Focal passage: Romans 10:1-3, 8b-13
Choosing where to eat dinner is one of my least favorite decisions of all time.
Steak or stir fry? Tacos or tortellini? I couldn’t care less, and I know I’m not the only one.
I usually struggle to make up my mind about dinner because I don’t think the decision is really that important. In six weeks, no one will care what I eat for dinner tonight. In six hours, I may not even remember what was on my plate!
But there is one decision that matters more than life itself. Each of us must choose how we will respond to the truth of the gospel – the Good News that Jesus Christ came to earth to pay for our sin, offer us forgiveness and restore us to a right relationship with God.
In order to receive the salvation God offers, we must first recognize that contrary to the many voices around us, Jesus Christ is the only way to salvation. Other religions or philosophies will leave us empty.
Our best attempts at self-righteousness will fall short.
What’s more, it’s not enough to intellectually acknowledge that Christ is the way to salvation. According to Romans 10:9, “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.” We cannot merely agree that Jesus saves. To believe means we must entrust our entire lives to the One who gave His life for us.
I’m certain I’ve spent hundreds of hours in my lifetime deciding where to go to dinner with my friends and family. I’ve settled for discussing cheeseburgers when I could have been sharing the offer of eternal life.
Christ’s gift of salvation is open to all, and “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Romans 10:13). Pray with me this week that God would provide opportunities for each of us to share the offer of salvation with those around us. Pray those we speak with would choose to trust Christ and receive the salvation offered by Him alone.