Trust

Text: Romans 10:8b-13

Focus: Trust

Function: to help people rest in their salvation.

Form: GOK

Intro: A few friends of mine, Brethren preachers, got into a little bit of controversy on their Facebook wall a year or so ago.

One posted a rather provocative piece about how Christians are the ones who confess that they are broken people needing a savior and therefore, how could anybody accuse them of being self-righteous? After all, the premise of salvation, of God's complete restoration when we are born from above, is based on admitting that we are broken people seeking some help and grace so how can we ever be considered self-righteous?

Not bad logic, I thought and was just about to hit the like button when another friend of mine posted a comment whereby he said: “yes, but how many people are there who claim to be Christians are really Christian?”

To which I sent an email to my friends explaining how the response “yes, but if they are not like us, then they cannot be truly Christian” on a post that says no one should judge us for being judgmental is a bit of a contradiction in messages.

Because here is the thing: Every one who calls upon the Lord will be saved.

Have you, like me, ever doubted?

Have you ever wondered if you are good enough?

Have you ever wondered if it isn't working for you although it appears to be working for everyone else?

Everyone who calls upon the name of the Lord will be saved.

I suppose that if I ever had a formula for salvation it has been the praying of these two verses. My simple answer to folks has almost always been this prayer: “Lord Jesus, I trust you to restore me to God.” Or more simply: “Dear Jesus, I place my trust in you to save me.”

During that age of modernity that I spoke of, I used this formula, these propositions, very well. We need a Savior, Jesus is the Savior, trust Him. Faith is Trust. Trust is Faith. All of that is in this prayer.

That prayer can take on many forms. I think one of the most profound times I said a prayer of trust was once when the trailer came unhitched from the pick-up truck I was following with everything I owned on it. I remember just pointing at the truck and crying out in prayer: “LORD!”

This is the beginning of Lent. On Palm Sunday, near the end, we will celebrate the triumphal entry of Jesus into Jerusalem riding on the foal of a donkey.

He will be draped in humility and the crowd will be praising him and they will be shouting out to Him; “Hosanna!” Which means, “Oh Lord, Save.”

I love those words. “Save me.”

Paul is giving an interesting context when he preaches these words.

He is reminding the Jewish reader that speaking saving words of faith, having a confession of humble trust, faith, instead of success, isn't a new concept.

He reminds them just how imperfect the law actually is. As it says in Galatians 3:24, it is merely an instructor, an imperfect instructor, that tells us we need a Savior.

He is reminding them how imperfect we all are.

He is reminding the how much we still struggle with our own selfishness.

He is reminding them that the law of God is actually impossible to fulfill by our own works.

This isn't a lesson in shame, but a lesson in humility.

The idea that we are broken in some way does not lead us to be ashamed as if we are lucky that such an angry God might still see something good in us “if only we….”

And I suppose a lot of shame has been built into that statement “If only you did more...”

No, that is not what I refer to when I say Jesus saved us.

I am speaking of the humility from humanity that confesses that there is indeed evil in this world and evil people prosper from evil but we realize that God is good and we reject the evil for God's own healing.

Paul is preaching a sermon from one of his own heroes. This sermon that Paul refers to by Moses happens at the end of Moses' life.

Moses uses a great illustration technique.

He is standing in a valley and he has the crowd standing on the sides of two different mountains.

It is a ceremony and by pre-arrangement, Moses reads off all the blessings provided them if they are obedient and asks them if they want to live this way, and tells them that this is true living.

The one side says yes on behalf of the other side and then Moses reads the curses if they fail and asks them to answer yes if they are willing to accept the consequences of failure.

And the consequences are severe.

And in order to encourage the people, he gives them hope in the NT gospel instead of the works of the law and he explains right there, at the giving of the law, the good news of the gospel.

He tells them not to worry about being perfect but to trust God, to have faith in God and God's Word.

But it is based not on God's severity, but on God's love.

And now, in the New Covenant the whole thing is driven home.

Trust in Jesus and be restored to God's family.