Pray:
Ask God to orient or reorient you to Himself. Confess any known sin. Thank Him for His forgiveness. Be still and reflect on Jesus and His sacrifice for you. Ask the Holy Spirit to open your heart and mind to God’s Word. Pray for others in your life that they, too, would know and love God today.
Read:
Romans 10:11-13,
“11 As the Scripture says, ‘Anyone who trusts in Him will never be put to shame.’ 12 For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile— the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on Him, 13 for, ‘Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.’”
Understand:
The text in this passage comes from Isaiah 28:16. In Isaiah, it’s about faith in the Messiah—God’s cornerstone. But notice that Paul tweaks it a bit in Romans. Instead of “the one who relies,” he says “anyone who trusts.” Paul is making clear that the gospel–God’s universal offer–is open to all! Jesus is the firm foundation for anyone who calls on His name. Thank God there is no distinction; the call goes out to all.
It’s funny to me that in Chapter 9 we see clearly the sovereignty of God and here in Chapter 10 we see man’s responsibility: anyone who trusts, all who call on Him, everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. The universal nature of the gospel cuts both ways. There is no distinction: all are lost and all can be saved. The Gospel removes all human barriers to salvation.
Apply:
As followers of Christ, you and I have put our faith in Christ—He is Lord of all! He is rich in His grace and mercy to all who call upon Him. Take some time today and think about the many different ways you’ve personally experienced His grace and mercy. Then, give Him thanks.
*From what you have just read and considered, what is a personal implication/application for your life today?
Live:
(Personalize this prayer today; make it specific to the circumstances that face you.)
Ask God to lead you through His Spirit as you go through your day. Ask Him to bring to mind the truth of the Gospel and its implications for what you will encounter today. Tell Him “Yes” to His will and ask Him for His power and protection to live out this “yes.” Ask God to create and reveal opportunities to proclaim the Good News today. KEEP PRAYING THROUGHOUT YOUR DAY.
Inspiration and insight for the devotionals came from the following books: Reading Romans with John Stott; The Message of Romans: God’s Good News for the World (The Bible Speaks Today Series), Stott, John; Romans (The NIV Application Commentary Book 6) Moo, Douglas J.; Encountering the Book of Romans: A Theological Survey (Encountering Biblical Studies) Moo, Douglas J.; Believers Bible Commentary; The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, with the New International Version, Romans through Galatians; NIV Application Study Bible. The Cambridge Bible Commentary, Romans, Best, Ernest; Romans 8-16 For You: For reading, for feeding, for leading (God’s Word For You – Romans Series Book 2, Keller, Timothy.