Read the transcript from today's video devotional.
Romans chapter 10 is all about the Gospel bringing sinners to salvation. The context here is Paul is concerned. He's writing to the Israelites in the first century, and he's concerned about their unbelief. He's helping them to understand that salvation is not going to come from keeping the law. Salvation is only going to come if they believe the Gospel.
The Chain of Questions
Just before verse 17, he asks this chain of questions and he says: "How is someone to call on Him?"—and that's Jesus—"How are they to call on One that they have not believed? How are they to believe in Him if they have never heard of Him? How are they going to hear of Him unless there is someone who comes and preaches"—that is, preaches the Gospel?
Every Christian's Story
Every Christian who's watching this right now, you know this: you became a Christian. You placed your faith in Christ because you heard and then you believed the Gospel.
Faith is awakened in the believer when we hear the good news of Christ—the good news that Jesus came, He lived, He suffered, He died, He rose from the dead in the place of sinners like you and me, so that sinners like you and me could be reconciled to God.
Faith Is Provoked Continually
Faith comes from hearing that message. Not just initial faith that brings you into the kingdom of God, but faith on and on and on in your life is provoked by hearing the Gospel over and over again.
We don't only believe the Gospel when we become a Christian. We believe the Gospel every day as Christians. It's why Martin Luther has this famous quote where he said: "Most necessary it is therefore that we should know the Gospel well, teach it to others, and beat it into their heads continually."
He was telling us that the Gospel needs to be on our mind constantly. That wording is forceful because that need is very real.
Deeper and Deeper
We don't hear the Gospel, become a Christian, and then move on from it. We get deeper and deeper into it. We need the good news of Christ announced to us over and over again—a reminder that we do not trust in ourselves or our own works or our own righteousness, but we trust in the work of Christ.
What Content Are You Consuming?
Think about this. Most of us consume a lot of content. In fact, we consume more content probably than anyone ever has in history. We are plugged into podcasts, clips and videos, social media, and news.
Let me ask you this question: Out of all the content you are consuming, how much of that content is the good news about Christ? Because that's what Paul says. Here is what we need to hear in order to have faith in Christ, over and over again.
A Neglected Gospel Weakens You
Romans chapter 10, verse 17 really forces that question: What are you hearing that actually feeds your soul?
If this verse is true—and it is—if faith comes by hearing Christ, then a neglected Bible, a neglected church, a neglected Gospel—that is not going to be a neutral habit. It is going to eventually weaken you.
We must hear the Gospel over and over again.
My Encouragement to You
My encouragement to you today would be to place yourself wherever the Gospel is heard. Open the Bible. Read the Bible. Pray and meditate over it. Make sure that you are sitting under the faithful preaching of God's Word. Listen to good Gospel-centered content. Hear it coming out of your own mouth. Speak the Gospel to others.
Faith does not grow in a vacuum. Faith grows where the good news about Christ is heard.
