Twelfth Sunday after Trinity (2023)
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Romans 10:9-17
Romans 10:9-17
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, here we find in the book of Romans the blessed simplicity of the message of salvation and how we know that we are saved. It doesn’t stop there either! It continues on and encourages us to share that message with the world. That everyone might have the hope of salvation that is found in Christ our Lord. In order for the message of the Gospel to go forth, it must be heard, and it must be spoken and shared with others.
What is the Context?
This reading comes after discussion of the Christian life.
Context is vitally important, as children we used to make fun if a person loved Oreos so much, why don’t they marry them. But the love that one has for a cookie is not the same type of love that one has for a spouse. So has come before this passage?
After talking about natural law, sin, Adam, Jesus, Baptism, and now divine election.
This is not a light topic, but one that is important for us as Christians to understand, for it has to do with our salvation and the means by which God saves us. So
How are people saved?
Is their one route for the Jewish people and another for the gentiles? How do we know whether or not we as individuals are saved, and how can you share with your neighbor the salvation that God has given.
Is it by the Law or by Faith?
By the Law, we mean to say by works. Is it that you have to do enough Good things in order to get into heaven or Faith, that is trust, in the works of God. That when the Promises of God are spoken, you say Amen. For this issue still causes tension to this very day, here’s why.
The Scandalous Simplicity of Salvation
The Law promises life but always says, if.
If you keep the commandments then heaven is yours. Many think that they can pull it off, they push and try as hard as they can. They have accomplished great and mighty works in the eyes of men. Established hospitals, given up all they had for the poor, cared for the sick the dying, benefited nations.
Many have tried, and all fall short of the glory of God.
Because as we talked about last week, the Law demands perfection not just in what you do, but in what you think, and what you feel towards your neighbor. You could cure cancer, you could adopt a 1000 children from the foster system, you could singly handedly save your neighbor, but God judges the hearts of men.
Conversion is about a change of heart, but who can do that?
No one, the Law demands it of you, but you lack the ability. No more than a dead person can will themselves to life you cannot bring yourself from unbelief to belief by your works. That’s what the Law is meant to show, your absolute inability to perform this necessary work.
This is how God saves both jew and greek.
It doesn’t matter who you are, for those who had the law, and those who lacked the law died, for neither had the ability to bring their hearts to life. That is why the message to every man, woman, and child is the same, Repent. For the Law shows that no matter who you are you are not good enough.
How the Gospel is Spread
Conversion happens by the Word.
If you dig into the differences between denominations this is where this a big divide between Lutherans and baptists, calvinists, and the rest. That the Word is efficacious. The Word doesn’t just go out and then wait for a response from the individual. It actually brings people to life.
Faith is believing God’s promise.
The Word not only brings you to life, but creates faith in your heart. That’s why we don’t just preach about faith, we instead preach what faith trusts, the promises of eternal life and forgiveness that is found in Christ.
How do you know what that is? By hearing.
That is why we use the LIturgy that is rich in the WOrd.It doesn’t matter either if you feel like going to church, or if you leave service and say well I didn’t feel the presence of the Holy Spirit, the measure of a good service is whether or not you heard the Word of God, and the promises that were made to you in Christ.
Because how can we know, believe or trust those promises if we do not hear or know them. This is why faith comes by hearing, and it is why the Word of God so important, but many think that works are what convert a person. For instance. How many have heard someone say, I would rather see a sermon than hear one
Seeing a Sermon
This is a rejection of the Word.
Because you are saying that you heard the Word of God, but that’s not enough for them. Jesus dealt with this when he went to his home town, and they wanted him to put on a show and perform miracles for their sake, but that is not why He came.
Consider two boys doing chores.
Both of them have a smile on their face, but does that tell you their motivation? If the one is happily washing dishes, because they want to help their family, and the other is happy because they tricked their sibling into doing a worse chore.
On the outside can you tell the difference?
Many people think that if someone is doing something good, and they seem happy, it must be for the right reasons and they are doing something good, but that is because we cannot see the heart.
This is why many praised the pharisees.
Jesus said to them, For you are like whitewashed tombs, which outwardly appear beautiful, but within are full of dead people's bones and all uncleanness.
If the Word is not enough, works won’t finish it.
This doesn’t mean we don’t do good works, but they do not create faith. That is the Word that brings a person to life. This is visited again in the Parable of the
The Rich Man and Lazarus
The Rich man begs Abraham to send Lazarus to his brothers.
Because he is in hell, and torment and wants his brothers to be spared this fate, and asks that Lazarus be sent because to them to warn them before they perish.
Abraham says, they have Moses and the Prophets, let them hear them.
The man rebukes Abraham, and says if someone goes to them from the dead they will repent. But Abraham says, if they do not hear moses and the prophets, neither will they be convinced if someone should rise from the dead.
God does not want to deal apart from the Word.
Anything that boasts that is of God, but does not come from the word is of the devil. For he is the one that sits behind these attacks and wants to lure people away from the hope that we have in Christ. So we should not speak about what I think, or what I feel, but rather what the Lord has said through His Word.
That is why we are called to speak.
I say this to embolden you, for the Word does not depend upon your worthiness, your greatness, or what things you might be able to do in that very moment. The Word of God by itself is powerful, it is sharper than any two-edged sword that divides bone and marrow, and it not only slays the sinner inside, but also brings life to those who were dead in their trespasses and sins.
My Brothers and Sisters in Christ, you are called to share the Word. You aren’t called to have all the answers, but you are called to point people to Christ and what He has done for them. I know this feels absolutely terrifying. But your good works won’t create faith inside the heart of your neighbor, faith comes by hearing, and so you must speak the Word. If you don’t know how to do that, you should come to Bible Study, or to the Pastor’s class where you hear what wonderful things God has done for you and for your neighbor and that will be something good to share with them. For we truly have a good and loving God, who did not withhold even His own Son in order to save us from sin, death, and the power of the devil. In Jesus name, Amen.