Important purposes of the angelic realm in Jude

Jude 1:3 "Beloved, while I was making every effort to write you about our common salvation, I felt the necessity to write to you appealing that you contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints."

Introduction 

Today we want to consider the importance and purpose of the angelic realm in Jude. It was Jude's purpose to urge his readers (and us) to "contend earnestly for the faith which was once for all handed down to the saints." One of the ways Jude chose under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit to urge his readers was by mentioning the angels, demons and Satan. The angelic realm (composed of demons, good angels and Satan) is portrayed in scripture as intelligent agents occupying the invisible realm of the created order. (compare Colossians 1:16-17) Good angels serve the purposes of serving God's people. (Hebrews 1:14) Demons are fallen angels led by Satan to opposed God's purposes and His people. (Ephesians 6:11-18; 1 Peter 5:8) With the span of Jude's short letter, we find reference to angels, demons and Satan no less than seven times. So the question is: why are angels so prominent within Jude's short letter? Moreover, what purposes can we gather as to why they are important for us today as we contend earnestly for the faith once for all delivered to the saints? Notice three important purposes of the angelic realm in Jude...

1. Warn of the realities of Hell. Jude 1:1-16

The majority of material in Jude's short epistle is dedicated to warning his readers to be aware of false teachers and error. To drive home the point about the outcome of those who persist in the seduction of false teaching, Jude uses both historic examples of false prophets and teachers combined with the frightening reality of hell. Jude 1:5-11 lays out the examples of those who forsook Biblical faith, including those who came out of Egypt (Jude 1:5); Cain (Jude 11:11); Balaam the pagan prophet in the book of Numbers (Jude 1:11) and Korah who opposed Moses (Jude 1:11). False teaching and prophets lead to Hell. So what realities of hell do we discover in the Book of Jude? How do such realities allign with what Jesus taught on the subject?

Hell is described by Jude as a dark place (1:6, 1:13) Jesus called the darkness of Hell "outer darkness" in Matthew 25:46. Jude then explains hell as a destructive place through the imagery of fire, as seen in Jude 1:7,23. Jesus too refers to the details of unquenchable and everlasting fire burning in both the holding place of unbelievers called hades or Hell and the eternal place of punishment called "The Lake of Fire" or also by the same name "Hell" in  Mark 9:43 and Matthew 18:18.

To intensify his already strong warnings, Jude thirdly mentions that hell is demonically infested and reinforces this frightening imagery through the Devil's conflict with Michael the Archangel here on earth and some of the various fallen angels chained in reserved judgment. (1:6,8). 

The specific mention of fallen angels in Jude 1:6 matches with what we read of them in 2 Peter 2:4 "For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but cast them into hell and committed them to pits of darkness, reserved for judgment." Also too, Jesus refers to Hell as having been prepared for "The Devil and his angels" in Matthew 25:41. It is quite likely that Jude is quoting Peter's second letter, which may explain why we also see such similarities between Jesus and Jude (not forgetting that Jude wrote under Divine inspiration).

The Bible Knowledge Commentary remarks: "Most commentators, however, assign the date between A.D. 67 and 80. Jude was probably influenced by Peter, who wrote his second epistle about A.D. 67–68. (Peter predicted that false teachers would arise [2 Peter 2:1; 3:3], but Jude stated that they have “slipped in among you” [Jude 4].)"

So who are the fallen angels mentioned by Jude? These particular demons may the very ones that participated in the abominations committed prior to the flood in Genesis 6:1-4 which resulted in the mutation of giants roaming on the earth. To think of the dangers of false doctrine as resulting in Hell is frightening enough. However to be reminded of hell being infested by demons far worse than those roaming freely here on earth serves more than fair warning to anyone contemplating apostasy from the faith. So the angelic realm, particularly the demons, are mentioned to warn us of the realities of hell. But what about the good angels? Notice a second purpose of the angelic realm in Jude, namely....

2. Encouragement with the realities of Heaven. Jude 1:14, 24-25

Jude 1:14 states - "It was also about these men that Enoch, in the seventh generation from Adam, prophesied, saying, “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones." In context, Jude is referencing a prophecy spoken by the pre-flood patriarch Enoch that is not recorded in Genesis. I won't get into the specific details of the nature of Jude's citation of Enoch in this post, and choose to point interested readers to a post written on Jude's use of Enoch at https://biblicalexegete.wordpress.com/2015/06/16/understanding-judes-quote-of-enoch-in-jude-114-15/. 

Instead, I want to focus the reader's attention on the underlined phrase "holy ones". Biblical passages such as Deuteronomy 33:2; Daniel 7:10; Matthew 16:27 and Hebrews 12:22 use this term to refer to the angels that comprise the heavenly court of God's glory and majesty. 

Even though the main point of Jude's reference is to indicate the judgment of the false teachers by Jesus at His second coming, mention of the good angels serves to remind the saints of God that they are on the winning side of eternity. The truth of the believer's heavenly home is a great way of reinforcing the need to contend for the faith once and for all delivered to the saints. As we saw a couple of days ago, Jesus and the Apostle Peter both taught quite a bit on Heaven. With Jude depending partly on Peter's writings, references to Heaven would only make sense. Heaven will definitely be a place populated by angels (Jude 1:14) and is the ultimate destination of the Christian. (Jude 1:24-25). Heaven is afterall the abode of God on His throne. More could be said but we must hasten. What important purposes do angels, demons and Satan serve in the book of Jude? We saw that God included them to warn about the realities of hell and to encourage believers with the realities of Heaven. Now notice the final purpose...

3. To focus attention on Jesus Christ. Jude 1:15-25

Jude 1:14b says again: “Behold, the Lord came with many thousands of His holy ones." What is the ultimate goal of the Christian fighting the good fight of faith? Now we already looked at our heavenly home as an ultimate goal. 

But what is "the" ultimate goal of the Christian? To see Jesus at His second coming. The devil who fought with Michael the archangel in Jude 1:8 will be destroyed and cast into the Lake of fire by Jesus at His return in Revelation 20. When Jesus comes, he will have an entourage of angelic hosts numbering in the trillions. All of heaven's angels will accompany Jesus and the saints who are behind Him in the train of His robe. (Matt 16:27; 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26; 1 Thessalonians 3:13 & Revelation 15:8) Those saints who are with Jesus at His second advent will had been those who died in the Lord or who were raptured seven years prior. (Mt 13:39; 16:27; 24:31) Mentioning such heavenly realities serves to point the way to the Lord Jesus Christ. This is why Jude closes out his book in Jude 1:24-25 "Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25 to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever. Amen."

Closing thoughts
Today we considered three important reasons for the angelic realm being mentioned in the Book of Jude. These three reasons aid in fulfilling the main point of the letter: "To contend for the faith once for all delivered to the saints".

1. Warn of the realities of Hell
2. Encourage with the realities of Heaven
3. Focus attention on Jesus Christ

What Jesus and the Apostle Peter teach on heaven

John 14:2 "In My Father’s house are many dwelling places; if it were not so, I would have told you; for I go to prepare a place for you. 3 If I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself, that where I am, there you may be also."

2 Peter 1:11 "for in this way the entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ will be abundantlysupplied to you."

Introduction:

Yesterday we considered what Jesus and the Apostle Peter teach on Hell. Today's post features in brief what both taught on Heaven. 

1. Heaven is God's throne or abode

Matthew 5:34; 5:45; 6:9; 11:25; 12:50; 16:17 and 18:4 refer to the third heaven as God's primary base of operations. Undeniably God's Sovereignty extends over and through every square inch of creation. In 2 Peter 1:12, we read of the Holy Spirit being sent from Heaven - "It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves, but you, in these things which now have been announced to you through those who preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven—things into which angels long to look." Peter is perhaps thinking of the Day of Pentecost in which he was preaching some 30 years prior and in which the Holy Spirit had descended. The Spirit's descent signaled the presence of God being with His church as well as in Heaven. 

2. Heaven is a place.

Jesus taught the physical/spiritual reality of Heaven as a locatable place somewhere in the created order. He taught both the reality of the current heaven (Matthew 5:3, 20; 6:20; 19:21; Luke 10:20; John 17:24) and the One He is preparing (John 14:2-3). Heaven is a destination, a home, for the believer (John 14:2; Mt 5:8,5:12; 8:11; Mt 13:43; 25:34,46). The Apostle Peter also wrote of the reality of Heaven as a place. (1 Peter 1:4; 1:11) Peter also wrote of what will be the New Heaven as well. (1 Peter 3:13). Both Jesus and Peter refer to Heaven as having an entrance, thus lending further to its reality. (Matthew 25:34; 2 Peter 1:10)

3. Heaven has angels

The third commonality of the teaching on Heaven shared by Jesus and Peter is that it is a place occupied by angels. Jesus refers to angels that represent in some fashion children in Matthew 18:10. According to Matthew 22:30, Angels in heaven do not have offspring. Jesus speaks elsewhere of angels in Luke 12:10 and 15:10. In Luke 16:22 Jesus reveals that angels are somehow involved in escorting a believer's soul into the presence of God. The Apostle Peter too speaks of angels in Heaven as being curious beings about believer's salvation here on earth. 

Closing thoughts

Today we aimed to explore what Jesus and Peter taught regarding heaven. In our brief study we discovered three common points:

1. Heaven is God's throne/abode

2. Heaven is a place

3. Heaven has angels

What Jesus and the Apostle Peter teach on Hell

2 Peter 2:1-2 "But false prophets also arose among the people, just as there will also be false teachers among you, who will secretly introduce destructive heresies, even denying the Master who bought them, bringing swift destruction upon themselves."

Introduction:
Today's post may not be the easiest subject to read, however the reality of hell and final judgment is crucially important. The aim in this particular post is to understand how Jesus and the Apostle Peter allign with one another in regards to this sobering but important truth.

Jesus' Teaching on Hell
In my own study of Jesus' teachings on various subjects, it is surprising to see how often he mentions "Hell" in comparison to other topics:

1. Heaven = 34 times
2. Salvation = 21 times 
3. Hell = 17 times
4. Love = 17 times
5. Money = 12 times
6. Prediction of his crucifixion = around 10 times
7. Not judging people = 3 times

Further study reveals Jesus' description of hell, which matches the Old Testament understanding but with far more detail:

1. Unquenchable Fire   
Mark 9:43 compare Num 16:25; Ps 106:17,18

2. Everlasting Fire      Matthew 18:18

3. Outer Darkness      Matthew 25:46

4. Gates of Hell          Matthew 16:18 compare Ps 9:13; Is 38:10

5. Place of conscious existence. Luke 16:25-28

6. Place of wailing, weeping and gnashing of teeth. 
Mt 8:12; 13:42, 50; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Luke 13:28

7. Place of constant burning and stench. 
Matt 5:22, 29-30; 10:28; Matt 18:9; 23:15,33; Mark 9:43,45,47; Luke 12:5

In sum, Jesus is carrying on what God revealed in the Old Testament with far more specific and pointed detail in all his parables, teachings and sermons. The question now is: what did his followers, the Apostles, teach on this subject? One of them, the Apostle Peter, will be the focus of our attention for the remainder of today's post.

The Apostle Peter's teaching on Hell in 2 Peter
Peter's statements on Hades (or Hell) alligns with Jesus' teachings. Peter also emphasizes on several occassions the presence of demonic beings in hell. 

1. Hell will be a destructive place. 
2 Peter 2:1 refers to false teachers bringing upon themselves "swift destruction" and in 2 Peter 2:3 we see reference to "destruction" and "judgment". Peter uses similar terms in 2 Peter 2:4,9,12. In 2 Peter 2:4 we see specific reference to certain fallen angels who are being held in reserved judgment. The rebellion mentioned here occurred either in the ancient cosmic rebellion led by Satan in Revelation 12:4,7-9 or the abomination of certain demons inhabiting men to commit immorality with the daughters of men in Genesis 6:1-4. Jesus' describes both Hades and the final Lake of fire as being places of destruction with destructive fire in Matthew 18:18 and Mark 9:43. 

2. Hell will be a dark place
As Peter and Jesus both teach, Hades and the final place of the Lake of Fire will not only be destructive, but dark places. Peter onces again mentions how in Hell there are places that are extremely dark. (2 Peter 2:4 "pits of darkness"; 2:17 "black darkness") As he did in his descriptions of hell's destructiveness, the darkness of hell is heightened by the presence of demons (2 Peter 2:4) Jesus teaches how hell will be a place of "outer darkness" (Matt 25:46). 

Many people over time have question what appears to be two conflicting descriptions of hell (both Hades and the Lake of Fire) as being places of fire and darkness. If there are unquenchable fires burning, how can there be darkness? Let the reader be reminded of what takes place when a major fire occurs: there are flames for sure, however there is thick dark smoke that makes seeing the flames hard to see. To heighten this image to the level of the types of fire and darkness occurring in Hell escalates the picture. When we add in the frightening details of demonic beings more frightening than those that even roam freely on this earth, it ought to cause even the most hardened sinner to be moved to responds to God's saving call of salvation. 

What Jesus and Peter both teach on escaping hell
Jesus repeatedly taught that He alone was the way, the truth and the life and that no man could come to the Father but by Him. (John 14:6) To escape hell is simple: believing on the Lord Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of sins. (John 3:16). To not believe on the Lord Jesus Christ is to remain settled in your decision against Christ and preference of Hell over Him. (John 3:17-19, 3:36) The Apostle Peter as well urges His listeners both before 2 Peter 2 in 2 Peter 1:3-4 and after in 2 Peter 3:18 to know Christ and continue partaking of Him in faith. 

All of the warnings and disturbing realities of 2 Peter 2 give readers reasons for avoiding the awful realities of hell. 2 Peter 3:17 urges readers to be on guard against the false teachers and seductions of this age so as to not get sucked into their ways. Avoiding hell is a matter of relying upon the Spirit of God to do as commanded in 2 Peter 3:18 "but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ." We are saved by grace through faith alone apart from the law and we are being saved by a grace that is not lawless.  Both Peter and Jesus both explain clearly the only escape from Hell - namely Jesus Christ. 

P2 How the Angels point us to Jesus Christ

1 Timothy 3:16 "By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory."

Introduction:

Yesterday we considered two areas in which angels point us to Jesus Christ. By witnessing how the angels ministered to Jesus points us to the truth of His incarnation and thus His glory for our sake. Today we will conclude with two additional ways in which angels point us to Jesus Christ. 

Angels point to Jesus in His Ascension

Angels are seen throughout scripture announcing things to people. Notice again the function of angels both declaring an explaining in Acts 1:9-11 "And after He had said these things, He was lifted up while they were looking on, and a cloud received Him out of their sight. 10 And as they were gazing intently into the sky while He was going, behold, two men in white clothing stood beside them. 11 They also said, “Men of Galilee, why do you stand looking into the sky? This Jesus, who has been taken up from you into heaven, will come in just the same way as you have watched Him go into heaven.” The angels were doing what they were created to do: declare and explain the glory of God (Psalm 68:17) and the equal and shared glory of the Son (Luke 2:14).

Angels point to Jesus Who is coming again

The Old Testament makes it abundantly clear that the angels function in the capacity of a royal court demonstrating the Deity of Yahweh. In Job 38:7 and Psalm 104:1-4 we see the angels, from the inception of their creation, exalting God for His creative power. In Psalm 68:17 we see angels attending the giving of the law atop Mount Sinai, demonstrating before the newly redeemed Hebrew nation that uncontested Deity of Yahweh. Daniel 7:10-13 portrays the Lord, the Ancient of Days and the Pre-incarnate Son of Man in royal Deity, being attended by innumerable angelic hosts. Later on in Daniel 12:1-3 we see Michael the archangel attending what will undoubtedly be the Divine power of God Himself raising believers from the dead in the resurrection of the righteous and unbelievers in the later resurrection of the wicked.

When will these events occur? When Jesus appears in the clouds at His second coming. In Acts 1:11 the two angels told the disciples that the same Jesus who disappeared from their sight as God and man would appear in the same glorified and physical state. When Jesus returns in His second coming, He will be attended with the angelic hosts of Heaven reflecting His deity revealed through His physical humanity. (Matt 16:27; 25:31; Mark 8:38; Luke 9:26 & Revelation 15:8). Just like the Old Testament’s association of the angelic court with the display of God’s Deity, the New Testament connects those same courts of angels as pointing to Christ’s deity in His second coming. 

P1 How the Angels point us to Jesus Christ

1 Timothy 3:16 "By common confession, great is the mystery of godliness: He who was revealed in the flesh, Was vindicated in the Spirit, Seen by angels, Proclaimed among the nations, Believed on in the world,
Taken up in glory."

Introduction:

Today we will consider two ways in which angels point us to Jesus Christ, with two other ways being mentioned in tomorrow's post. Angels aid us in focusing more on Jesus in the following ways:

Angels point to Jesus as He lived and died  

Jesus certainly illustrated the point of angelic assistance in the believer's life by how angels aided Him in His humanity. Matthew 4:11 "Then the devil left Him; and behold, angels came and began to minister to Him." As Jesus was praying in Gethsemane we read in Luke 22:43 "Now an angel from heaven appeared to Him, strengthening Him." Jesus chose to forego angelic aid in Matthew 26:53 "Or do you think that I cannot appeal to My Father, and He will at once put at My disposal more than twelve legions of angels?" The numerous appearances of angels throughout Jesus' earthly ministry point to the glory of His incarnation. He was virgin born, lived and died as God in human flesh. (John 1:14; Colossians 2:9) When one reads the Gospel accounts of Christ's resurrection and ascension, angels are seen in those episodes as well. Inasmuch as we are witnessing a sequence of historical, literal events, we must include the reality of angelic beings. 

Angels point to Jesus in His literal resurrection

The events of the empty tomb, Jesus' post-resurrection appearances and the cause for the disciple's belief in the resurrection stand in the mind of scholar William Lane Craig as being the three chief events needing to be explained. Certainly I concur with him and would like to add one further detail - the presence of angels. What were the angels achieving as they ministered the glory of Christ's resurrected power to the Apostles?

Matthew 28:3-4 "And his appearance was like lightning, and his clothing as white as snow. 4 The guards shook for fear of him and became like dead men."  When we look at this detail, it is significant for a number of reasons. First, the women were already on their way to finish the anointing process of Jesus' body in Matthew 28:1. Second, this detail mentioned by Matthew in 28:3-4 reminds the reader of the manifest impossibility of anyone coming to steal the body of Jesus, since the enemies of Jesus had arranged the tomb to be guarded in Matthew 27:62-66. But now when we realize that the presence of angels led to the collapse of the soldiers, it is apparent that the angels were sent to defend, to protect the women and those who would be peering into the empty tomb. Passages such as 2 Kings 6; Psalm 34:7; 91:11 and Hebrews 1:14 remind us of how angels defend or protect God's people.

We read in Matthew 28:5-7 "The angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid; for I know that you are looking for Jesus who has been crucified. 6 He is not here, for He has risen, just as He said. Come, see the place where He was lying. 7 Go quickly and tell His disciples that He has risen from the dead; and behold, He is going ahead of you into Galilee, there you will see Him; behold, I have told you.”

More tomorrow....

Guest Blogger Debi Smith: A Poem Entitled "But Then God..."

Galatians 1:15 "But when God, who had set me apart even from my mother’s womb and called me through His grace, was pleased."

Today I wanted to share with readers a poem my wife recently composed following one of our evening church services. Below, in her own words, is a description of the poem. I believe readers will find great encouragement in it as I have. The poem's title: "But Then God...". 

Guest Blogger Debi Smith: In her own words...
"Tonight at church a verse in Galatians touched me. Galatians 1:15 comes about after Paul explains his sordid past, but then God in His grace used him. I came home and wrote this poem based on this verse and as a testimony to what God has done in me over the last 40 years."

"But then God …"

By Debi Smith

Once I was lost in the dark, floundering aimlessly on my own,

BUT THEN GOD lit a light and He led me to His throne.

Once I was nothing more than a corpse filled with decay

BUT THEN GOD gave me life and showed me His way.

I once lived as an orphan, not knowing how to give or receive love

BUT THEN GOD taught me the difference between conditional and that from above.

I still fail Him and wonder how He could love me,

BUT THEN GOD whispers my name and I fall to my knees.

I lose track of my words and say things I regret

BUT THEN GOD forgives and pushes “reset”.

I worry at night about situations I can’t control

BUT THEN GOD soothes then reminds me worry takes a toll.

One day I will close my eyes and I will breathe my last breath,

BUT THEN GOD will take my hand and lead me where there is no more death.

No matter what I do, what I say, or how I feel…
No matter the circumstances in which I must deal…
No matter the failures and mistakes that I make …
No matter what this world throws and the toll that it takes …
If we serve Him in love no matter the places we trod

He’ll end every sentence of our life with the assurance of BUT THEN GOD

Evangelistic praying through the Romans Road

Romans 3:23 for all have sinned and

fall short of the glory of God.

Introduction:

The other week I heard a wonderful sermon from Oklahoma pastor Andy Taylor at the Falls Creek Conference Center in Davis, Oklahoma. The message encouraged listeners to take the commonly-used evangelistic tool – “The Romans Road”, and use it as a prayer strategy for those yet unconverted to Jesus Christ. In case the reader may not be familiar with the “Romans Road”, it is comprised of key passages in the New Testament Epistle of Romans written by the Apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. In most presentations of the “Romans Road”, the following passages are utilized: Romans 3:23; 6:23; 5:8; 10:9 and 10:13.

As Pastor Taylor proclaimed God’s Word from these passages, he then shared with the audience how he has utilized this technique of praying through the “Romans Road” for friends and family of his who have not yet been saved by grace through faith. Below I will list the “Romans Road” passages and make a few comments with reference to how they relate to praying for unsaved people. Let the reader be aware that much of what follows is heavily reliant upon the sermon referenced above.

1. Romans 3:23
"for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God."

If we were to pray for non-Christian people, we would ask God to show them the sinfulness of their sin. Unless an unbeliever is convinced of the sinfulness of their sin, and how much it has separated them from God, they will never be convinced they are sinners.

2. Romans 6:23 "For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

As we pray for God to convict our unconverted loved ones and friends of the sinfulness of their sin (see John 16:8-12); we need to second pray that the Holy Spirit would show them the seriousness of their sin. Sin is serious. The wages or reward of persistent refusal to trust in Christ and to embrace one’s sin is death. The Bible records that there are two types of “death”: physical death and what will be the “second death” in the Lake of Fire following the final judgment. (Revelation 20:14) Romans 6:23 gives warning to unbelievers to send up the white flag of surrender and trust in Jesus by faith.

3. Romans 5:8 "But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

I would call this third prayer point as referring to praying for God to show
the sinner the richness of His love. In the above mentioned message, Pastor
Taylor mentioned that we must pray God will remove any barrier that stands
between them and Christ. When we see in the above passage that God
“demonstrated His own love”, that tells the reader that the evidence is
uncontestable. Anyone who still persists in unbelief cannot blame God for
lack of evidence. Barriers need to be removed. Inasmuch as we can weaken
intellectual barriers, only the Holy Spirit can succeed in removing those
moral and spiritual barriers that the sinner prefers to seek refuge from Holy
Good. 2 Corinthians 10:3-5 reminds us: “For though we walk in the flesh,
we do not war according to the flesh, 4 for the weapons of our warfare are
not of the flesh, but divinely powerful for the destruction of fortresses. 5 We
are destroying speculations and every lofty thing raised up against the
knowledge of God, and we are taking every thought captive to the obedience
of Christ.”

4. Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.”

As we pray for God to show sinners their sin and the seriousness of their sin, we also pray that He will make known to them the riches of His love. The Holy Spirit’s work of shining into the sinner’s heart the light of the glory of God revealed in Jesus Christ is what characterizes the Holy Spirit’s regenerative work, resulting in saving faith and repentance. As the Spirit works forth saving grace in the sinner’s heart, faith elicits forth as evidence of God’s free gift. (Ephesians 2:8-9)

5. Romans 10:13 “for ‘Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”’

In this final passage of the “Romans Road”, we are encouraged to pray for people to call o the name of the Lord. The verbal confession and mental ascent to trust in Jesus Christ is a supernatural work of the Spirit of God by His word. (James 1:18; 1 Peter 1:23) The preacher of the sermon referenced noted: “the Spirit of God uses the word of God to do the work of God.” We would pray that the confession of saving faith that comes from a willing response to the Gospel would occur – leading to true salvation.

I find it interesting that in this final thought, prayer is the form of communication that results when a converted sinner calls on the Lord to save them. Prayer is also the identical same form of communication that God has ordained for Christians preparing to evangelize unsaved people. Jesus certainly prayed for Jerusalem to be saved (Matthew 23:37-39) and for future generations of people hearing the Gospel message (John 17:9,20).

Conclusion:

Today we have considered evangelistic praying through the Romans Road. The basis for this thought was derived from a sermon recently heard preached that urged people to not only pray for their unsaved loved ones, but to tell them about how Jesus Christ can save them from their sins. Would we take these verses and the above strategy and put it to practice!