The Simple Gospel
When it comes to understanding the gospel message of Jesus, Romans 10:13 is one of the most important verses…
Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.
Romans 10:13 NIV
The gospel of Jesus is the message that Jesus lived a perfect life and died for our sins on the cross, and through His death and resurrection we can experience true and everlasting life. We are given the opportunity to believe in Jesus, and through faith experience Jesus’ undeserved gift of forgiveness and love.
The most controversial part of this message is that we don’t have to work for it or earn it. Salvation is given to us freely as a gift of God through faith in Jesus (Ephesians 2:8-9).
Paul, the author of Romans, makes it very clear that everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved. Salvation is not reserved for the rich, famous, or popular. It is given to anyone who recognizes their own insufficiency and their need for Jesus.
This means that we do not need to overcomplicate trusting in Jesus. Paul’s statement is a promise to us all–if we believe in Jesus, then we will be saved.
If you’ve ever questioned whether or not you’re saved, then this promise can encourage you. The way to Jesus is simple. If you trust in Jesus then you are truly saved and don’t need to question it. All that is left is to continue to believe in and follow Jesus every day.
The Mission of God
All of our lives are spent on something.
Most people spend their days focused on growing a family, building a career, or amassing possessions. While none of those things are necessarily wrong, they can become distractions from our ultimate goal in life.
In the book of Acts, we see Paul’s transformation in Christ. As a result of meeting Jesus and being changed by His grace, Paul spends the rest of his life preaching the good news of Jesus.
For Paul, God’s grace and salvation were so great that nothing on this earth could compare to doing His work.
Paul said that nothing in his life mattered as much as telling others about God’s grace. His goal in life was to finish his own race well by faithfully accomplishing as much of the mission of God as possible:
"However, I consider my life worth nothing to me; my only aim is to finish the race and complete the task the Lord Jesus has given me—the task of testifying to the good news of God's grace."
Acts 20:24 NIV
The mission of ...