Hear, Know, and Believe
Romans 10:8-9: "But what does it say? 'The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart' (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved."
The driving passion of Paul's ministry was to see people brought to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. He longed for his fellow Jews to believe that Jesus truly was the Son of God, that they no longer were held captive to the Law, and that Jesus had set them free from the law of sin and death. With Jesus came the New Covenant which far surpassed the Old Covenant. This New Covenant was superior because Jesus completely fulfilled the law and the prophecies. In Jesus was the completion and closure of that Old Covenant.
While the Old Covenant was based on works, the New Covenant is based on faith. Just being a son of Abraham is no guarantee of faith. Instead, one must believe in his heart that Jesus is Lord, believe that he died on the cross to forgive their sins, and that he was raised on the third day. That profession, that belief is what saves people.
Throughout Paul's letters, you can hear his heart’s cry: hear, know, and believe. Leave the old behind so that you can experience the glory of the new. Jesus was and is the Word of God made flesh. He came to show his people the way to the Father. He came to make the way clear by taking the sins of the people upon himself. In rising from the dead, Jesus demonstrates his power over the grave. This power is now given to those who believe in him through the Holy Spirit.
Paul's words were for the people of his day, for the churches, and now for us. Do we believe that the Word has come into this world to show us the way to the Father? Do we confess that Jesus is Lord, and do we believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead? If so, we, too, will be saved!
The driving passion of Paul's ministry was to see people brought to a saving faith in Jesus Christ. He longed for his fellow Jews to believe that Jesus truly was the Son of God, that they no longer were held captive to the Law, and that Jesus had set them free from the law of sin and death. With Jesus came the New Covenant which far surpassed the Old Covenant. This New Covenant was superior because Jesus completely fulfilled the law and the prophecies. In Jesus was the completion and closure of that Old Covenant.
While the Old Covenant was based on works, the New Covenant is based on faith. Just being a son of Abraham is no guarantee of faith. Instead, one must believe in his heart that Jesus is Lord, believe that he died on the cross to forgive their sins, and that he was raised on the third day. That profession, that belief is what saves people.
Throughout Paul's letters, you can hear his heart’s cry: hear, know, and believe. Leave the old behind so that you can experience the glory of the new. Jesus was and is the Word of God made flesh. He came to show his people the way to the Father. He came to make the way clear by taking the sins of the people upon himself. In rising from the dead, Jesus demonstrates his power over the grave. This power is now given to those who believe in him through the Holy Spirit.
Paul's words were for the people of his day, for the churches, and now for us. Do we believe that the Word has come into this world to show us the way to the Father? Do we confess that Jesus is Lord, and do we believe in our hearts that God has raised him from the dead? If so, we, too, will be saved!
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