BEAUTIFUL FEET

Romans 10:13-15 For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved. How then shall they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how shall they believe in him of whom they have not heard? And how shall they hear without a preacher? And how shall they preach, except they be sent? As it is written, How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

The verse preceding the lesson text says, For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. Throughout the epistle to the Roman church, Paul has, in minute detail, proven that, in the present times, that is the Christian dispensation, there is no distinction between Jews and Gentiles. All people of the world are equal in the eyes of God, the Creator of us all. And how do we know this? God tells us in his holy word. By inspiration the apostle Peter wrote that God is no respecter of persons: but in every nation he that feareth Him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with Him (Acts 10:34b-35). Not the people that make up one specific nation, but every person within every nation,that accepts and respects God as their Creator, the Author of their salvation; and all that accept God's righteousness as the guide for their conduct of life. Accepting these terms, we will be accepted with (by) Him,as His children, and enjoy the hope of eternal salvation.

To obey God's will, then, is necessary to salvation. To obey it, we must know it. By using four rhetorical questions, Paul gives us the process by which we learn God's will. Coming to Him, that is call(ing) upon the name of the Lord, is necessary. To come to God, our belief is required. Not only must we believe that God is our Creator and offers eternal life, we must also believe His plan of salvation is through, and only through, His Son Jesus Christ. To believe this fact, we must first hear, learn, and accept the precepts found in the word of God. From the beginning of the Christian dispensation on the Day of Pentecost, the apostles, and other disciples of Christ, have carried the word of God throughout the world. That process has continued through all succeeding ages to the present day. Faithful gospel ministers preach and teach the truths found in the inspired word of God to all people, having open and receptive hearts, that are sincerely seeking the hope of eternal salvation. The final rhetorical question reads, And how shall they preach except they be sent? "They can't" is the obvious answer.

This step-by-step process is essential in calling upon the name of the Lord - that is, approaching, or coming to Him, for the divine benefits promised to his children. Jesus closed His "Sermon on the Mount" with this admonition, Not every one that saith unto Me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of My Father, which is in heaven. This tells us that there is a right way and a wrong way to approach God, seeking the kingdom of heaven (Matt. 7:21). As He continues, Jesus assures us that many will, in good conscience, think they are doing God's will, but are in error. To these Jesus will profess ...I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity (Vs. 23).

On the Day of Pentecost, Peter, and the other apostles preached this message, And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved (Acts 2:21). Many often stop with this act and think they have done the will of God. If this were true, then there was no reason for the multitudes to ask the apostles Men and brethren, what shall we do (Vs. 37b)? Neither would it have been necessary for Peter, nor the other apostles, to give this answer: Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Vs. 38b). Verse 41 says that they gladly received his word and were baptized: and ...were added unto them about three thousand souls. To what were they added? Verse 47 tells us that the apostles continued to teach the gospel message of salvation, and those that obeyed their teaching,the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

The message preached on the Day of Pentecost is the same message that is to be preached throughout the world today, and until the end of time. It is indeed the responsibility of each person to work out his or her own salvation. No one can do it for you. However, the majority of the people in world have never heard the same gospel message that was delivered by the apostles. For reasons to numerous to mention, the majority of the world's population has been led astray by false preachers and teachers. Sadly this will probably continue. But what it proves to every Christian is the fact that the world, in order to be saved, needs to call on the name of the Lord in an acceptable, scriptural way. The world needs to believe that God is their Creator and the Author of their salvation. The world needs to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, sent from God to offer eternal salvation, that is, to believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. In order to develop this belief, the world needs to hear the pure, unadulterated word of God in a way that will convince them to respond obediently as the three thousand did on the Day of Pentecost. In order to hear the gospel message that teaches Jesus as the Savior, there needs to be faithful evangelists preaching God's word, as written by inspiration of the Holy Spirit; without adding to or subtracting from the truths it contains.

In order for preachers to be available wherever there is a need, we, as faithful Christians, must either go into the world and preach the gospel of salvation ourselves, or to send them that are capable of doing so. This is not optional; it is God's command. Jesus gave this commandment to His apostles:He said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned (Mark 16:15-16). The apostles knew the will of the Savior; therefore to teach His will, became their responsibility. From that day forward, every obedient Christian that knows the will of the Savior, has the same responsibility. Teaching ourselves, or indirectly through others, is a Christian duty. It is the will of God and His Son, Christ Jesus, that those knowing God's plan of salvation must preach and teach it to those of the world that know it not.

It is true that people of the world today have God's complete revelation available through His holy word. The oracles of God, His words of truth, have been preserved for the spiritual benefit of all mankind. Just how significant is God's word? Notice the importance the apostle Paul places on the written word of God in his letter to the young evangelist, Timothy. He said that the holy scriptures ...are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ Jesus. Paul continues by saying that all scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of God may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (See 2 Tim. 3:15-17).

Can all people that are capable of sound reasoning understand God's word? Yes! On their own? Some, but not all! For instance, the man of Ethiopia was reading from the prophesy of Isaiah, as he was returning to his homeland. By inspiration, the disciple, Philip was told to go and give him spiritual assistance. Coming to him, Philip asked the eunuch, understandest thou what thou readest? His reply was,how can I, except some man should guide me? And he desired Philip that he would come up and sit with him. Noticing what he was reading, Philip began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus. We do not have the complete message of Philip, but this we know. The man of Ethiopia was taught sufficiently to know God's will, which resulted in his complete understanding God's plan of eternal salvation. He immediately obeyed the will of God, confessing Jesus Christ to be the Son of God, was immersed in watery grave of baptism for the remission of his sins, and, like those that obediently responded to God's invitation on the Day of Pentecost, he too was added to the body of Christ, His church (See Acts 8:26-39, and Acts 2).

Is it important that, if capable, Christians become preachers and teachers of God's word? Yes, indeed! And, if we do not possess the talents and abilities, we are commanded to send those that are willing and able to do so. Not only are preachers and teachers needed to convert sinners to Christ, but they are equally important in order to edify, build up, inspire, and strengthen those that are already within His church. Isaiah gives us the importance of those that faithfully teach God's holy word. How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth (Isaiah 52:7)! This is the same prophet Paul quotes in the lesson text. He wrote to the church at Rome; as it is written, how beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace, and bring glad tidings of good things!

Not only are messengers of God important in His plan of salvation, but they are necessary to its fulfillment. The feet of those that proclaim God's will are beautiful, as were the feet of Philip, that took him to the man from Ethiopia, which enabled Philip to preach to him God's plan of salvation through Jesus Christ. The feet of human beings are not beautiful; most, we must admit, are physically ugly. However, they are beautiful, not because of their physical makeup, but because of what they accomplish - taking God's word where it is needed. And, by the same example, through the ages, horse and buggies, camels, bicycles, automobiles, and airplanes have been, and still are, beautiful because they enable Christians to proclaim the word of God throughout the world. May such beautiful feet of preachers and teachers of God's word always take them to those, that are in spiritual need, throughout the world!