How Shall They Believe?...the Wayfarer
1 year, 8 months ago
How Shall They Believe?
13 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.
14 How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? and how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? and how shall they hear without a preacher?
15 And how shall they preach, except they be sent? as it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!
(Romans 10:13-15)
There is that all encompassing word again, “ Whosoever.”
That whosoever, must, however, call upon the name of the Lord, and believe that He is the Lord!
Without that belief, then the call must go unheard and is an empty cry into the atmosphere to its content of nothingness.
How, indeed shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed?
The will assuredly call, and shall assuredly know that He is Lord as they stand in His presence facing Him to give accountability for not having believed when the opportunity was given.
None may call without first opening ears to the comprehension of the gospel, that gospel preached throughout the world by both the scripture readily available to so many that refuse to open its pages, and from the preachers who stand firmly on that gospel preaching both halves of it, both promise and warning to any and all willing to hear it.
Willing to hear it is the key portion of the above statement.
Many are willingly, prayerfully, and lovingly bringing that precious gospel, warning AND promise throughout the world to the willing and the unwilling everywhere and to everyone that would allow them to do so.
Preaching to a brick wall may get the attention of the passersby, but the wall remains deaf and hears nothing.
That gospel preached is the gospel of LOVE! The love that God holds for this creature so engrossed with self that that love is seen only as a detriment to the stubborn will of that creature.
It is the will of that creature that creates the same deafness in him that is held by that brick wall.
Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
5 For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, That the man which doeth those things shall live by them.
6 But the righteousness which is of faith speaketh on this wise, Say not in thine heart, Who shall ascend into heaven? (that is, to bring Christ down from above:)
7 Or, Who shall descend into the deep? (that is, to bring up Christ again from the dead.)
8 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach;
9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved.
10 For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.
11 For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.
12 For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him.
(Romans 10:1-12)
The heart’s desire of any preacher, and any true Christian as well, is for the salvation of all the “whosoevers” still reachable and teachable enough to believe the TRUTH given by Christ Jesus.
The only righteousness preached by them is never their own, but that of God in Whom all righteousness resides.
It is God’s righteousness that demands the belief, and the faith required to actually hear, comprehend and heed the warnings given by Him in order to assure the promise given BY HIM!
The Word is near indeed! It is heard despite the clamor that tries so hard to drown the soft and tender voice pleading with all to please listen to the warnings and accept the promise of eternal life.
It is through faith and with love that that gospel is preached, and must be preached before it may be heard and accepted.
The requirement remains to confess with your mouth and believe with your heart in that gospel, the pure unalterable Word of God.
The requirement remains for that heart to believe unto the righteousness granted only by God that truly allows confession unto salvation!
Redemption for Repentance, the same message preached by Jesus throughout his ministry, must be preached today as well!
To fail to do so would be to be ashamed of the gospel, and if faith is extant there can be no shame in that gospel, as there can be no shame in proclaiming it, but instead of shame, a love and duty must be shown, both to the ones attempted to reach and to God as well.
There is no race, no creed nor color, no sex, no sin committed that precludes the possibility of that love that is offered continually for all who will accept the terms offered by God through Christ Jesus.
Jesus is LORD of ALL, whether that lordship is accepted or not.
It is a matter of simple acceptance or rejection that determines the eternal fate of each and every soul created.
16 But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Esaias saith, Lord, who hath believed our report?
17 So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.
18 But I say, Have they not heard? Yes verily, their sound went into all the earth, and their words unto the ends of the world.
19 But I say, Did not Israel know? First Moses saith, I will provoke you to jealousy by them that are no people, and by a foolish nation I will anger you.
20 But Esaias is very bold, and saith, I was found of them that sought me not; I was made manifest unto them that asked not after me.
21 But to Israel he saith, All day long I have stretched forth my hands unto a disobedient and gainsaying people.
(Romans 10)
Not all have accepted that gospel.
Not all ever will.
We are told that few will in fact come to faith by having heard the Word of God.
As the days wind down toward the end of the patience that has so long withheld final judgment, it is critical that both halves of that precious word continue to be preached until the last one hears and accepts the Truth of that promise, and the Truth of the warning as well.
Who has believed our report? Who will believe that report?
Those answers lie only in the hearts of those willing to hear, and willing to give the required repentance for redemption.
Such a small price for the gift given us through the sacrifice of Christ Jesus, who willingly paid the price for our salvation with his own blood, and gives proof of it through the resurrection that is now available to all through Him.
The whosoever mentioned in John 3:16 means exactly that. WHOSOEVER BELIEVES.
The remainder of that chapter also covers the warning as well as that precious promise.
Both halves have been preached, Both halves must be heard.
Both WILL be understood, sooner far better than later.
Faith is required, and may only occur with having heard and believed.
All praise to God for the Savior given us.
All Gory to God for the chance offered.
All Honor to God for those with open ears to hear.
2 Timothy 1:12
King James Version (KJV)
12 For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.
Amen and Amen
the Wayfarer
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