Avoid Overcomplicating the New Birth in Christ – Rom. 10:5-13
Why do you suppose that so many well meaning Christians overcomplicate the gospel with extraneous ideas, traditions and requirements?
Millions of people have the mistaken notion that to become a Christian is so difficult that it is not really worth the effort.
Too many people have tried to fashion a human standard of acceptance that distorts the true and simple gospel
Illustration:Pages in 1891 basketball rule book: 2
Pages in current basketball rule book: 114
Quoted in U.S. News and World Report, November 25, 1991, p. 9.
Americans tend to make things more complicated as the years go by with more rules and explanations for everything. Let us avoid this error in making the gospel seem to be more complicated than it really is.
Let us trust the Lord to help the gospel of Christ compelling, clear and convincing in a way that anyone can understand and respond to it.
Paul gives us an explanation of the simple gospel message in this passage that should serve as a formula for our own evangelism.
1. First, let us examine how we can correct the notion that gaining salvation is complicated.
Paul contrasts the simplicity in the gospel with the efforts that the Jews have made to work out a complicated lawful righteousness through 600 rules, regulations based on the Law of Moses. However, Paul writes, “Moses describes in this way the righteousness that is by the law: “The man who does these things will live by them,” (Rom. 10:5)
In contrast to this Paul teaches us that the true gospel of Jesus Christ is not of works as a condition for one’s salvation. Paul is clear that no one should try to communicate that the gospel is teaching one needs to stop smoking, drinking or cheating before they can become a Christian.
The true gospel is all about what Christ does for us not how we clean ourselves up in order to merit God’s acceptance. We cannot free ourselves from sin with anything other than by accepting the free gift of eternal life through the grace of Jesus Christ. Present the truth of the gospel in a way that is easy to understand.
Illustration: I often use the ABC’s of the gospel:
1. Admit that you are sinner and repent.
2. Believe in Christ as your Savior and the Lord who forgives all sin.
3. Confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord and ask Him to come into your life as the only one who can give you the gift of eternal life. (Rom. 10:9,10)
Illustration;Where’s The Love, Grandma?
A three-year-old little boy and his grandmother were studying a plastic model of the human heart. They located all the chambers and arteries. When they were finished the little boy asked innocently, "Where’s the love,
Grandma?"
Country Woman Magazine Mar/Apr 93, p. 15.
2. Receiving Christ is not done by some special miraculous intervention. Paul writes, “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven? (That is to bring Christ dosn) or Who will descend into the deep? (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). (Rom. 10:6,7)
Some people are not content with the Word of God but wrongly believe they have to witness or be a part of some miracle before they can come to saving faith in Christ.
We do not need a visible manifestation of the supernatural before we can find eternal life through Jesus Christ. Yes, it may be more exciting and memorable to have a miracle occur in our salvation experience, but it is not essential.
Ask the Lord to help you to present the gospel in a way that stresses the essential and plays down the non-essentials.
Illustration:Where Do You Belong?
Erma Bombeck told of a little boy named Donald who talked about education
and the fears of going to school: "My name is Donald, and I don’t know
anything. I have new underwear, a loose tooth, and didn’t sleep last night because I’m worried. What if a bell rings and a man yells, "Where do you belong?" and I don’t know? What if the trays in the cafeteria are too tall for me to reach? What if my loose tooth comes out when we have our heads down and are supposed to be quiet? Am I supposed to bleed quietly? What if I
splash water on my name tag and my name disappears and no one knows who I am?"
Brent Porterfield, www.eSermons.com, 2002
Teach the gospel in a way that people know who they will belong to and the new identity they gain in Christ Jesus
3. Clearly teach, as Paul did, that salvation is obtained by personally receiving and confessing Christ as Lord and Savior of their life.
Paul sums it up with the phrase, “Whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)
Ask the Lord to help you to give out tracks that show people how to find salvation without lots of extraneous requirements or complexities.
Many churches fail to teach that each individual needs to PERSONALLY receive and confess Christ as their Savior and Lord. Instead, many people assume that if they just believe in Jesus it will get them into heaven. James makes it clear that even the “demons believe in God and tremble.”
It is only saving faith that allows one to be regenerated by the indwelling Spirit of God. (Titus 3:5) Teach that belief involves trusting, relying and adhering to Christ as the supreme Lord of one’s life.
4. The preaching of the word and the convicting power of the Holy Spirit brings people to faith in Christ. Paul writes, “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart, that is, the word of faith we are proclaiming.” (Rom. 10:8)
It is by the power of God’s holy word that people are brought to saving faith in Christ.
All the great rhetoric or stories will not do the communicate the truth of the gospel like the Word of God. No wonder people like Billy Graham consistently preach a simple message from the Bible.
People who really preach the true gospel will use the Word of God to declare the truth in obedience and love.
God’s Holy Spirit is fully capable of doing the work of conviction in the heart of every listener. Do not think that they you have to design a slick presentation in order for people to find eternal life through Jesus Christ.
Good communication only works to make the message of the gospel more clearly understood. The sanctifying power of the word of God should never be underestimated.
5. Faith is not an act of our labors but an exercise of our mind with our mouth and heart. Paul writes, “If you confess with your mouth and believe in your heart you will be saved.” (Rom. 10:9,10)
Appeal to the spiritual nature of people instead of to one’s physical senses.
When we present the gospel in an intellectual, academic or highly rational manner, few people are apt to respond to the gospel.
It may be helpful to use the art and science of apologetics to knock down the rational obstacles that people have against the gospel. However, Paul’s gospel came with the Spirit and power so that people’s faith would not rest on the wisdom of men but on the power of God.
6. Do not be ashamed of asking people to verbalize their personal faith in Christ. This is one of the reasons that it is important to ask people to pray out loud as they trust Christ for forgiveness and the free gift of eternal life.
Many benefits come through our oral communication to God. If we are afraid to confess Him before men He will not accept us in heaven.
7. The gospel’s message is available to everyone regardless of their background, social class or ability. For this reason Paul’s writes, “For whoever will call upon the name of the Lord will be saved.” (Rom. 10:13)
Wherever there is a searching heart the gospel is ready to provide the medicine that heals people of their sin sick soul regardless of their history. Do not suppose that the gospel is only for people who come from a similar background to your own.
Preach the gospel knowing that there are always a few hungry hearts ready to respond to the good news of salvation.
8. Know that all other human systems of religion tend to make salvation complicated except Biblical Christianity.
Man made religions all base their hope for eternal life upon some type of human meritorious work. Explain how Christ is unique as the only one who could say, “Whoever believes in Me will not perish but have everlasting life.” (John 3:16)
God so loved the whole world, not just those the 5% of the world’s population that lives inside the borders of the United States.
This is one of the reasons why the gospel is so welcomed around the world since Jesus knew that a gospel preacher should go to those who are hurting not just to those who think they are well.
Jesus said, “A physician does not go to the healthy but to those who are sick.” Do not be tempted to get into a big argument about the faults of other religions.
Concentrate on presenting the truth in love. Jesus Christ’s forgiveness and loving salvation are the medicine that everyone needs.
Conclusion:The soldier’s first article of faith is summed up nowhere more eloquently than in an 1865 letter from William Tecumseh Sherman to U.S. Grant:
"I knew wherever I was that you thought of me, and if I got in a tight place you would come--if alive."
The gospel is all about Christ coming to those who recognize they are in need of rescuing.
