How Beautiful The Feet

When I was in college couples would wear half heart pendants in order to express their affection. Each person wore half a heart symbolizing their incompleteness without the companionship of their significant other.

There was one couple, though, that wore a different kind of necklace. Hanging on the end of each one’s chain were two tiny feet. When I asked why they both wore feet on their necklaces, the girl replied that they were their “Happy Feet.” She then went on to explain that since they were both Christians, these “Happy Feet” reminded them of their commitment to God, to put Him first in the relationship, and to give their lives in service to Him.

This idea of “Happy Feet” was based on a passage found in Isaiah that declares, “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” (Isaiah 52:7). This morning we are going to learn that those who carry the gospel have beautiful feet because of their commitment to God, and because they bring good news to the lost.

This is a message of conviction. We as Christians will be convicted of our need to share the gospel message, and the lost will be convicted of their need to receive Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior.

Confessing Jesus Leads to Salvation (v. 13)

13 For “whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

If a person calls on the name of the Lord they will be saved. Saved from what? First of all, the Lord whom we are to call upon is Jesus Christ. In Matthew 1:21, we are told, “You shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins,” and in Luke 1:77 we are informed concerning Jesus that He came “to give knowledge of salvation to His people by the remission of their sins.” Salvation to sinners is being rescued from sin and being saved from the resulting consequence of sin, which is spiritual death (Romans 6:23a).

This salvation comes through the “remission,” or forgiveness, of our sin. Just as the result of sin is spiritual death, the result of our faith in Jesus is spiritual life, for when we call upon Jesus we receive salvation for our souls. 1 Peter 1:8-9 says, “Though now you do not see Him, yet believing, you rejoice with joy inexpressible and full of glory, receiving the end of your faith – the salvation of your souls.”

God wants all of us to believe in His son Jesus and to receive salvation. 1 Timothy 2:3-4 says, “For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Savior, who desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth.”

Whoever “calls” on the “name” of the Lord will be saved. Calling on Jesus’ name is confessing His name, and it’s all about the name of Jesus for there is power in His name (Philippians 2:9-11). Acts 4:12 tells us, “There is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.” If we want to be saved from our sins then we must confess Jesus’ name, and confess Him as Lord and Savior. Jesus said in Matthew 10:32, “Whoever confesses Me before men, him I will also confess before My Father who is in heaven.”

Believing, Hearing, and Preaching (v. 14)

14 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?

In verse 14 we are told that salvation comes through believing, and that believing is the result of hearing, and that hearing comes through preaching. I wish to discuss these three basic truths about salvation in detail; however, I will add one other, which pertains to the necessity of having faith.

Truth #1 - First of all, we need to understand that our confession of Jesus as Lord and Savior occurs only after our belief in Him. “Believing” is essential to salvation. We read in Romans 10:9, “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” Did you happen to catch that part about how we must “believe” to be saved?

In reference to Jesus, Acts 10:43 states, “To Him all the prophets witness that, through His name, whoever believes in Him will receive remission of sins.” A very familiar verse, which is John 3:16, says this: “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” If we “believe” in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior and “call upon His name,” or “confess” Him, then we will receive salvation and eternal life.