7 Aug 2005

Paul's Simple Gospel

Romans 10:5-15

Brian Burrell in his article, Words We Live By, tells of an armed robber named Dennis Lee Curtis who was arrested in 1992 in Rapid City, South Dakota. Curtis apparently had a few scruples about his thievery. In his wallet the police found a sheet of paper on which was written the following code:

1. I will not kill anyone unless I have to.

2. I will take cash and food stamps-no checks.

3. I will rob only at night.

4. I will not wear a mask.

5. I will not rob mini-marts or 7-Eleven stores.

6. If I get chased by cops on foot, I will get away. If chased by vehicle, I will not put the lives of innocent civilians on the line.

7. I will rob only seven months out of the year.

8. I will enjoy robbing from the rich to give to the poor.

This thief had a sense of morality, but it was flawed. When he stood before the court, he was not judged by the standards he had set for himself, but rather, by the higher law of the state.

Likewise when we stand before God, we will not be judged by the code of morality we have written for ourselves but by God's perfect law.

You know? This story reminds me about our capacity to get things wrong and twisted. As a society we often get things wrong. For example, for years our nation justified slavery. For years we prevented women and people of color from voting. For years we believed that human reason and not God would be the answer to the world's problems. It kind of makes you think, doesn't it? Perhaps what we believe to be right today may not be right at all. For example, some of us feel that the way we, Americans, have dealt with the "terrorist attacks of September 11" is not right at all, and history will prove us right. The same thing can be said about our current beliefs on capitalism, which seems to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. No, not everything our society believes is right, though it might think it is.

As individuals we make similar mistakes. We do not have to be a thief with some strange kind of moral code to be wrong. Our own religious convictions could be wrong. Just because we think our religious convictions are right, it does not mean they are. Again, for years many Christians believed that the Bible supported the practice of slavery. They felt God was on their side. Today we firmly believe that God would never authorize people to be treated as the slaves were treated in this country.

So, in many ways, we can understand the doubts and fears that people had over what Paul was proposing. Changing one's beliefs is one of the most difficult things for a person to do. In the verses we have read, several times Paul said that Jesus is the way to salvation. In 10:4 Paul writes his main argument. It reads, "For Christ is the fulfillment of the Law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes." Salvation from Death and Sin come through believing in Jesus Christ, and it is open to everyone. "For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is the Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him. For everyone who calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved," writes Paul (10:12, 13).

Maybe it was the hope in the Messiah's death and resurrection verses the Law of Moses that prevented many from believing in Jesus Christ. Maybe it was tradition. Maybe it was the simplicity of the gospel's message. After all, how can it be that we only need to believe in Jesus Christ in order to be saved from Death and Sin? Can it be as simple as verbally saying we believe in Jesus? Paul wrote, "Because if you confess with your lips that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him form the dead, you will be saved. For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved" (10:9-11).

Part of me wants to say, "this is too simple, there has to be more to it than that!" Yet, I am reminded by these verses that my understanding of things, my own knowledge is limited. And, perhaps salvation is this simple. Paul said about his Jewish brothers and sisters, "my heart's desire and prayer to God for them is that they may be saved. I can testify that they have a zeal for God, but it is not enlightened" (10:1a-2). John Wesley wrote about the text, "And how many are equally ignorant now, even among those who are called by the name of Christ! How many who have now a 'zeal for God,' yet have it not according to knowledge; but are still seeking to establish their own righteousness, as the ground of their pardon and acceptance." John Wesley reminds us that salvation is through the work of Jesus Christ. It is through the death and resurrection of the Messiah, and not through anything we can do. Receiving salvation from Death and Sin might be this simple. To believe we need to do more, might confuse us into believing we can earn our salvation.

Also, part of me wants to say, "this is too narrow. Can salvation from Death and Sin come only through Jesus Christ?" Christianity seems to be too exclusive, eliminating other possibilities for salvation. This of course, would be imposing my own worldview on the text. If we look closely to the text we would find, it in fact, very inclusive. It is clear to Paul that the gospel is open to all. Because salvation from Death and Sin comes from believing in the Messiah, it is open to everyone. No more barriers. No more distinctions. Believers can be of any race, of any color, of any gender, of any age, of any nationality, of any level of education or social status. You could be a poor Greek woman from Corinth, and be a Christian. You could be a rich Roman man from Tarsus, and be a Christian. You can be a Jewish girl, or a slave, or a black Egyptian man and be a Christian. There are no more barriers. There are no more distinctions. The gospel that Paul preached was open to all. The gospel that Paul preached was, perhaps, the most open religion of his time. And, I dare to say; the gospel we preach should be as open!

So what are we to do with these verses? What can we take home? First, we should be reminded that we can be wrong, not everything that we believe is right, though we might think it is. We must, therefore, be humble. We must yield our beliefs, sense of morality and worldview to God. We, as a society, make mistakes. We, as individuals also make mistakes. It is better, therefore, to shape our beliefs not according to what we might like, but with God's Word.

Second, we should embrace the simplicity of the gospel. It is in believing in what Jesus Christ did, that we are saved. We cannot earn our salvation. We cannot save our selves from Death and Sin. We must, therefore, trust and believe that Jesus died and rose from the dead, and in doing so, he has given us salvation. We must believe in our hearts and testify with our lips that Jesus is Lord. To believe we need to do more, might confuse us into believing we can earn our salvation.

Third, we should recognize and preach the inclusiveness of the gospel. Believing in Jesus Christ in order to be saved is not exclusive. Jesus Christ broke all kinds of barriers and distinctions; no other religion in Paul's time was as open as Christianity. Believers can be of any race, of any color, of any gender, of any age, of any nationality, of any level of education or social status. This is the gospel that Paul preached and this is the gospel we should preach.

Let us therefore, submit our beliefs, sense of morality and worldview to God. It is better, to shape our beliefs not according to what we might like, but with God's Word.

Let us therefore, believe and embrace the simplicity of the gospel. We must believe in our hearts and testify with our lips that Jesus is Lord. To believe we need to do more, might confuse us into believing we can earn our salvation.

Let us therefore, recognize and preach the inclusiveness of the gospel. Jesus Christ broke all kinds of barriers and distinctions. Believers can be of any race, of any color, of any gender, of any age, of any nationality, of any level of education or social status. This is the gospel that Paul preached and this is the gospel we must preach today.

Amen.