Ten Minute Sermon:Beautiful Feet

Watching Tortured for Christ, the biopic about Richard Wurmbrand, was depressing and exhilarating at the same time. Here were people who truly put their lives on the line because they could find no greater joy or fulfillment than in telling Russian soldiers about the Jesus who loved them and came that they might know peace.

Paul, addressing followers of Jesus and talking about Jews living in Rome identifies them this way..

• They have a zeal for God

• They lack knowledge

• They lack an understanding of the righteousness of God

• They lack humility evidenced by their own self-righteousness

Paul is reminding the church that righteousness begins with the heart - or to quote Jesus;

"But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. (Matthew 15:18-19)

and again in Luke 6:45;

The good person out of the good treasure of his heart produces good, and the evil person out of his evil treasure produces evil, for out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks.

So when Paul states:

if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes and is justified, and with the mouth one confesses and is saved.

It is a reminder and an encouragement that the mark of our discipleship is internal - with the evidence of an internal transformation being the external fruit (what people see as together, followers of Jesus live for Him).

Richard Wurmbrand, in the movie Tortured for Christ, shared this about a quote he had heard:

"He said there were two kinds of Christians: those who sincerely believe in God, and those, who just as sincerely, believe that they believe. You can tell them apart by their actions in decisive moments."

So which are you?

How is your heart?

What do your actions, your words and your thoughts say?

Listen carefully…

Whether you eat or drink or whatever you do…

Take every thought captive to the obedience of Christ…

Believe in your heart (resulting in righteousness), confess with your mouth (resulting in salvation)

Let calling on the name of Jesus be evidenced by your life and your salvation (10:13) so that your feet may be considered beautiful as you bring Good News about Jesus to those around you (10:15)