“How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!’ But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed what he has heard from us?’ So faith comes from hearing, and hearing through the word of Christ.
“But I ask, have they not heard? Indeed they have, for
“’Their voice has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to the ends of the world.’
“But I ask, did Israel not understand? First Moses says,
“’I will make you jealous of those who are not a nation;
with a foolish nation I will make you angry.’
“Then Isaiah is so bold as to say,
“’I have been found by those who did not seek me;
I have shown myself to those who did not ask for me.’
“But of Israel he says, ‘All day long I have held out my hands to a disobedient and contrary people.’” (Romans 10:14-21 ESV)
This is in the context of Paul proclaiming his heart’s desire and prayer for his fellow Jews (in the flesh) that they may be saved. But we can certainly use this, as well, to include our concerns for our family, friends, neighbors, and fellow professers of Christianity for them to be genuinely born again of the Spirit of God. For there are certainly parallels, especially between the Jews who were God’s chosen people, and those who profess faith in Jesus Christ today but who are not submitting themselves to Christ’s righteousness.
Yet, even though many of them have heard the truth, many have not, even many who think they have heard the truth, because so many charlatans are teaching them lies disguised as truth. Still, all are without excuse, according to Romans 1:18-32, because God has made himself known to all of humankind through his created works. And so that says that we all know God, not intimately, and not experientially, but we know of his divine character and will for our lives because he has made it known to us.
Still, the people need to hear the truth, even those who grew up attending church services and who have heard the Scriptures taught, perhaps all their lives, because far too many preachers and pastors and evangelists these days are not teaching the people the whole truth, but a diluted and altered half-truth (lie) gospel message that is created in the minds of people of the flesh who serve themselves and not God. So, we need to be telling people the whole truth, but we first of all need to be walking in that truth.
And this isn’t just the responsibility of people in full-time ministry. For, actually, we are all to be full-time ministers of Christ in sharing the truth of the gospel with the ungodly and with false professers of faith and with the wanderers from the truth. And this doesn’t mean that we are doing this actively 24/7, but that we are always ready and on the alert and ready to share the gospel and to obey the Lord in speaking to others about our faith in Jesus Christ, and that we are doing so actively and consistently.
So, what is the truth that we are to be taking to the people? It is that Jesus Christ gave his life up for us on that cross that we might die to sin and live to righteousness, and that we might live for him and no longer for self. And it is that he shed his blood for us on that cross to buy us back for God (to redeem us) out of our lives of slavery to sin so that we might now follow him in obedience to his commands in holy living and so that we can now honor him with our bodies (with our lives).
[1 Peter 2:24; 2 Corinthians 5:15; 1 Corinthians 6:19-20; Romans 6:1-23]
And Jesus said that if anyone would come after him he must deny self, take up his cross daily (die daily to sin) and follow (obey) him. For if we hold on to our old lives of living in sin and for self, we will lose them for eternity. For if for Jesus’ sake we deny self, die daily to sin, and follow him in obedience, then we have eternal life in him. And he said that not everyone who calls him “Lord” will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one DOING the will of God the Father in heaven (Luke 9:23-26; Matthew 7:21-23).
See also: [Romans 2:6-8; Romans 8:1-14; 1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Galatians 5:16-21; Galatians 6:7-8; Ephesians 2:8-10; Ephesians 4:17-32; Ephesians 5:3-6; Hebrews 10:23-31; 1 Jn 1:5-10; 1 Jn 2:3-6; 1 Jn 3:4-10]
And this is the “Good News” that Paul was talking about, which he taught all throughout his teachings. And the good news he taught always talked about the necessity of obeying the gospel, i.e. of obeying the teachings of Christ and of the NT apostles, which are for the church. So this is not lip service only this is talking about, but this is about us forsaking our lives of living in sin and for self to now follow our Lord in walks of obedience to him. And then we are to be those who are taking the gospel message to others.
Now, did the Jews of Jesus’ day hear the truth of the gospel? This says “Yes, indeed!” So the problem was not that they had not heard, but that they would not submit to Christ as Lord. They would not surrender their lives to him to do his will, and they would not obey his commandments. And they would not leave their sins behind them to now walk in his ways and in his truth and in his righteousness. But they held on to the traditions they had been brought up under and they refused Jesus as their Messiah (Christ).
And so the Lord did indeed hold out his hands to a disobedient and contrary people, and he is still doing so today. For so many who profess faith in Jesus Christ do not submit to him as Lord, and they do not walk in obedience to his commands, and they do not follow in his footsteps, but they chart their own course, and they go their own way while they go through the motions of religious practice. And so many are believing the lies and are rejecting the truth because they want to hold on to their sins.
So, if this is where you are, holding on to your sins, being obstinate, rebellious, and/or just plain disobedient to the Lord and to his commands, I pray that you will repent of your sins, deny self, die daily to sin, and follow Jesus in obedience to his commands, in his power and strength, by God-gifted faith, and by the grace of God. And if you are one who is walking in fellowship with the Lord, in walks of obedience, and not in sin, but you have not been sharing the gospel, I pray you will begin doing that today.
Should I Not Preach Jesus
An Original Work / July 4, 2013
Based off 1 Corinthians 9:16-10:13
Woe to me should I not preach Jesus.
I’m compelled to preach the full gospel.
I make myself a slave to ev’ryone
To win their hearts to Christ.
All this I do for my Lord Jesus,
And for the sake of His Name;
Do it for the sake of His gospel,
So that I, its blessings gain.
Scripture notates the sins of others;
Written down for us as examples
To keep us from setting our hearts
On evil as did those of old.
Do not worship other gods of man;
Do not give your hearts to them;
Not partake in immorality.
Do not test your Lord and King.
So, be careful if you think you are
Standing firm in your faith in Jesus.
God has given his word to warn us,
So through faith we will not fall.
No temptation has o’ertaken you
Except what is commonplace.
God is faithful to not let you be
Tempted past what you can bear.
He gives the way of escape.
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