testament with Jesus as our filter and identify every passage that was spoken about him. We can even read these passages out loud to others without telling them where they were found and the listener can tell you that it is talking about Christ, often the assumption is that the passage is actually the New Testament. However, the Israelites read these same passages but looked for something entirely different than what Christ turned out to be. They were looking for a warrior king and not a servant. When the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, that Word fell on deaf ears, fulfilling what Isaiah prophesied about them. " 'Be ever hearing, but never understanding; be ever seeing, but never perceiving.' Make the heart of this people calloused; make their ears dull and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed." ( Isaiah 6:9-10 ).

Jesus spoke about the same truth in the parable of the sower of the seed. There are four kinds of soil and depending on the condition of the soil is whether or not the seed grows and bears fruit. Jesus spoke this parable to this nation and when the disciples asked him what was meant by it, he quoted this passage in Isaiah. He spoke to them in parables because of the condition of their heart which kept them blind and deaf to these amazing truths. If their heart would have been ready to hear it, he would have turned and healed them.

Israel in this case was the first kind of soil. The farmer went out to sow seed but it fell upon the path and the birds ate it up quickly. When Jesus told this parable to the disciples he explained... "This is the meaning of the parable: The seed is the word of God. Those along the path are the ones who hear, and then the devil comes and takes away the word from their hearts, so that they may not believe and be saved" ( Luke 8:11-12, Mark 4:13-18 ). Jesus told in Matthew's version the reason the seed is quickly stolen, "When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in his heart. This is the seed sown along the path" ( Matthew 13:18-19 ). Now the condition of the soil made it easy for the seed to be eaten up by the birds, because the soil fell upon a path. A worn path is hard and compacted. In many cases it is impenetrable by something like a seed. For a seed to germinate it has to get down into the soil. But when it falls upon hard ground germination is not possible. The seed can be easily eaten because it is lying upon the surface.

Jesus said the seed was the word of God and Satan comes to steal it. If we don't understand the word and the word falls upon deaf ears and the condition of the heart is impenetrable than stealing the word takes no effort.  In this case, Israel was the first kind of soil. They were expecting a Messiah that was entirely different than Jesus, so their notions blinded them to the truth of God's word. Like Isaiah said, their hearts are calloused, their ears dull and their eyes are closed ( Isaiah 6:10 ). As Jesus spoke to them, Satan walked right behind him and picked up the seeds of eternal life that he spoke. They allowed him to steal the word of God that had the power to save them because they had not prepared their hearts to receive it.

What a discouraging thing this must have been. But this stands as a warning for us. Paul said in the very next verse of Romans 10 that "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" ( Romans 10:17 ). This is how faith comes, by hearing the gospel and believing and receiving it. This message comes from Christ and just like the hard condition of the heart blocked the words of life, the fourth kind of soil received it with gladness and produced an abundant crop. "But the one who received the seed that fell on good soil is the man who hears the word and understands it. He produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown" ( Matthew 13:23, Mark 4:20, Luke 8:15 ). The seed is the seed, but the condition of the soil determines the abundance of the crop or even whether it sprouts at all.

This is a good word for us today; we can prepare our hearts to receive the Word of God. It is my prayer that you keep your heart soft and pliable before the Lord ready to receive his word. Be the fourth kind of cultivated soil and receive this word with gladness. Let this seed penetrate and germinate in your heart yielding much eternal fruit, amen.

"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 them? And how can they preach unless they are sent? As it is written, "How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!" (Romans 10:14-15)

The good news is not just good news, its great news. The nuance of the Greek for the word gospel literally means that this news is 'almost too good to be true'. In our world when something seems too good to be true, it usually is. But this is not the case with the gospel of Jesus Christ. This news is true and incredible. And Paul reminds us that beautiful are the feet of those who bring this good news and announce it to the world.

Throughout the book of Romans, Paul refers to the gospel as his gospel. This is because this revelation came directly to him by Jesus. He said in Galatians, "I want you to know, brothers, that the gospel I preached is not something that man made up. I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ" ( Galatians 1:11-12 ). Paul wrote so extensively about the gift of God's grace offered to mankind through the person of Jesus Christ that he claimed this gospel as his own. He lived and breathed this message because it was the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes ( Romans 1:16 ). Paul was set apart, called and ordained to be a minister of the gospel by the will of God. This is an amazing thing when you realize that before his conversion he literally hunted and killed Christians. He considered himself the chief of sinners but after he experienced God's incredible grace and mercy he knew that this good news wasn't too good to be true, that is why he said "Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved" ( Romans 10:13 ).

In today's passage Paul is reminding us that this news has to be passed on and received before its power is released. People cannot look to Jesus for eternal life if they don't believe in him. They can't believe in him unless they have heard about him and they can't hear about him unless someone tells them. People need to be sent before anyone can call upon the name of the Lord and find salvation. This may seem like a quandary but to use a baseball metaphor; the bases are loaded. God has sent messengers of the gospel forth to preach the good news throughout the entire world. We merely have to step up to the plate and start swinging.

The first thing to consider is that this gospel message originated with God. John said, "For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him" ( John 3:16-17 ). God sent his Son Jesus to save the world. This is the good news for which Paul was in chains. God initiated and provided the means whereby we can be reconciled to him. Sin stood in the way, but God sent Jesus to bridge the gap. Paul said in Corinthians, "All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting men's sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation" ( II Corinthians 5:18-19 ). God was the one speaking peace over the world through the blood of Christ. He sent Jesus to save the world. His feet were beautiful!

Secondly, after Jesus died to pay the penalty for our sins and was raised again to life to secure our justification before God, he then turned around and sent us to spread this message of reconciliation. We call this the great commission. "Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." ( Matthew 28:18-20, Mark 16:15-18 ). He won back all the authority and power that was transferred to Satan in the fall, and look what he did, He gave it back to us. He commissioned us to be the beautiful feet that preached the good news around the world. 

What an remarkable thing this is. God has entrusted us with the words of life. We have the power over death through the blood of Jesus and we have been equipped and assigned to share this wonderful news with the world. Paul said, this news was "the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" ( Romans 1:16 ). We are entrusted with an tremendous thing. God trusts and believes in us to fulfill this great commission. Isaiah said, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, "Your God reigns!" ( Isaiah 52:7 ). What an incredible thing to share with those around us. God's peace towards mankind, his love for us, his gift of grace and his overwhelming mercy. We have the words that bring life and Jesus has placed His faith in us to share it. Paul said, "Faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word of Christ" ( Romans 10:17 ). The Messiah of reconciliation came from the very lips of Christ himself. God was not holding mankind's sins against them and He came to bring us peace with God. It's almost too good to be true but the fact remains that it is true and God calls our feet beautiful because he has sent us to proclaim this message.

Like Paul, I know that this gospel is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes. I am a minister of this good news and I will proclaim it for the rest of my days. May you understand your calling in this wonderful plan of salvation. May you share the hope to which you were called. May your feet be beautiful, amen!

"As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts 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" (Romans 10:11-13)

What an amazing truth! Throughout life we face many disappointments and discouragements because of situations and people, but Paul said that anyone who trusts in Jesus will never be put to shame. The Amplified Bible puts it like this, "No man who believes in Him [who adheres to, relies on, and trusts in Him] will [ever] be put to shame or be disappointed" ( Romans 10:11 ). Meaning with Jesus you will never be disappointed in the abundant life he provides for you. Jesus said in John 10, "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full" ( John 10:10 ). The life he offers doesn't start when we get to heaven, this abundant life starts right now.

This is a message of grace. This is an important truth to meditate on and believe with all your heart. When we place our hope in Jesus we won't be disappointed.This is a theme throughout the entire Bible and is important to grasp. God reminded the Israelites over and over to trust in him and put their confidence in him. David said, "The LORD redeems his servants; no one will be condemned who takes refuge in him" ( Psalm 34:22 ). By placing our faith in Jesus we will never face judgment. More than that, Jeremiah said, "blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in him" ( Jeremiah 17:7 ). By placing our confidence and trust in Him we are blessed. He went on to say, "He will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit" ( Jeremiah 17:8 ). By placing our confidence in the Lord we do not have to worry about anything. If the economy is bad then we needn't worry about it, we are in God's economy. It doesn't matter if rain hasn't come, we simply tap into the water source and flourish. The Lord is able to richly bless us and make all grace abound in our lives simply because he loves us and we put our trust in him.

This passage is an amazing glimpse into the heart of God. It shows that God does not choose us based on our nationality, our heritage, the color of our skin or any other criteria. Paul said in Romans 2, "God does not show favoritism" ( Romans 2:11 ). With God there is no partiality or unfairness and he doesn't consider one person more valued than another. The King James Bible says "God is no respecter of persons" ( Acts 10:34 KJV ). This is a great thing because Paul is teaching us that when God looks at us, he does not see a distinction between things like Jews, Gentiles, Americans, men or women. In fact he said that the same Lord is Lord over all and he generously bestows his riches, blessings and favor upon all those who call to him in faith. What an amazing thing. This reinforces the truth that we are accepted and loved solely on the basis of Jesus. What a freeing reality to understand.

All of this is yours through faith in Jesus, for "everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved." ( Romans 10:13 ). All it takes is to trust Him as your savior and look to Him as your Lord. Paul said, "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" (Romans 10:9). Since God does not show favoritism you can know without a shadow of doubt that you are saved through this promise.

Today, I am blessed to know that my confidence is in the Lord who has saved and redeemed me. I am grateful to know that trusting in Him provides security in an insecure world. My prayer is that you know the hope to which you are called in Christ Jesus and that this truth will resonate in your heart every day for the rest of your life, amen.

"That 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. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you confess and are saved" (Romans 10:9-10)

Salvation is as easy as this. "Confess with your mouth, "Jesus is Lord," and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." What a marvelous thing! So simple, yet so profound. Jesus has done everything for us. Not one thing was left undone by Him, there is nothing left to do except to celebrate this new life offered through the Son of God. It is as simple as that!

Several things happen when you trust in Jesus to save you. The first happens when you confess that 'Jesus is Lord'. This confession shows that you understand that there is no other way to be reconciled to God the Father. Acts 4:12 says, "Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to men by which we must be saved" ( Acts 4:12 ). This is crucial. Being good cannot save you, being baptized cannot save you, going to church cannot save you. Only Christ can save you. By confessing this you are trusting in Him alone to justify you and bring you into fellowship with God. You are placing all your hope in him. "As the Scripture says, "Anyone who trusts in him will never be put to shame" ( Romans 10:11 ).

Secondly, you must believe that God raised him from the dead. This is incredibly important. Christ died for your sins ( Romans 3:23-24, Romans 5:8 ). Christ died to defeat the power that sin held over you ( Romans 6:4, Colossians 2:13-15 ). He died as a ransom for you so that you would not be held accountable for your sins ( Hebrews 9:15 ). Because God was completely satisfied in this payment, Christ was raised from the dead ( Hebrews 9:12-14, Hebrews 10:11-14 ). His resurrection proved that the penalty or price for sin had been paid ( Romans 6:9-10 ). If his sacrifice on the cross wasn't enough to cover your sin, then he would still be dead showing that this didn't work. But it did and so Christ was raised from the dead demonstrating His perfect sacrifice. So you must believe this in your heart.

Believing this is how you are justified. Justification means that you are in a state where it is 'just as if you've never sinned'. Christ's sacrifice brought us back to a sinless state before God and we are completely forgiven ( Hebrews 10:17-18, I John 3:5, I John 3:9 ). This was part of your redemption and is a foundational truth to understand. Hebrews says. "because by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy" ( Hebrews 10:14 ). Showing us that sin is no longer an issue with God. He went on to say, "And where these have been forgiven, there is no longer any sacrifice for sin" ( Hebrews 10:14 ). There is nothing else that we can offer to justify us before God, His sacrifice was more than enough. Believing in the proof of the resurrection is how we are justified.

What an amazing truth this is. Salvation is found in Jesus alone and all we need to do is confess His Lordship and trust what He has done is more than enough to save us. Today, I am so thankful to share this amazing gospel with you. As Paul said in the beginning of this book, "I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God for the salvation of everyone who believes" ( Romans 1:16 ). This good news is almost too good to be true, it is incredible that through faith in Jesus we can stand before God completely justified, righteous, holy and forgiven. If you have never trusted in Jesus as your savior, it is my prayer today that you will find Salvation in him alone as outlined in this verse, amen.

"But the righteousness that is by faith says: "Do not say in your heart, 'Who will ascend into heaven?' (that is, to bring Christ down) "or 'Who will descend into the deep?'" (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? "The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,"that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming" (Romans 10:6-8)

What an amazing thing to know in your inner most being that you are saved. Through faith in Jesus you inner man is 100% sealed, sanctified and redeemed. This transformation into a new creation in Christ happened in your born again spirit. There was a change on the inside of you when you put your trust into Jesus as your savior. Unlike relying on the Law to bring you into right relationship with God, you trusted in Him to provide for you the righteousness that comes by faith alone. This righteousness changes the way we look at the world. No longer do we have to look to heaven or acsend into the deep to find God, because the word of faith proclaims that He is in our mouths, in our hearts and very near all the time.

In our carnal nature it is impossible to live in fellowship with the Lord. This is why trying to be good enough on our own merit will never work. We set ourselves up for failure if we try to live this way. God understood this and this is why he never intended for us to work for our salvation. Sin had destroyed us and the Law helped us to recognize it. Isaiah said, "The LORD looked and was displeased that there was no justice. He saw that there was no one, he was appalled that there was no one to intervene; so his own arm worked salvation for him, and his own righteousness sustained him" ( Isaiah 59:15-16 ). Even God looked around for one that could represent mankind on his behalf to save the world from themselves but there was no one because sin has destroyed us. So Isaiah said, his own right arm (Jesus) worked salvation for us and it was His righteousness that sustained him so he could defeat sin once for all. In the same way He broke the power of sin over us. Through faith in Jesus we have been translated from the kingdom of darkness, held under the power of sin and death, into the kingdom of his dear son ( Colossians 1:13 ). We are free from the bondage that sin held us in and born again with a new spirit inside us. We are a completely different being than we once were ( II Corinthians 5:17 ). That is why we do not have to look for God, instead we simply know that his presence is with us, His word in is our mouths, and His righteousness and precepts are written on our hearts.

It makes quite a difference in how we live when we understand this truth. This becomes a reality when we get a revelation of who we are in the spirit. When we see ourselves as God sees us, we live like who we are instead of living by what we see. This is why God gave us the Holy Spirit, so he could lead us into all truth ( John 14:26, John 16:13 ). He didn't want us to have to rely on the physical aspect of life to interpret these things. Instead he wanted us to know and experience him in a personal way. Jesus told the women at the well in John 4, that "God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth" ( John 4:24 ). God gave us His Spirit so that we could commune with him spirit to spirit bypassing the natural realm. We do not have to have someone teach us these things because God has made them real inside us.

An amazing thing was what the prophets foretold concerning the New Covenant through Christ Jesus, Jeremiah said, "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more." ( Jeremiah 31:33-34, Hebrews 8:10-12 ). This is the word of faith. God is written himself on our hearts; we don't need to look anywhere else for him. He dwells inside us, so close that he is in our minds, our hearts and overflowing from our lips.

Paul was quoting from Deuteronomy 30 in today's passage. This passage immediately follows the law, but this chapter shows that it is man's heart that God wants, this was always His intent. The chapter ends with an amazing call to his children that still applies to us today, "This day I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you that I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life, so that you and your children may live and that you may love the LORD your God, listen to his voice, and hold fast to him. For the LORD is your life, and he will give you many years in the land he swore to give to your fathers, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob" ( Deuteronomy 30:19-20 ). God said, choose life and you will live. We know that life only comes through Jesus. He is the way to the Father. Through him, he gives us the capability to love the Lord, listen to his voice and hold fast to him. He is our life and he incredibly blesses us as we walk with him.

Today, I encourage you to choose life so that you may also live. I am so thankful that God has provided a way for us to remain in fellowship with him at all times. I am blessed to know that his love and his word flows out of me and that I am never without him. This is the word of faith that I proclaim today, may you be blessed by this revelation of God's wonderful plan for you, amen!

"Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: "The man who does these things will live by them" (Romans 10:5)

There is a difference between the righteousness that the Law offers and the righteousness that comes by faith. Paul started out this chapter by saying the Israelites were zealous for God but their zeal wasn't based upon the truth of Jesus and because of it they sought to establish their own righteousness based upon the law ( Romans 10:2, Romans 10:3 ). Then in verse four he made an amazing declaration that Christ was the end of the law so we could be righteous and holy by faith ( Romans 10:4 ). This is an amazing truth but difficult to accept unless one's heart is in alignment with this truth from God's word.

Our relationship with God has always been based upon a heart change even at the time that the Law was given this was the objective. Moses warned the Israelites when he gave them the law that the man who obeys them will live by them ( Leviticus 18:5 ). It wasn't based on Ten commandments, it was more extensive and based on over four hundred laws and precepts. If you religiously followed one law then you had to follow all laws. Moses warned them about this. However he also understood that this revelation of God's decrees was simply intended to get them ready for the promised Messiah and not to be a means to an end. It outlined everything Jesus would be and it showed us how He would be the perfect sacrifice before God in our stead. Moses warned that if anyone was trusting in the law to save them, they would soon discover how impossible it was. If you live by the law then you will die by the law.

James said the same thing, "For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles at just one point is guilty of breaking all of it" ( James 2:10 ). The Law is an all or nothing thing. So in that sense it is impossible to live by it because of the sinful nature with which we were born. Fortunately for us we do not have to live this way because "but the righteous will live by his faith" ( Habakkuk 2:4 ). The Amplified Bible put it this way, "but the [rigidly] just and the [uncompromisingly] righteous man shall live by his faith and in his faithfulness" ( Habakkuk 2:4 Amp ). Meaning that faith in Christ is how we must live and this fulfills the law in our own hearts. Because the law looked forward to Christ and made him its object. Jesus brings us into relationship with God and our heart changes and aligns to His in the process.

What does Jesus say about the Law? When questioned about it Jesus responded, "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments" ( Matthew 22:37-40 ). Fulfilling the first commandment can only be accomplished with true lasting heart change. We cannot love God with all of our hearts when it is only an intellectual ritualistic thing. To love God takes every ounce of our being we can only do this when our heart is aligned to his heart. This only happens when we experience the love of Christ. John said, "we love because he first loved us" ( I John 4:19 ). Our love is a natural response to His love towards us. We can love him with everything we are because through grace we are a redeemed and holy people. By loving God in this way we fulfill the intent of the law because we are looking to him for everything and not relying on ourselves.

In the same way, because of His love pouring out of us we can love others where before we couldn't. In fact we can love others more by accident than on purpose. This is because we are living our lives from a real change of heart that focuses on God for everything. It is not a self centered thing. Love flowed from the cross and overflows into our hearts and we have become like Him through the regenerating power of the Holy Spirit. Paul encourages us with the same thought, "The entire law is summed up in a single command: "Love your neighbor as yourself." ( Galatians 3:14 )."Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for he who loves his fellowman has fulfilled the law." ( Romans 13:8 ). This love is based upon Christ who is the end of the law ( Romans 10:4 ).

Today, I am thankful that Moses foresaw the coming Messiah and challenged the Israelites to look forward to Him in faith instead of living by the dictates of the Law. I am thankful that Christ has come in the flesh to redeem mankind. By trusting in Jesus you are saved and loved and equipped to love one another. May this revelation of Jesus Christ bless you today, amen!

"Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes" (Romans 10:4)

Throughout the course of Paul's letter to the Romans he wrote extensively about how the Law could not justify us before God. Rather the true intent of the law was to point us to Christ. After building his case against mankind in the first two chapters, Paul wrote in Romans 3, "But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference" ( Romans 3:21, Romans 3:22 ). He showed that this way had always been God's plan from the very beginning. Both the Law and the Prophets testified about Jesus as the means for justification. We were never supposed to cling to the Law to bring us into right relationship with God. The Law was meant to condemn us; this is why Paul said in Corinthians "the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life" ( II Corinthians 3:6 ). Then went on to call the Law the "ministration of death" because that is what it was ( II Corinthians 3:7 ). It only brought us death. It accused us before God, it showed us our guilt before God and it magnified our sin before God. It could never justify us, instead it silenced us and held us accountable ( Romans 3:19 ).

In today's passage Paul exclaims, "Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes" ( Romans 10:4 ). Through faith, the law's power is broken over us. We no longer stand accused by it because through Christ the law is completely fulfilled in us. And if it is fulfilled then it no longer applies. Paul said in Romans 6 that as believers we are no longer under the control of the law we are now under the control of grace ( Romans 6:14 ). This is an amazing truth to understand. Colossians says, "When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross" ( Colossians 2:13-14 ). Part of our redemption is that God cancelled the written code that accused us. He nailed it to the cross with our sin and defeated it once for all. It is done and it is over. What a blessing this is!

Religion on the other hand wants to keep you in bondage under the law. Religion wants you to feel guilty and unworthy, but Christ wants you to be free. Paul chided the Galatians, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery" ( Galatians 5:1 ). He was speaking about those who were returning to the Law after coming to faith in Christ. He had said in the previous chapter, "how is it that you are turning back to those weak and miserable principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again? ( Galatians 4:9 ). We need to understand this freedom and live and breathe it. We cannot return to that which Christ has freed us from.

Understanding the implications of this profound truth will completely free you in every sense of the word. We are called to live a life of freedom and this includes after we come to Christ. Many understand salvation by grace, but no sooner than they accept the transformation of Christ's salvation they put on the yoke of slavery again. Many start out accepting this grace that Christ offers only to return to the Law as a means to live. We pick it up again to dictate the Christian life instead of living in the freedom to which we were called. As Christians the Law is not for us it was nailed to the cross with Jesus. We do not need it as a basis of how to live because we have the Holy Spirit as our guide to lead us into all truth ( John 14:26, John 16:13-15 ). Paul said that "Christ is the end of the law ..." ( Romans 10:4 ), and this rings true especially for Christians.

Today I am so thankful that my righteousness came through Christ. I am glad that he has cancelled the written code that stood and accused me. He has become the end of the Law in my life so that I can live by faith. Today, I pray that you understand this blessed truth and experience this freedom in your life, amen!