Unashamed Reading Plan
Check out all the previous Unashamed readings here.
Unashamed Reading Plan | Week 11 | Day 3
Prayer
Take a moment to be silent and still. In order to be fully present in body and mind, take a deep breath in and let it out slowly. Do this three times. Pray that God would open your eyes to wonderful things from His word today.
Bible Reading: Romans 10:5-13
Read these verses three times slowly.
Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)“ or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 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. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Reflection & Questions
We saw yesterday that sincerity and a passionate commitment to a way of life doesn’t save the Jews. Today, Paul continues this argument. He sees their efforts to achieve closeness to God in their own strength (to bring Christ close to them). However, he says, that is not how it works.
“The word is near you,” he says. In other words, there are no efforts needed to get close to Christ. He is right there ready for you. What is required? 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.” It’s as simple as that. Jesus has done all the work. No effort required. “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This is a beautiful truth, for this is how we came to Jesus. We simply called out and He saved us. It is also beautiful because the people around us who have not yet acknowledged Jesus are not far away. Jesus is so close to them! All they have to do is call out to Him. They might have lived a lifetime away from Him. They might be steeped in their religious practices. But they are simply a few words away from Jesus. In a moment, they can be saved. It’s truly as simple as that.
- What word or phrase sticks out to you from today’s verses? Why?
- What hope do these verses give you? Why?
Prayer
Talk to God in response to today’s reading.
Worship Song
You might use this song today to worship Jesus today:
Bible Reading: Romans 10:5-13
Read these verses three times slowly.
Moses writes this about the righteousness that is by the law: “The person who does these things will live by them.” But the righteousness that is by faith says: “Do not say in your heart, ‘Who will ascend into heaven?’” (that is, to bring Christ down)“ or ‘Who will descend into the deep?’” (that is, to bring Christ up from the dead). But what does it say? “The word is near you; it is in your mouth and in your heart,” that is, the message concerning faith that we proclaim: 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. As Scripture says, “Anyone who believes in him will never be put to shame.”For there is no difference between Jew and Gentile—the same Lord is Lord of all and richly blesses all who call on him, for, “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Reflection & Questions
Yesterday we learned that some people try by themselves to be good and perfect and righteous all on their own. But that isn’t how it works!
Today’s scripture says, “The word is near you.” This means that Jesus is already close to you! He is right there ready for you. What do you need to do to receive Him? ‘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.” It’s as simple as that. Jesus has done all the work. No effort is required by us! “Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
This is how we come to Jesus. We simply call out and He saves us. It is also beautiful because the people around us who have not yet received Jesus are not far away. Jesus is so close to them too! All they have to do is call out to Him. They might be older and have lived a lifetime without Him. They might think the way they have been living is right. But they are simply a few words away from Jesus. In a moment, they can be saved. It’s truly as simple as that.
- Did you know that Jesus is always so close to you? Have you asked Jesus to come into your heart?
Pray
If you haven’t done so yet, ask God to come into your heart. Thank Him for always being close to you!
Check out more Bible Reading Plans here.
Questions?
Ed Applegate
