Recently I’ve been struck again by the story of the early Church as the disciples and others sought to establish a new faith after Jesus ascended back to heaven. Just think about all of the obstacles they met along the way.
- Confusion around the fact that these former followers of Judaism were now seeking to explain a completely new way of understanding what God expected of people.
- No Scripture to draw on aside from the Jewish Old Testament books that certainly pointed to a Messiah but didn’t offer much of an explanation for how to believe in him nor enter into a relationship with him.
- No meeting place that they could call their own.
- Opposition from Jews and, eventually, Roman authorities, who took issue with their lack of loyalty to the emperor.
- No obvious leader or unified set of beliefs or tenets to follow.
As a teacher of the Bible at a Christian school that also includes many students of different faiths, I find students are struck by these facts as well. We explore together how Peter, John, and Paul sought to explain this new understanding of God that was entirely based on grace and not following a set of formal rules or rituals. Just as people in the crowds were confused as they listened to the apostles speak to larger gatherings, as well as in the frequent more intimate conversations recorded in Acts, so too many of my students find it difficult to fathom how simple faith in Christ is all that is required of them to be accepted by the Almighty God.
Romans 10:9 is contained within the context of a longer explanation by Paul in which he seeks to differentiate the way God related to people through the Old Testament and what he calls people to in the time after Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection on earth. Paul is very clear to indicate that a relationship with God is no longer based on following ritual sacrifices or honoring feast days, nor is it only available to the descendants of Abraham. Salvation is available to all those who confess Jesus as Lord and accept the forgiveness of sins and the submission to God that accompanies that confession.
Not long ago I had a student ask, “So, I just have to believe it and I’m a Christian?” Now this student came from a religious background which emphasized doing good works and following a specific path to peace. She had a lot of difficulty understanding the fact that Jesus did it all for her and that she could not do anything to cause God to love her or accept her more. This was revolutionary to her and caused a holy moment of silence in the class as other students were struck by the simplicity and power of the Gospel.
Heavenly Father, give me the courage each day to tell of the wonderful good news that Jesus has made a way for us to have peace with God, now and for eternity.
Throughout This Day: Be reminded of the grace that Christianity is based on and be willing to share that good news with those searching for peace today.