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Saving Faith leads to “God sent” Faith
Romans 10:13-21 (Pastor Heo)
13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 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? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” 16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. 18 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.” 19 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.” 20 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.” 21 But concerning Israel he says, “All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and obstinate people.”
Salvation is easy, simple, free, open, available – but there is a cost. It is not cheap.
Why is salvation FREE, yet so expensive? It’s actually too expensive to pay – it’s priceless. The price for our salvation that God paid = the life of his One and Only Son, Jesus.
Imagine, if you have only one child – son or daughter. For what in this world could you put your only child in the place of death? Nothing. Yet, our Father God put his only child – Jesus – in our place to die on the cross for our sins. And Jesus says, “salvation is like a treasure found in a field, and when a man found it – he sold ALL he had and bought that field.” Or also, “like a merchant looking for a good purse, and when he found one of great value, he sold everything he had and bought that purse.”
This Bible is the same book –
- yet in one place, it says, “salvation is FREE – you pay nothing for it.”
- yet, in another place it says, “You must pay ALL you have for salvation.”
So, how can we combine these two seemingly contradictory verses?
- Free vs. Expensive.
- Nothing vs. Everything.
I hope we are very clear in this matter – don’t be confused. Yes, salvation is FREE – God paid the price for us already through Jesus on the cross. We have nothing to pay, buy, to receive salvation.
But the Christian life in this world is a holy journey, a pilgrimage – to know, more and more, the true value of salvation.
Which is more valuable? Salvation or ALL your possessions? The Christian life is “the more we understand the value of salvation, the more we want to give and dedicate ourselves to Christ who died on the cross for our sins.”
Yes, I’m convinced I’m saved by the blood of Christ, yet everyday – though I read the Bible and pray everyday, I can’t say I fully know the true value of salvation. But, the more we know, the more we want to dedicate ourselves to it.
v. 13-15
“13 for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.” 14 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? 15 And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” “
This “good news” is good news of peace and salvation (Isaiah 52:7).
Yes, we are saved and justified only by believing in Christ and confessing with our mouths before men. We retain righteousness through no work, no power, not our own honor, etc.
Many people want to be recognized as “righteous” because they give, serve, read, study MORE. No, no, this is only self-righteousness. Rather, we receive faith, Christ-righteousness only by believing in Christ.
In these verses we see the word “how” repeated 5x.
v. 13 “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
- How can they call if they don’t believe?
- How can they believe if they don’t hear?
- How can they hear without someone preaching?
- How can someone preach without being sent?
- How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!
Topic today: Saving Faith leads to “God Sent” Faith
If you have saving faith, you are to have “God sent” faith. God sent his Son to this world. And in his intercessory prayer, Jesus repeats two times, “Father, as you sent me, I’m sending them.” At his resurrection, “Peace be with you as the Father sent me.”
Story of Joseph
You are familiar with his story. He was hated by his 10 older brothers because of his dream.
Also Christ was hated by his people, the Jews, for nothing.
One day, his brothers sold Joseph to slave traders from Egypt. Joseph had so many hardships and injustices – even in prison. Yet, through God’s provision and providence, Joseph became the Prime Minister of Egypt (second most powerful man in the most powerful country on earth at that time) – at the age of 30. Can you do this on your own power? No, impossible.
There were 7 years of abundance – so Joseph had the people save enough food for the following 7 years of famine (even neighboring countries suffered). Even Joseph’s father Jacob suffered, so he sent the 10 brothers to Egypt to buy food. And who did they stand before? Their brother Joseph. He recognized them, but they did not recognize him.
The first deal was done, but later they came a second time – and then he revealed himself to them. Can you imagine this? “I’m Joseph! Your brother! The one you sold into slavery!” Imagine, they must have been so fearful. But Joseph said, “Do not fear, do not be distressed. You sold me, but God sent me – to save many lives.” This is the Christian life.
- Yes, they SOLD Joseph. This is his earthly life story.
- Yet, his interpretation of this fact was opposite.
- “God SENT me.” This is his heavenly life story.
Are you Christian? Then you are writing two stories at the same time. You are writing your heavenly life story THROUGH you earthly life story.
- If we ask, “Why are you here, in Korea, in Jeonju, in AICF?”
- We can answer, “I got married here / I’m studying here / I’m working here / etc.”
Yes, this is true, but this is our earthly life story. Our heavenly life story is, “Through this earthly life story, I’m here because God SENT me.”
We are living invisible life through visible life, spiritual life through physical life. Only our earthly life is meaningful when it is connected to our heavenly life. Our earthly life is meaningless, vanity, unless it’s connected to the heavenly story.
- “You sold me, but God SENT me.”
- “I’m here because God SENT me.”
- This is the Christian’s heavenly life story.
v. 16-17
“16 But not all the Israelites accepted the good news. For Isaiah says, “Lord, who has believed our message?” 17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ.”
Even in the OT, they had heard the good news, but few received it. (quoted from Isaiah 53:1). This is the gospel of the OT. Chp 53 is the “Suffering Messiah” chapter.
Isaiah 53:1-8
“1 Who has believed our message and to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 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. 3 He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. 4 Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. 5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. 6 We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed and afflicted, yet he did not open his mouth; he was led like a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before its shearers is silent, so he did not open his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away. Yet who of his generation protested? For he was cut off from the land of the living; for the transgression of my people he was punished. “
- “by his wounds we are healed”
- “he did not open his mouth”
- “he was led by God”
- John the Baptist called him the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”
These are all fulfilled in the NT
Summary of the fulfillment of these things:
1 Peter 2:21-24
“21 To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps. 22 “He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth.” 23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” “
Let us come back to Romans 10:17 (key verse)
“17 Consequently, faith comes from hearing the message, and the message is heard through the word about Christ. “
- “Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly.”
- “Let us fix our eyes on Christ, the author and perfector of our faith.”
Within 10 min I will summarize the WHOLE story of the Bible. Please, pray for me. Genesis to Revelation – focusing on THIS verse (Romans 10:17 “Faith comes from hearing”)
There are 12 main characters in the Bible:
But the key mission / ministry is the same:
“To bear witness to Jesus Christ, the author and perfector of our faith.”
Ready? Ok, go!
12 main characters have the same mission: “to testify about Christ.”
Yes, there are many jobs in this world, but we must be clear about our #1 job. (This is the conclusion – in advance.)
#1 Bible (first character) –
It says many things about life, society, politics, music, family, etc, but the key mission is to testify about Christ
- John 20:31 “The Bible is written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ and that you may have life in his name.”
- Jesus says, “You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them, you have life, but these are the Scriptures that testify about me.”
#2 Father God
His main ministry is to testify about his son
- When Jesus was baptized, heaven opened and he said, “This is my Son with whom I am well pleased.”
- On the Mount of Transfiguration, Jesus was with Moses and Abraham and after they left, heaven opened and God spoke, “This is my Son, in whom I’m well pleased. Listen to him.”
- Jesus also says, “My Father who sent me into this world testifies about me. To see me is to see him.”
#3 Holy Spirit
The key mission is to witness about Christ.
- “Nobody can call Jesus ‘Lord’ except by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Can you do this? Then you are doing so with the HS power.
- John 15:26 “When the Counselor comes, whom I’ll send to you from the Father, the HS will testify about me.”
#4 Abraham
He had many jobs, but Jesus says, “Your father Abraham rejoiced at the thought of seeing my day. He saw it and was glad.” (John)
- Jesus says, “Before Abraham was, I AM.”
#5 Moses
The first 5 books of the OT are the books of the Law – written by Moses. Even Moses’ key mission is to testify about Christ.
John – Jesus says, “If you believe Moses, you would believe in me because Moses wrote / testified about me.” Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy are written about Jesus – to show, bear witness, testify about Christ.
#6 David
He is the greatest king in Israel’s history. He is a symbol of Christ. That’s why Jesus came through the family line of David.
- Matthew 1:1 “The book of the genealogy of Abraham, David, and Jesus.”
- Psalm 110:1 “1 The LORD says to my lord:“Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet.””
- Lord is repeated twice – but the letters are different.
- The first LORD is all capital, the second, all lowercase. What is the difference?
- Father God is the first – but at that time, they were afraid to call the personal name of God “Jehovah Jireh”
- Messiah is the second
That’s why this is repeated in Matt 22:33-34.
- Jesus quotes this verse and asks, “What do you think about Christ?”
- They answered, “Son of David” Jesus said, “If so, how does David call Christ ‘Lord’?”
This means that even the key mission of David was to testify about Christ.
#7 All prophets
From Isaiah to Malachi – ALL prophets’ key mission was to testify about Christ.
Acts 10:43 “All prophets in the OT testify about Jesus Christ that everyone who believes in him receives the forgiveness of sins through his name.”
This is the end of the summary of the OT.
#8 (NT) John the Baptist
His key mission was very important because he was a forerunner for Christ. He pointed at Christ and proclaimed, “Behold the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world! He must become greater and I lesser.”
John 1:4 “In him was life and this life was the light of man. It has shone in the darkness, but the darkness has not understood it. A man came, sent from God, his name was John. He came as a witness to testify about Christ – that all men might believe in him.”
#9 All apostles (representative: Peter)
Acts 3:15 “You killed the author of life, but God raised him from the dead. We are the witnesses of this.”
After his resurrection, before ascension, Christ said, “You are my witnesses.”
#10 Paul
There is no doubt about Paul as a witness of Christ. 1 Cor 2:4 “I resolved to know NOTHING except Christ and him crucified. I have nothing to boast of except the cross of Christ through which the world has been crucified to me and I to the world. If I live, I live for Christ, if I die, I die for Christ – so to die is GAIN.”
#11 The Church
No question – the church is the body of Christ.
The church is not a building, it is the PEOPLE of God who confess Christ, “You are Christ, the Son of God.” We are a holy gathering of God’s people who proclaim the same.
- Jesus says, “On this confession, I will build my church. The gates of hell will never overcome this church. I give the keys of heaven to the church. Whatever is bound by the church will be bound in hell, whatever is loosed by the church will be loosed in heaven.”
This church is in the world, but the world must not be in the church.
#12 YOU (Holy-spirit filled believers)
Your key mission (“be filled with the HS” Eph 5:18 “be wise, do not follow the pattern of this world – be filled with the HS” – check yourselves)
You can check yourself to see if you are pregnant or not. Like this, you can check if you are filled with the HS or not.
- If you #1 job is to testify about Christ – then you are definitely filled with the HS.
- But, if it’s not priority #1, you need to be filled with the HS.
Acts 1:8 “When the HS comes upon you, you will receive power and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and Judea, and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
This is evidence of being filled with the HS.
Let’s pray.
