By: Pastor Joshua Swilley
Have you ever found a truth that was a game changer for you? Maybe something changed the way you looked at life on a fundamental level. There are things that we learn and seasons that we take in certain information and it catapults us forward.
When we come to Christ, this is the biggest leap forward we ever make. The salvation experience changes our life forever. Jesus comes in and turns all our goals and priorities upside down. Now we look at life completely different. Our decisions, our choices are all impacted but the person and the message of Jesus.
But what if you had never heard about Jesus? What if no one ever told you who Jesus was and what He did for you? This is Paul’s point exactly in Romans 10:13-15
Romans 10:13-15 New Living Translation
13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them? 15 And how will anyone go and tell them without being sent? That is why the Scriptures say, “How beautiful are the feet of messengers who bring good news!”
Here is the good news, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved! You don’t have to be special. You don’t have to be perfect. You just need to call upon the name of the Lord and you WILL be saved. Everyone! Everyone who reaches out to God and says, “Help me!” and really means it, is automatically in a better position. Anyone who turns to Jesus and says, “I need you”, will be saved. This is good news!
It’s excited to know that God forgives sin. When call on Him, even after we’ve made countless mistakes, He is faithful to save us. All of the blunders of our past can be wiped out through the power of salvation. This is good news. It’s good news for all of us.
God doesn’t make us jump through a bunch of hoops. God doesn’t make us have to carry the burden of all the sins and wrongdoings that we’ve committed. He gives us the opportunity of a fresh start. Jesus is ready to give us a do over. All we have to do is call on the name of Jesus and ask for help.
Now Paul follows up this statement with a question.
Romans 10:13-14 New Living Translation
13 For “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him?…
Everyone can be saved who calls on the name of the Lord. But what happens if you don’t know who to call on? What happens if you don’t know how to call for help? What a terrible predicament to be in, to need help but not know who or how to call for help. This is Paul’s point.
Everyone can be saved, but they have to call on the name of Jesus. This is where we come in. How will they know if we don’t tell them. It is the divine responsibility of every believer to share who Jesus is and what Jesus did. It’s not just a good idea if you get around to it. It’s a divine mandate that Jesus has given us. (see Matt 28) How else will they know?
When I was a kid, I grew up around a lot of other people that went to church every Sunday. I grew up around people that knew about about Jesus. We all had similar backgrounds of faith, hearing the same bible stories; David and Goliath, Daniel in the Lion’s Den, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob… I assumed everyone knew about Jesus. As I grew up I soon realized many people do not know about Jesus, at least not in a significant, life changing way.
There are many people from different backgrounds and cultures that have never heard about Jesus and even more that have been misinformed about Him. Forty percent of our world are unreached with the good news. It is our job to tell them. Think about how many people have never heard the stories, the parable and the miracles in the Bible. Think of how many people have not heard of Jesus and His message?
We are living in a mission field. So often we take for granted the people around us already know about Jesus. We take for granted the relationship we have and we assume everyone else enjoys the same type of relationship with Him. What you and I have inside of us can save someones life. The information that you have about Jesus can determine someone else’s eternal future. Heavy right?
They might know something, but chances are they know a lot less than you. Now days the movies and other media continue to paint the primary picture so many see of Jesus and that picture is distorted or incomplete at best. How will they know if you and I don’t talk about it.
It’s not good enough for a preacher to talk about. It’s not good enough for pastor to talk about it. We all have to talk about it. To accomplish His purpose, we must all talk about who Jesus is, and what Jesus did.
There is a thing called noise pollution. Noise pollution is unwanted and usually loud sounds which can interfere with and damage hearing. Just like there is noise pollution that we can hear with our ears, there is also a noise pollution in the spiritual realm. In the spiritual there are voices and sounds that are distracting or damaging to your relationship with God. There are voices and sounds that are anti or against Christ. These are voices and influences pull people away from Jesus or away from the discovery of who He is.
There are so many voices talking these days in our culture; social media, news, music, tv, movies and more. There is so much voices and information out there in this information age. How will people hear the most important voice? How will they hear the most important information? There’s lots of information that we hear every day that will not change your life. Some is helpful. Some is not. There is one message that is of eternal significance and that is who Jesus is and what Jesus did. That message is transformation!
Romans 10:14 New Living Translation
14 But how can they call on him to save them unless they believe in him? And how can they believe in him if they have never heard about him? And how can they hear about him unless someone tells them?
Somebody has to tell them for them to hear. God actually wants us to be heralds. A herald is an official messenger. He is sent by a king or a government with a special message. That’s exactly what God what’s from us. We are to be heralds operating in an official capacity to deliver a life changing message. A herald is a sign that something BIG is about to happen. When we came to Christ, we all become heralds. Some of us know it and some of us may still be unaware or running from our responsibility. The good news is not for some people it’s for ALL people.
John 3:16 New Living Translation
For this is how God loved the world: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.
It is our Divine Responsibility to talk about who Jesus is and what Jesus did. We are meant to talk about God’s great plan. It’s not just a good idea, it’s a divine mandate. How will they know? We are going to tell them…
I pray that Roman 10:13-15 moves you the way that it has moved me. I pray that it causes you to love others the way that Jesus loves us. I pray this passage moves you to action. Let them know!