Steadfast, Immovable, Abounding

Fifth and final installment of the Romans Road series

“If you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

Romans 10:9

We live in a crazy, complicated world. Whether it’s that class you thought was going to be a breeze but now has you staying up until midnight, that friendship or relationship which was supposed to be perfect but turned out to be a rocky road, or that so-called “dream job” that has quickly grown into a nightmare, nothing in this world is quite so simple as it seems.

All this chaos has led humanity to believe that nothing is truly a gift, that nothing is truly simple or free. We mistrust everything we see, assuming that there are always strings attached or some hidden downside. And so the world refuses to believe the simplicity of Christ’s gospel message. They overcomplicate it because the thought of a salvation that is undeservedly gained by belief is just too good to be true.

Why do we do this? Why do we make salvation harder than it needs to be?

I can think of at least two reasons. First, we think so highly of ourselves that a faith a child can have is not “smart” enough for us. Our human nature desires a faith we deserve because we have somehow “figured it out.” As Paul writes in 1 Corinthians 1:26-29, “For consider your calling, brethren, that there were not many wise according to the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble; but God has chosen the foolish things of the world to shame the wise, and God has chosen the weak things of the world to shame the things which are strong, and the base things of the world and the despised God has chosen, the things that are not, so that He may nullify the things that are, so that no man may boast before God.”

The second reason is the world’s disbelief of anything that is truly genuine and any love that is truly real. We have all been hurt by each other’s imperfections and inconsistencies. We feel pain because we are still trapped in this half-existence, unable to experience life’s joys without experiencing life’s sadness, while we wait for the full, complete fulfillment we will one day experience. The world’s brokenness has taught us we must pay for everything—no one truly gives and demands nothing for themselves. The concept of a God who loves unconditionally and saves willingly is foreign to people who have only experienced the imperfect kind of love humans are capable of.

We always say that Christ’s grace is enough, His blood covers all, His forgiveness is complete…and yet, there’s always a “but.” We still seek to make up for all the sins we’ve committed, while Christ says He has left them in the grave. Once again, the gospel is too simple for us. There has to be something more we must do to deserve this perfect grace. Accepting Christ’s payment for our sins takes humility. Like children, we must realize that when God adopted us as His own, He only wanted us to step into that identity and be at home in His presence. Romans 10:10 says, “For with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation,” and later in verse 17, “so faith comes from hearing, and hearing by the word of Christ.”

I don’t want to imply that our Father and His plan are within our comprehension. As Isaiah 55:8-9 says, “‘For My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways My ways,’ declares the Lord. ‘For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways and My thoughts than your thoughts.’” We cannot comprehend how amazing God’s plan is, how intricately He has woven history together for our salvation, or how far His love has extended to bring heaven to earth. If we think we have finally grasped the Creator of the universe, we understand Him less than ever.

I love what Charles Hodge once said: “The gospel is so simple that small children can understand it, and it is so profound that studies by the wisest theologians will never exhaust its riches.” Sometimes we say things like, “there are some things we’re just not meant to understand.” While this may very well be true, we should never use it as an excuse for not seeking to know God and His plan more deeply.

In Matthew 11:25-30, Jesus says, “‘I praise You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. All things have been handed over to Me by My Father; and no one knows the Son except the Father; nor does anyone know the Father except the Son, and anyone to whom the Son wills to reveal Him. Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.’”

We must accept Christ’s gospel with the faith of a child, and yet a child who is not satisfied with a surface-level relationship. Let us not burden ourselves by complicating God’s plan, yet let us be eager to know the mysteries our Father will reveal to us.