There was a guy named Joe who recently found himself in hard financial straits. He’d invested all
his money on derivatives and bad mortgage loans, and found himself in deep debt. He got so
desperate that finally he cried out to God. He said, “God, please help me. I’ve lost my life savings
and if things don’t get better soon I’m going to lose my house, too. Please let me win the Lotto
Jackpot.”
Lotto night came and of course somebody else won. So he prayed again. “God, please help me win
the Lotto Jackpot. Now I’ve lost my house and I’m about to lose my car, too.” But again, Lotto night
came & went, and he had no luck. So the next day he cried out, “God, don’t you care? I’ve lost my
life savings, my house and my car. I’ve never asked for much, but now I beg you, help me win the
Lotto Jackpot!”
And suddenly there was a flash of light and he heard a strong but kindly voice from heaven say,
“Joe, meet me halfway on this. Buy a ticket.”
Well, I’ve said before that jokes don’t always make for good theology. But in this case I think this
says something about doing our part to access God’s lavish grace. This is at least part of the
message we heard a few moments ago in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
There aren’t too many topics in the Christian faith that are more hotly debated than the question of
who receives God’s salvation, and under what circumstances.
I know that, personally, when I’ve shared the gospel message with some folks, the knee-jerk
response turns something that Paul intended to be positive, into a negative. It goes like this: “You
mean to say that your way is the only way to God, and everyone who doesn’t buy in is damned to
hell? Well I don’t buy what you’re selling.” And rather than getting defensive (like I’m sometimes
inclined to do), I think it’s wise to consider carefully how we respond to this kind of feeling. We need
to look closely at what Paul’s intent is here, and balance it with a broad look at Scripture.
To do this we need to place this passage into its context. Paul has been writing about his own
beloved Jewish people. He’s distressed that many are missing the point about how they become
righteous. He summarizes his feelings in Chapter 9, verses 31 and 32. Paul writes, “Israel, who
strove for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. Why not?
Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works.”
A big part of what Paul is saying here is that, when you miss the identity of Jesus, you miss the most
crucial thing about how to get right with God. It really was impossible for Israel to fulfill the law based
on their own personal works. And Jesus’ work as God incarnate who removed our sins by paying
the price for them through his death on the Cross, is the one way that we can wear the cloak of
righteousness, because it isn’t our own righteousness but Christ’s, that saves us. Paul writes this in
Romans 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law (that is, the destination or fulfillment of the law), so
that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Not “everyone who works hard” or
“everyone who’s perfect,” but “everyone who believes.”
Now, there’s something that’s critical for us to understand here. And that is that this isn’t simply a
piece of finger-wagging by Paul toward his fellow Jews. Baptist preacher John Piper points out that,
in Scripture, the lessons offered to the Jews are the very same lessons offered to all of us. It’s like
the scriptures are saying, “Take heed, this applies to you, too.” And according to Paul the main
lesson is that “Christ is the end to which the law points, so that there may be righteousness for
everyone who believes.”
So then the question becomes: What does belief look like? How do we show that we’ve gained the
righteousness of Christ? In answer Paul says (verses 8-9): “The word is near you, on your lips and
in your heart (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
The distinction here is one of simplicity. Rather than jumping through hoops or trying to climb the
endless ladder to God, salvation is a matter of simple faith. And here we need to be careful not to
turn Paul’s description into a formula. In other words, he’s not saying that mouthing the precise
words “Jesus is Lord,” like some kind of password, is a ticket to salvation. Rather, he’s saying that
this will come naturally from the tongue of one who has chosen to believe. In fact those three words
may well be the first and simplest creed recited by members of the early church to affirm their belief.
So, Israel really represents each one of us, who also can’t make our way to God under our own
power.
A couple of Wednesdays ago I used a metaphor to explain this. Imagine yourself on the coast of
Southern California, and imagine that Hawaii is heaven. For those of you who’ve been there, it’s not
a real big stretch. But how do you get from California to Hawaii? There are some pretty darn good
swimmers out there, but how far do you think they would get? There are some great swim coaches,
but at best a strong swimmer with a good coach might get as far as Santa Catalina. There isn’t a
soul who has a chance of getting all the way from the California coast to the “blessed islands” under
their own power. This is how far the gap is between created, fallen human beings, and the
uncreated, perfect and pure God, in whose presence nothing impure can stand.
So how do we get there? Well, the Bible tells us that basically Jesus comes along in his catamaran
and says, “Hop in! The ride’s free. All you have to do is put your trust in me to steer us to our
destination. And on the way you pick up some good seafaring tips.”
OK? It doesn’t matter how good a swimmer you are, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, it
doesn’t matter what race or gender you are. All you need to do is to hop in and follow the directions
of the skipper. In fact, the good news in what Paul is saying is that salvation is not just for the Jews,
but for everyone. But we do play a part in this. We’re the ones who invest our trust. We’re the ones
who purchase the Lotto ticket.
And here’s where it gets a little tricky in the eyes of the world. Because the good news can be
twisted into bad news. Paul is telling us that now salvation is available to all. He says, “For there is
no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call
on him.” But in response many understandably reflect on those good people who perhaps
haven’t been exposed to the gospel, or who in good conscience can’t bring themselves to believe in
it. Are they to be denied salvation?
This is where I think we would do well to be a little careful. Because there are a couple of basic
biblical truths that we need to hold in tension. First, Jesus was very clear that we humans are not to
judge each others’ spiritual destiny. Jesus said, “Don’t judge, lest you yourselves be judged.” He
directed us not to sound off about the sliver in our neighbor’s eye when we may have a log in our
own eye. Jesus made it clear that judgment is the sole prerogative of God himself. It’s only He who
knows the condition of a person’s heart. And it’s only He who knows fully the depth and breadth of
his own grace.
But there’s an equally important truth we find in Scripture. Jesus himself identified himself as the
only way, and said that no one comes to the Father except through him. And today Paul says that,
while salvation is available to all, believing with the heart and confessing with the tongue are the way
we receive that salvation. To put it simply, we’re told not to judge, but at the same time we’re given
the trail map to salvation, and urgently required to spread the information from that trail map to a
world that’s lost in the wilderness. The legend on the trail map says in capital letters, boldfaced,
“Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The Greek phrase translated as “call upon” was often used in asking for someone’s help, and
especially for asking God or the gods to intervene. So “everyone who reaches out to the Lord will
be saved.” And just so there’s no mistake, recall that Paul proclaims in verse 9 that Jesus is Lord,
and is now saying in verse 13 that everyone who reaches out to the Lord will be saved. So it couldn’
t be clearer that it’s Jesus to whom we reach for salvation.
We have the lifesaving map, and we’re supposed to share it. In the passage right after today’s, Paul
asks, “How are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in
one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?”
And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who
bring good news!” How blessed are the hiking boots of those who bear the life-saving trail map!
And of course we can’t force anyone to accept the map. All we can do is offer it. But offer it we
must. Jesus said as much.
So I’d just like to conclude by urging us to remember that spreading the gospel isn’t a matter of
winning an argument. I’ve often advised married couples that, if one of them “wins” an argument
with the other, they both lose. Nor is it merely an insistence that people see salvation our way, and
demand that they acquiesce to it. Rather, spreading the gospel really is the sharing of good, joyful,
lifesaving news. It’s the news that now all of humanity may receive the free gift of grace from the
Creator of the universe. It’s ours for the price of belief. And we have a Lord who’s so gracious that
in response to our cry of “I believe, Lord help my unbelief” he responds by saving & healing us. If
this isn’t good news, I don’t know what is.
May we confess anew with our lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him
from the dead. And in the joy of our salvation, may we not hesitate to spread the good news to
friend and stranger alike. Amen.
his money on derivatives and bad mortgage loans, and found himself in deep debt. He got so
desperate that finally he cried out to God. He said, “God, please help me. I’ve lost my life savings
and if things don’t get better soon I’m going to lose my house, too. Please let me win the Lotto
Jackpot.”
Lotto night came and of course somebody else won. So he prayed again. “God, please help me win
the Lotto Jackpot. Now I’ve lost my house and I’m about to lose my car, too.” But again, Lotto night
came & went, and he had no luck. So the next day he cried out, “God, don’t you care? I’ve lost my
life savings, my house and my car. I’ve never asked for much, but now I beg you, help me win the
Lotto Jackpot!”
And suddenly there was a flash of light and he heard a strong but kindly voice from heaven say,
“Joe, meet me halfway on this. Buy a ticket.”
Well, I’ve said before that jokes don’t always make for good theology. But in this case I think this
says something about doing our part to access God’s lavish grace. This is at least part of the
message we heard a few moments ago in Paul’s letter to the Romans.
There aren’t too many topics in the Christian faith that are more hotly debated than the question of
who receives God’s salvation, and under what circumstances.
I know that, personally, when I’ve shared the gospel message with some folks, the knee-jerk
response turns something that Paul intended to be positive, into a negative. It goes like this: “You
mean to say that your way is the only way to God, and everyone who doesn’t buy in is damned to
hell? Well I don’t buy what you’re selling.” And rather than getting defensive (like I’m sometimes
inclined to do), I think it’s wise to consider carefully how we respond to this kind of feeling. We need
to look closely at what Paul’s intent is here, and balance it with a broad look at Scripture.
To do this we need to place this passage into its context. Paul has been writing about his own
beloved Jewish people. He’s distressed that many are missing the point about how they become
righteous. He summarizes his feelings in Chapter 9, verses 31 and 32. Paul writes, “Israel, who
strove for the righteousness that is based on the law, did not succeed in fulfilling that law. Why not?
Because they did not strive for it on the basis of faith, but as if it were based on works.”
A big part of what Paul is saying here is that, when you miss the identity of Jesus, you miss the most
crucial thing about how to get right with God. It really was impossible for Israel to fulfill the law based
on their own personal works. And Jesus’ work as God incarnate who removed our sins by paying
the price for them through his death on the Cross, is the one way that we can wear the cloak of
righteousness, because it isn’t our own righteousness but Christ’s, that saves us. Paul writes this in
Romans 10:4: “For Christ is the end of the law (that is, the destination or fulfillment of the law), so
that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” Not “everyone who works hard” or
“everyone who’s perfect,” but “everyone who believes.”
Now, there’s something that’s critical for us to understand here. And that is that this isn’t simply a
piece of finger-wagging by Paul toward his fellow Jews. Baptist preacher John Piper points out that,
in Scripture, the lessons offered to the Jews are the very same lessons offered to all of us. It’s like
the scriptures are saying, “Take heed, this applies to you, too.” And according to Paul the main
lesson is that “Christ is the end to which the law points, so that there may be righteousness for
everyone who believes.”
So then the question becomes: What does belief look like? How do we show that we’ve gained the
righteousness of Christ? In answer Paul says (verses 8-9): “The word is near you, on your lips and
in your heart (that is, the word of faith that we proclaim); because if you confess with your lips that
Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
The distinction here is one of simplicity. Rather than jumping through hoops or trying to climb the
endless ladder to God, salvation is a matter of simple faith. And here we need to be careful not to
turn Paul’s description into a formula. In other words, he’s not saying that mouthing the precise
words “Jesus is Lord,” like some kind of password, is a ticket to salvation. Rather, he’s saying that
this will come naturally from the tongue of one who has chosen to believe. In fact those three words
may well be the first and simplest creed recited by members of the early church to affirm their belief.
So, Israel really represents each one of us, who also can’t make our way to God under our own
power.
A couple of Wednesdays ago I used a metaphor to explain this. Imagine yourself on the coast of
Southern California, and imagine that Hawaii is heaven. For those of you who’ve been there, it’s not
a real big stretch. But how do you get from California to Hawaii? There are some pretty darn good
swimmers out there, but how far do you think they would get? There are some great swim coaches,
but at best a strong swimmer with a good coach might get as far as Santa Catalina. There isn’t a
soul who has a chance of getting all the way from the California coast to the “blessed islands” under
their own power. This is how far the gap is between created, fallen human beings, and the
uncreated, perfect and pure God, in whose presence nothing impure can stand.
So how do we get there? Well, the Bible tells us that basically Jesus comes along in his catamaran
and says, “Hop in! The ride’s free. All you have to do is put your trust in me to steer us to our
destination. And on the way you pick up some good seafaring tips.”
OK? It doesn’t matter how good a swimmer you are, it doesn’t matter how much money you have, it
doesn’t matter what race or gender you are. All you need to do is to hop in and follow the directions
of the skipper. In fact, the good news in what Paul is saying is that salvation is not just for the Jews,
but for everyone. But we do play a part in this. We’re the ones who invest our trust. We’re the ones
who purchase the Lotto ticket.
And here’s where it gets a little tricky in the eyes of the world. Because the good news can be
twisted into bad news. Paul is telling us that now salvation is available to all. He says, “For there is
no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call
on him.” But in response many understandably reflect on those good people who perhaps
haven’t been exposed to the gospel, or who in good conscience can’t bring themselves to believe in
it. Are they to be denied salvation?
This is where I think we would do well to be a little careful. Because there are a couple of basic
biblical truths that we need to hold in tension. First, Jesus was very clear that we humans are not to
judge each others’ spiritual destiny. Jesus said, “Don’t judge, lest you yourselves be judged.” He
directed us not to sound off about the sliver in our neighbor’s eye when we may have a log in our
own eye. Jesus made it clear that judgment is the sole prerogative of God himself. It’s only He who
knows the condition of a person’s heart. And it’s only He who knows fully the depth and breadth of
his own grace.
But there’s an equally important truth we find in Scripture. Jesus himself identified himself as the
only way, and said that no one comes to the Father except through him. And today Paul says that,
while salvation is available to all, believing with the heart and confessing with the tongue are the way
we receive that salvation. To put it simply, we’re told not to judge, but at the same time we’re given
the trail map to salvation, and urgently required to spread the information from that trail map to a
world that’s lost in the wilderness. The legend on the trail map says in capital letters, boldfaced,
“Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”
The Greek phrase translated as “call upon” was often used in asking for someone’s help, and
especially for asking God or the gods to intervene. So “everyone who reaches out to the Lord will
be saved.” And just so there’s no mistake, recall that Paul proclaims in verse 9 that Jesus is Lord,
and is now saying in verse 13 that everyone who reaches out to the Lord will be saved. So it couldn’
t be clearer that it’s Jesus to whom we reach for salvation.
We have the lifesaving map, and we’re supposed to share it. In the passage right after today’s, Paul
asks, “How are they to call on one in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in
one of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone to proclaim him?”
And how are they to proclaim him unless they are sent? How beautiful are the feet of those who
bring good news!” How blessed are the hiking boots of those who bear the life-saving trail map!
And of course we can’t force anyone to accept the map. All we can do is offer it. But offer it we
must. Jesus said as much.
So I’d just like to conclude by urging us to remember that spreading the gospel isn’t a matter of
winning an argument. I’ve often advised married couples that, if one of them “wins” an argument
with the other, they both lose. Nor is it merely an insistence that people see salvation our way, and
demand that they acquiesce to it. Rather, spreading the gospel really is the sharing of good, joyful,
lifesaving news. It’s the news that now all of humanity may receive the free gift of grace from the
Creator of the universe. It’s ours for the price of belief. And we have a Lord who’s so gracious that
in response to our cry of “I believe, Lord help my unbelief” he responds by saving & healing us. If
this isn’t good news, I don’t know what is.
May we confess anew with our lips that Jesus is Lord, and believe in our hearts that God raised him
from the dead. And in the joy of our salvation, may we not hesitate to spread the good news to
friend and stranger alike. Amen.
The Way of Salvation
Romans 10:8-13
Romans 10:8-13
February 21, 2010
Fr. Dan Tuton
Fr. Dan Tuton
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