Saved to Obey: Understanding the Foundation of Faith

The book of Romans stands as one of the most powerful theological texts in Scripture. Every seminary student, regardless of denomination, encounters this letter because of its profound impact on Christian theology. Written by Paul to a church he had never visited, this letter reveals timeless truths about salvation, grace, and what it means to live a life transformed by Christ.
The Heart of Introduction
Paul begins his letter with a simple yet profound declaration: he is a bondservant of Jesus Christ. In a world where slavery was common, this wasn't a casual statement. Paul was declaring complete surrender—not to an earthly master, but to the risen Savior. He had been called as an apostle, separated to the gospel of God, which had been promised through the prophets in the Holy Scriptures.
This connection between the Old and New Testaments is crucial. We cannot have the new without the old. Just as you weren't born until your parents grew older, the New Testament couldn't exist without the Old Testament pointing the way. The Old Testament prophets spoke of a coming Messiah, and that promise was fulfilled in Jesus Christ—born of the seed of David according to the flesh, declared to be the Son of God with power by His resurrection from the dead.
The Power of the Resurrection
Jesus had to be both fully God and fully human. If He had come as only God, He wouldn't have experienced human struggles, temptations, and suffering. But by taking on human flesh through His mother Mary, Jesus faced everything we face. He wore human skin, experienced human problems, and walked in our shoes.
What proved His divinity? The resurrection. When they laid Jesus in the tomb at four o'clock, He was truly dead—no heartbeat, no brain activity, no possibility of revival. But unlike us, who remain in the grave until He calls our name, Jesus rose. That resurrection proved He was filled with the Spirit of holiness that the prophets had foretold.
Obedience: The Result, Not the Requirement
Here's where many people get confused about salvation. We don't obey to be saved—we're saved to obey. Think about it: if you had to obey perfectly to earn salvation, you wouldn't need forgiveness in the first place. The path to salvation begins with repentance.
There must be genuine sorrow for sin before there can be salvation. God won't forgive what you're not willing to release. If you're holding onto something so tightly—whether it's a habit, a relationship, or a lifestyle—that you refuse to let it go, God won't forgive you for it until you surrender it. This applies to anything: television, smoking, drinking, or any other attachment that competes with your devotion to Christ.
Repentance must come before salvation. It's not enough to simply "ask Jesus into your heart." You must first acknowledge your sin, feel genuine remorse, and turn away from it. Only then can true salvation take root.
Once you're saved, however, everything changes. Now you have the power and the responsibility to obey. Being a Christian isn't always easy—in fact, it often brings persecution and hardship. But it's the most rewarding path in eternity.
The Ministry of Prayer and Presence
Paul told the Romans something remarkable: though he had never met them, he prayed for them constantly. He longed to visit them, to encourage them, and to be encouraged by their mutual faith. This reveals a profound truth about Christian community.
We live in an age of electronic communication. We can message, text, and post on social media with ease. But these digital connections can never replace face-to-face relationships. They can't substitute for showing up when someone is hurting, for sitting with them in their grief, or for being present in their moment of need.
Love isn't just a word we say on Sunday mornings when everyone's watching. Love is action. It's showing up at the hospital in the middle of the night. It's making the phone call when someone's world is falling apart. It's being there when it's inconvenient, when it costs you something, when it requires sacrifice.
People need love in the middle of the night. They need it when they're hurting, when they're depressed, when they're fighting battles no one else knows about. Ministry isn't a once-a-week activity—it's a lifestyle of constant availability and genuine care.
The Center of Everything
Nothing—absolutely nothing—can be the center of your universe except Jesus Christ. Not your job, not your hobbies, not even your family. When Jesus isn't at the center, everything falls apart. Just look at the world around us. The chaos, division, violence, and pain we see are the direct result of people pushing Jesus to the margins.
When we prioritize Jesus over everything else, watch how things fall into place. It may not happen immediately, but in God's timing, it will. If you're sick, put Jesus first. If you have financial problems, put Jesus first. If your relationships are broken, put Jesus first. If you don't know Jesus at all, then by all means, put Jesus first.
The Call to Love
The church must love itself before it can love the world. If we don't demonstrate genuine love for one another within the body of Christ, how can we expect the world to believe our message? They're watching to see if our faith is real, if our love is authentic, if our lives match our words.
This means reaching out to each other, checking on one another, being present in times of crisis and celebration alike. It means forgiving quickly, loving deeply, and serving sacrificially. It means being the hands and feet of Jesus to a hurting world.
A Final Invitation
There is room at the cross for everyone. Though millions have come, there is still room for one more. The hand of the Savior is strong, and His love is long. Through sunshine or rain, through loss or gain, the blood that flowed from Calvary still cleanses every stain.
The cross upon which Jesus died is a shelter in which we can hide. His grace, freely given, is deep as a fountain and wide as the sea. No matter where you've been or what you've done, there is room at the cross for you.