Thursday, Oct. 4

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Romans 10:9-11

That if you confess 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 confess and are saved. 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.”

It has always seemed strange to me that one of the criticisms aimed at followers of Christ is some version of the following:

“You Christians think you’re better than the rest of us!”

It may come in different forms; like, “You’re all ‘holier than thou,’” or, “Christians are self-righteous snobs.”

The basic idea being that, because Christians go to church, and have convictions about things like using profane language or sexual abstinence before marriage, that we believe we are somehow fundamentally better people than those who don’t share our convictions.

According to the Apostle Paul, nothing could be further from the truth!

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.”

To get what Paul is saying here we need to understand what he means by “Jew and Gentile.” To the Apostle Paul (who was Jewish by the way) the Jews were God’s “chosen people.” That is, the God who created heaven and earth had decided to reveal himself to the Hebrew people, and through them, to the world. He gave them his divine law which centered around what we call the “Ten Commandments.” He gave them an understanding of his own holiness as well as a religious system by which their sins could be atoned for through ritual sacrifice.

The Gentiles were all the non-Jewish peoples of the earth. To Paul, Gentiles were either pagans, who worshiped man-made idols of stone or wood; or irreligious people who worshiped nothing but their own appetites.

Jews and Gentiles could not have been more different in Paul’s mind, yet he says, “There is no difference.” What does he mean?

He means we are all in the same boat when it comes to God, sin and salvation. No one gets a free pass based on their family, their religion or their culture; not Billy Graham, not Mother Teresa, not Al Capone. There is no difference!

As Tim Keller has written:

 “We are more flawed and sinful than we ever dared believe, yet we are more loved and accepted than we ever dared hope at the same time.” (Essay: “The Meaning of the Gospel”)

The gospel is for all because all need the gospel, without exception.

So, are we, as Christians, better than others? Absolutely not!

In fact, read what Paul says of himself in 1 Timothy:

“…Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners, of which I am the worst…”

Lord Jesus, forgive us for intentionally or unintentionally communicating to the world that we, as your followers, are somehow superior. Teach us your own humility that we may experience and express your gospel with grace, joy and authenticity. Amen.

Pastor Brian Coffey