Confess, Believe, & Share

“For some people the distance from heaven to hell is 18 inches - the distance from their head to their heart.” Maybe you’ve heard that quote before. Although it’s a man-made quote, we see its direct connection to scripture through today's reading. Many will miss heaven because they have head knowledge but not heart knowledge! I did not grow up in a Christian home. I always believed in God but never did anything to pursue it. I think this is pretty standard for most of our society, isn’t it? I didn’t have a relationship with God, but I’d ask Him for help in an emergency. If you asked me if I believed in heaven, I’d say yes and that I hope I make it there one day. I had never opened a Bible. I attended church here and there with friends growing up but never had an interest in it for myself. It wasn’t until my mom started attending church when I was 19, that I heard the gospel for the first time. I remember two deacons sharing something with me called “The Romans Road”. If you’ve been in a Baptist church for any length of time, you know this is the plan of salvation through the book of Romans! It wasn’t until I heard this verse that everything started to make sense. Romans 10:9-10, “If you declare with your mouth, ‘Jesus is Lord,’ and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith and are saved.” All those years I believed in God, I failed to believe with my mouth and my heart. That day I accepted Jesus as a 20-year-old girl. I confessed with my mouth, believed in my heart, and God saved me in that moment. I instantly felt a weight lifted and knew I was a child of God. I was filled with emotion! Thanksgiving, gratitude, excitement, and much more! I finally understood the gospel and what it meant for ME. Simply believing God exists, wasn’t enough. Even the demons believe (James 2:19), but they surely have no part with Christ! I needed to take the next step. That step was opening my mouth, asking God to forgive me of my sin, save me from hell, and believing with my whole heart! Now, these verses are my absolute go to for sharing Jesus with others!

I am so thankful for Geoff and Dennis sharing Christ with me that day. Their courage and boldness changed my life forever! In verses 14 and 15 the Bible says: “How, then, can they call on the one they have not believed in? And how can they believe in the one of whom they have not heard? And how can they hear without someone preaching to them? And how can anyone preach unless they are sent? As it is written: How beautiful are the feet of those who bring good news!” We can’t expect people to become Christians if they haven’t heard the gospel! They must hear it! It’s not only for pastors, deacons, and elders. We all have a part to play in bringing the good news. I encourage you to look up “The Romans Road” and highlight the verses in your Bible or keep them saved in your phone. Romans is such a powerful book about salvation! Your courage and boldness could change somebody's life and better yet - their eternity. Confess, Believe, and Share!