In or Out
For most of my life, I thought placing our faith in Jesus, or believing the gospel, was how to determine who was in and who was out. We knew how to count the Christians, or the members of our church, by who had said the scripted prayer and shared the expected testimony. "I was a sinner, I put my faith in Jesus, and now I am going to heaven." But what if the gospel is much bigger than we imagined?
For centuries, God's prophets had announced God's promises to save God's people. But in a world filled with suffering and evil, it was hard to believe that God was saving them. Yet God was still on his throne, ruling justly, and taking care of his people. Now, God authorizes Paul to declare God's message to the world. In the synagogues and public market, Paul announces that the promises God made through the prophets were fulfilled in Jesus. The prophet Isaiah had declared, "This is what the LORD says: Preserve justice and do what is right, for my salvation is coming soon, and my righteousness will be revealed" (Isaiah 56:1). In public, before the world, God is doing what he had said he would do. The life, death, and resurrection of Jesus demonstrate God's personal commitment to make everything right. Even though we have opposed God, God is committed to making us right with him: from being guilty to not guilty, from condemned to forgiven, and from living for ourselves to participating in what God is doing. If we ever wondered "Will God come through?" Jesus settles that question. God came as a human. He died for us. And his resurrection is the definitive exclamation mark of his power over sin and death. The promise God made to Israel is revealed to be a promise that was always intended for everyone who trusts God. So what is our role? Douglas Moo explains, "faith is not (primarily) agreement with a set of doctrines but trust in a person." Belief is not about answering theology questions correctly or letting God know you want to go to heaven one day. Faith reconstitutes how we live. We hear what God has promised and we see what God has done. We trust that God is righteous. God is righteous and has done what is right. When we trust him, as he deserves, we start to truly live.
What's the difference between thinking of the gospel in terms of what God does instead of what is in it for me?
What has God promised that is hard for you to believe?
What would it look like if every Christian trusted Jesus with all of their lives?
If you're physically able, get on your knees and pray to God, "God, I thank you that you have always been righteous and always done what is right. I thank you for making promises to save us and for saving us. I'm grateful that you have revealed the good news of Jesus to me. Give me the strength to entrust my entire life to you. Amen."
Source:
Douglas J. Moo, The Epistle to the Romans, NICNT (Eerdmans, 1996).