How Are They to Believe If They Have Not Heard?
“Because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”
Romans 10:9 (ESV)“And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?”
Romans 10:14 (ESV)
A Simple Truth
If you confess and believe with your heart, you are saved. It doesn’t matter who you are, what you’ve done, or where you’ve been.
So why is it hard to believe when it seems so simple?
We wrestle with unbelief. Our belief in consequence (“I am too far gone”) can outweigh our belief in grace (“God loves me despite what I’ve done”). We doubt God because we live in a physical reality that struggles to comprehend the unseen.
Learn to Believe
I knew I needed to learn what it truly meant to believe in Jesus the day I realized that if I believed heaven was real, then Jesus must be real too because He is the way there. I began to ask myself: What does it mean to believe in an all-loving God? Why is it so hard to believe something so beautifully simple?
Recently, I finished The Case for Faith by Lee Strobel, a book that dives into the why behind belief. Strobel confronts the hard questions that challenge both believers and unbelievers like, If God exists, why does evil exist? Why do people suffer if God is real?
These questions are valid. And I’d recommend The Case for Faith to anyone who wrestles with doubt, because it faces confronting questions with truth and reason.
Limits of Understanding
Our human minds are limited. We naturally limit our understanding of an all-powerful, all-loving, and all-knowing God because we can’t fully grasp what that means.
At the end of the book, Strobel tells a story about a man on death row for murder who came to know Jesus while in prison. Other believers went to him and shared the gospel. Through their obedience, Jesus completely transformed his life. He began leading Bible studies, ministering to others, and living as a changed man. He was released from death row.
Heart of Grace
Reading that story made me uncomfortable. I felt a disbelief that a murderer could change that dramatically. I knew I would struggle to see past what that man had done and would have a hard time walking into that prison to share the gospel.
“And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?”
Romans 10:14 (ESV)
Someone had to believe that Jesus could change a murderer’s heart. Someone had to step out in faith, believing in the renewing power of our all-good God.
We often limit God’s ability to what our own ability is. We doubt that an all-good, all-powerful, and all-knowing God exists simply because we can’t comprehend that reality. Once you give your life over to God, you will start to feel the Holy Spirit guiding you toward a better life: one that is generous, kind, loving, and full of purpose.
His love is not limited by what makes sense to me.
His grace reaches further than I can see.
His love is the magic that we see truly transforming the lives of believers.
Remember Redemption
Our faith is in God’s power, not in people’s goodness. Even when I don’t understand what others have done, I can trust the One who makes all things new. I’m humbled when I remember what God has done in me. My heart has softened. My priorities have shifted. I see people differently because Jesus has shown me compassion in places where I didn’t deserve it.
If God can change my heart, how could I ever doubt His ability to change someone else’s?
Live and Share Truth
“And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard?”
Romans 10:14 (ESV)
How will someone know that God is real and that they too can be saved by simply confessing Jesus as Lord if we never tell them?
We are called to take faithful action and share the truth in love. To share the gospel and what it means for humanity. To offer truth to those who are struggling. We are meant to be truth-telling people who are honest, grace-filled, and bold in our faith.
Be truthful with yourself. Be truthful with the people you love. Be truthful about where you are and where you want to go. Search your heart for answers and pray that God strengthens you to live an authentic life by His design.
Allow God to shape you into someone who shares truth with love, listens before speaking, and lives faith out loud in a way that draws others toward Jesus.
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A few good listens for your week! Unrelated, still good!
Our hostile culture podcast with Mike Winger
4 Bee Products to Eat DAILY to 10x Gut Health, Reduce Cancer Risk, & Fix Hormones podcast with Dr. Josh Axe
Cynthia Thurlow: On Women’s Health, Intermittent Fasting, Protein Intake & Hormone Therapy |TUH #207 on the Ultimate Human Podcast with Gary Brecka
