May 28
“‘Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’ How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: ‘How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the Gospel of peace, who bring glad tidings of good things!’ But they have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’ So then faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God,” Romans 10:13-17.
Scripture interprets Scripture! The Bible shines in its own light. The psalmist wrote, “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path,” Psalm 119:105. It is very enlightening to study what the Bible says in one place in the light of what is recorded in another place on the same subject. The text quoted above is a good example of this. We have quotations from both the Old and the New Testament. The New is in the Old concealed and the Old is by the New revealed.
The apostle Paul begins with the words, “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.” Paul is quoting from the prophet Joel: “It shall come to pass that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved. For in Mount Zion and in Jerusalem there shall be deliverance, as the Lord has said, among the remnant whom the Lord calls,” Joel 2:32. To call on the name of the Lord means to accept, worship, and confess the Lord as the one true God through whom we have salvation. Mount Zion and Jerusalem are Old Testament expressions for the true Church of God where the message of deliverance from sin, death, and the devil is proclaimed.
But how can people worship Him, “In whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in Him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach unless they are sent?” People cannot worship the one true God and Jesus Christ whom He sent to be our Savior unless they believe in Him. But they cannot believe in Him if they have not heard of Him. How can they hear about Him if there is no one to preach and to tell them about Him? Someone will have to be called and sent by God through the Church to proclaim the Good News of the Gospel.
Again, Paul quotes the words of the prophet Isaiah as recorded in the Old Testament: “How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him who brings good news, who proclaims peace, who brings glad tidings of good things, who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, your God reigns!” Isaiah 52:7. Paul is not talking about beautiful feet, but he is speaking of how beautiful and wonderful it is to have someone whose feet carry him to bring the Good News. The chief responsibility of the Church is to proclaim the Good News – the message of the Gospel with its assurance of forgiveness, peace, and pardon offered through Jesus Christ, who suffered, died, and rose again to deliver all people from sin, death, and the power of the devil. The call goes out to all: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ!”
However, Paul writes, “They have not all obeyed the Gospel. For Isaiah says, ‘Lord, who has believed our report?’” Again, Paul quotes Isaiah: “Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?” Isaiah 53:1. To obey the Gospel means to believe its invitation and to put your faith and trust in the Lord Jesus as the one on whom God laid the iniquity of us all, as Isaiah writes later in chapter 53. Paul concludes with what is obvious: “Faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God.” With the Word of God, the Holy Spirit touches our hearts and brings us to faith and trust in Jesus as our Savior, who suffered, died, and rose again to redeem us.
“Holy Ghost, with light divine
Shine upon this heart of mine;
Chase the shades of night away,
Turn the darkness into day.
Holy Ghost, with pow’r divine
Cleanse this guilty heart of mine.
In Thy mercy, pity me;
From sin’s bondage set me free.” Amen.