Scripture Reading: Romans 10:1-13

There were once five frogs on a log.  One of them decided to jump off.  How many frogs do you think were still on the log?  … Four?  … None?  … Nope.  All five.  One of them just decided to jump off.

There’s a difference between deciding to do something and doing it.  There’s a difference between believing in something in your mind and moving that belief deep down into your heart so that it can take root and spring into action.

Throughout this study of the book of Romans, we’ve been looking at ways to renew your mind and the difference that can make in your life.  But if all you do is focus on your mind and never move what you’ve learned down into your heart so those truths can be put into action, then all of this will just be an intellectual exercise.

God wants you to do both:  He wants you to renew your mind and believe what you’ve learned in your heart so that it can make a difference in your life.

In Romans chapter 10, Paul tells the Romans what it takes for someone to be saved.  He says:

“That if you confess with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”
(Romans 10:9).

This is one of the greatest statements of faith found in the whole Bible.  If you can say with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, you’re also declaring that no one else is Lord, not even yourself.  And when you believe in your heart that God raised Jesus from the dead, you’re saying that you believe in the resurrection—and that one day you’ll be raised from the dead, too, if you’ve put your faith in Christ.

This sums up two of the most important ideas of what it means to be a follower of Christ:  that Jesus is both your Lord and Savior.

Many people want a Savior—someone to save them from their sins.  But not everyone wants a Lord, someone who calls the shots in their lives.  But the truth is, it’s awesome to have Jesus as both Lord and Savior.  Why?  Because when He’s your Savior, he’ll save you from your sins.  And when He’s your Lord, He’ll put you on a path that keeps you from having to be saved from quite so much in the future!

When I saw at age 24 where I was headed in life, I realized that it would have been better if I had let Jesus call the shots instead of me.  I asked Jesus to be my Savior—to forgive me of my sins—and also to be my Lord—to take control of my life from that point on.  Now that I’m 48, I can say that this second half of my life has been significantly better than the first half (and I loved the first half, too!  I just didn’t realize how much trouble I was causing for myself and others along the way!)

Now I have a purpose for my life that propels me forward and I have Someone to go with me along the way, guiding and directing me so I can make the most of the time I have here on earth.

How does this apply to you?  Have you come to the place in your life where you’ve confessed with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believed in your heart that God raised Him from the dead?  If so, that’s the best decision you could have ever made in your life and it’s the starting point for your life with Christ.  But it doesn’t end there.  God wants you to follow through on that decision and take a leap of faith, jumping off the log and jumping into His full-blown plan for your life.

I know of a young man who has put his faith in Christ and is theologically brilliant.  He’s well-versed in Scripture and has sound doctrine.  But he’s recently started dating a non-Christian girl, going against God’s stated desire for him in his life.  As it says in the Bible:

“Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. For what do righteousness and wickedness have in common? Or what fellowship can light have with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14).

Like King Solomon, he’s going to find out some day that all the wisdom in the world is worthless if you don’t put it into practice.  King Solomon was, as the Bible declares, the wisest man who has ever lived.  Yet he didn’t put that wisdom into practice when it came to his relationships, going against God’s clear warning to the Israelites about not taking wives from those that didn’t believe in Him.  God said:

“You must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods” (1 Kings 11:2).

Yet that’s exactly what happened:  Solomon married women who didn’t believe in God and they led him astray.  Wisdom is only valuable if you move it from head knowledge to believing it deep down in your heart and putting it into practice.

Someone in this situation might think:  “But I could lead this person to Christ, and God wants me to lead people to Christ, doesn’t He?”  Yes, that’s right.  But if it means violating one of God’s other pieces of wisdom along the way, then it’s more likely to do harm than good.  God wants you to follow His plan for your life in all areas, not just the ones that appeal to you.

I know men who are in love with other men.  They compare their relationships to the close friendship that Jonathan had with David.  They say that God wants them to have close male friendships.  And on that point I agree:  God does want them to have close male friendships.  But then God draws a line—as He does with all relationships outside of a husband and wife committed for life—warning that if you become involved romantically and physically with anyone else, you’ll do more damage than good.  If God says something is destructive, no matter how good it may seem at the time, in the end, it will be destructive.

Jesus is glad to be your Savior, but as I said before, if you’ll let Him be your Lord, too, you won’t need saving from quite so much!

Maybe the area you need a Lord today is in your finances, helping you decide where and when to spend your money.  Look in the Bible and you’ll find your answers.  God has great wisdom regarding finances, whether it’s saving or spending or giving your money away, like this:

“Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap. For with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Luke 6:38).

But you’ll have to put that wisdom into practice so that you can make good and godly decisions.

Maybe the area you need a Lord today is in your health, helping you to know what to eat and what to drink and how to take care of your body.  Again, look in the Bible and you’ll find your answers, like this:

“Everything is permissible”—but not everything is beneficial. “Everything is permissible”—but not everything is constructive (1 Corinthians 10:23).

While you can justify almost anything, that doesn’t mean everything is equally good for you!  Look closely at God’s Word for your answers and then put what He says into practice.

Maybe the area you need a Lord today is in your relationships, helping you know how to act and react to those around you.  The Bible contains a wealth of wisdom on this topic, too, like this:

“For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.  But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins” (Matthew 6:14-15).

Applying a verse like this to your life could bring more healing and wholeness to your relationships than you could ever achieve by any other approach.

I’m sure you’re getting the idea.  God loves you incredibly much.  And He’s glad to save you from those things that plague you in your life.  If you’ll let Him be your Lord, too, and not just your Savior, you won’t need saving from quite so much.

If you’ve never put your faith in Christ, I’d encourage you to do it today.  Confess with your mouth that, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, and as this verse in Romans says, you will be saved.

If you’ve already put your faith in Christ, I’d encourage you to follow through on that decision.  Keep digging into God’s word to find out what He wants you to do with your life.  Then don’t just decide to do what He says.  Jump off the log and do it!  Keep believing in your heart that Jesus is both your Lord and Savior.

Will you pray with me?

Father, thank You for being so interested in our lives that You’re willing to be both our Lord and Savior, saving us from our sins and guiding us into godly living.  Help us to make wise decisions so we can follow You in every area of our lives, then to follow-through on those decisions and put them into practice in our lives.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.

Questions for Reflection

1.  Read Romans 10:1-13.  What was Paul’s heart’s desire for the Israelites?  Why did he say in verses 2-4 that they were not able to receive it?

2. What can you do in your life to keep from being like the Israelites Paul mentioned?

3. Why does it seem to be important to both confess with your mouth that “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead?

4.  If you’ve never put your faith in Christ, are you ready to do it today?  And if you’ve already put your faith in Christ, how are you doing at following through on that decision in your life?